Small Business Exchange Program Terms & Conditions – India
Tide Platform Private Limited (“Tide” or “we” or “us”) is offering an exchange program for its members in India (“Program”). Members (“you”) who meet the eligibility criteria outlined below will be able to participate in the Program and travel to the United Kingdom (UK) for a small and medium enterprises (“SME”) exchange. The Program aims to foster bonds between SMEs from the UK and India and help Indian SMEs explore the possibility to launch their products in the UK The Program will be conducted in three stages:
Shortlisting Stage
Pitch Stage
Exchange Stage
To reach the Exchange Stage, members must be eligible for and be selected at the end of the first two stages. These terms and conditions (“Terms”) govern each stage of the Program. You are advised to carefully read these Terms. Your participation in the Program signifies your assent to these Terms.
1.Shortlisting Stage
1.1 We will shortlist twenty (20) members at the end of the shortlisting stage based on the eligibility criteria below. The shortlisted members will be able to participate in the following stages of the Program subject to these Terms.
1.2 Eligibility: To be shortlisted, you must
1.2.1 Cumulatively spend at least Fifty Thousand Rupees (INR 50,000) using the Tide Expense Card each month in the months of October, November and December 2023. These spends must meet the conditions listed in Clause 1.3 below
1.2.2 Be amongst the twenty (20) highest spenders based on the cumulative spends made using the Tide Expense Card during the period between 14 October 2023 and 31 December 2023. These spends must meet the conditions listed in Clause 1.3 below
1.2.3 Be an active Tide member and be compliant with the Tide Membership Terms and Conditions (“Tide Membership Terms”)
1.2.4 Have a genuine interest in doing or learning about business in the UK, whether as part of your supply chain, an interest in export/import, or for other reasons
1.2.5 Have a valid passport with a validity of at least twelve (12) months from 01 January 2024
1.2.6 Be able to travel and commit to the Program for a period of 8 days between March and April 2024 (the “Exchange Period”)
1.2.7 Not have been selected for the Program before.
1.3 Transaction related terms
1.3.1 We consider the date on which money is deducted from your prepaid payment instrument (PPI) (linked with your Tide Expense Card) as the date of the transaction.
1.3.2 Only genuine transactions will count towards eligibility for the shortlisting. A transaction will not count towards eligibility for shortlisting if: (a) you cancel or reverse the transaction; (b) the transaction is invalidated or fails to go through; (c) the merchant or you dispute the transaction; (d) the transaction is made to load/fund your PPI associated with the Tide Expense Card; (e) the transaction is a cash withdrawal from an ATM; (h) the transaction is not valid or appears to be suspicious or fraudulent; or (i) the transaction is made towards a purchase of prohibited goods or services.
1.3.3 Where two members have the same cumulative spends between the dates specified above, the one who made the highest cumulative spends earlier in time will be shortlisted.
1.4 We will contact the shortlisted members through email informing them about their eligibility to participate in the next stages of the Program. To confirm their participation, such members must follow the instructions in our email and (a) provide any additional information required by us for our due diligence. If such members do not confirm their participation in the next stages as per our email within seven (7) business days, they will be deemed to have forfeited their chance to participate in the next stages of Program
1.5 If a shortlisted member is disqualified from the Program or forfeits their chance to participate further under these Terms, we reserve the right to decide if another member who meets the criteria should replace such member in our sole discretion.
2. Pitch Stage
2.1 Members shortlisted pursuant to Clause 1 above will be asked to make a pitch before a panel of experts/ jury panel. In this pitch, the members must present their case for why they must be selected to travel to the UK under the Program. The panel of experts/jury panel may pose questions to the pitching members. Based on the pitches, four (4) members will be selected to travel to the UK under the Program, subject to these Terms.
2.2 The pitch will be made online using a video conferencing tool. The date and time of the pitch and the name of the video conferencing tool will be shared with shortlisted members in advance.
2.3 We reserve the right to select the panel of experts/jury panel at our sole discretion. The decision of the panel of experts/jury panel will be final and binding on all participants.
2.4 Members who fail to present their pitch to the panel of experts/jury panel on the appointed date and time will be disqualified from the Program and will not be able to participate further in it.
2.5 We will contact the members who are selected after the pitch stage through email, informing them about their eligibility to participate in the exchange stage of the Program. To confirm their participation, such members must follow the instructions in our email and (a) provide any additional information required by us for our due diligence. If such members do not confirm their participation in the exchange stage as per our email within 7 (seven) business days, they will be deemed to have forfeited their chance to participate in the exchange stage.
2.6 If a member selected after the pitch is disqualified from the Program or forfeits their chance to participate further under these Terms, we reserve the right to decide if another member who meets the criteria should replace such member in our sole discretion.
3. Exchange Stage
3.1 Members selected pursuant to Clause 2 (“Exchange Participants”) will be eligible to travel to the UK under the Program, subject to these Terms.
3.2 We will organise business events and networking activities in the UK for the Exchange Participants (“Scheduled Activities”). The Exchange Participants must necessarily participate in the Scheduled Activities. The Scheduled Activities will cover various aspects related to doing business in the UK, including but not limited to ease of doing business, product knowledge, regulatory compliance, legal framework, entrepreneurship, networking opportunities, and tech support for scaling businesses. The specific Scheduled Activities will be communicated to the Exchange Participants in due course.
3.3 For the Exchange Participants’ travel to the UK, we will bear the following costs and expenses for the Exchange Period
3.3.1 Flight tickets: round trip Economy Class plane tickets to and from the UK
3.3.2 Local Transportation: costs for travel within the UK, such as for taxis, trains, buses, etc., if such travel is directly required for participation in Scheduled Activities
3.3.3 Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in London
3.3.4 Food (three meals each day)
3.3.5 Costs directly related to participation in the Scheduled Activities.
All costs and expenses not expressly listed here will be borne by the Exchange Participants.
3.4 While we may facilitate the acquisition of travel visas to the UK for the Exchange Participants, we will not be held liable for the visa refusal for any Participant.
3.5 During, prior and after the exchange period, each Exchange Participant must:
a) Participate in all Scheduled Activities, follow our instructions, and provide the necessary cooperation and assistance to us in order to ensure that the Program is productive and successful
b) Conduct themselves in a professional and respectful manner throughout the duration of the Exchange Period. Participants must demonstrate cultural sensitivity and respect towards the customs, traditions, and beliefs of the host country. Any behaviour deemed inappropriate, offensive, or harmful to others will not be tolerated
c) Comply with all applicable laws and regulations of the host country during the Exchange Period. We will not be held responsible for any legal consequences arising from an Exchange Participant’s conduct in the host country
d) Maintain strict confidentiality regarding any sensitive information shared during the Program and must not disclose such information to third parties without prior written consent from us
e) Hold an active Tide membership and be compliant with the Tide Membership Terms for the full duration of the Program.
3.6 Exchange Participants are responsible for maintaining their personal health and safety during the exchange. It is advised that they obtain appropriate travel and health insurance coverage.
3.7 Exchange Participants agree to submit an objective testimonial about their experience, learnings and benefits of the Program after their return from the exchange (“Testimonial”). The Testimonial may be oral, written, or audio-visual. Exchange Participants must sign a Testimonial release form, if required, so that their Testimonial can be shared and used on our website and social media channels.
3.8 Only the Exchange Participants are eligible for the exchange. They may not exchange or transfer their rights under these Terms to any other person.
4. Disqualification
4.1 We reserve the right to disqualify you from the Program at any stage of the Program if you: (a) are in breach of applicable law; (b) are in breach of these Terms; (c) do not meet the eligibility criteria for any stage of the Program; (d) tamper with the qualification process or the operation of the Program; or (e) act fraudulently, in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or unfairly influence the Program (or attempt to do any of the foregoing). All costs and expenses incurred by us in connection with the participation of a disqualified member must be returned by the disqualified member to us within sixty (60) days from the date of disqualification.
4.2 The following are not eligible to participate in the Program:
4.2.1 Our employees and contractors
4.2.2 Employees and contractors of our advisors and service providers who are professionally connected with the Program
4.2.3 Immediate family members (spouses, domestic partners, parents, grandparents, siblings, children and grandchildren) of the persons mentioned under Clauses 4.2.1 and 4.2.2
4.2.4 Residents of the state of Tamil Nadu
4.3 In you are disqualified from the Program, you will forfeit any rights or benefits being offered to you under these Terms. Further, we will reserve the right to take appropriate legal action against you.
5. Disclaimer
5.1 We are not responsible for: (a) any error in the operation of the Program, including for technical, network, telephone, computer, hardware or software malfunctions of any kind; (b) any inaccurate transmission of, or failure to receive any information on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website; (c) any lost, misdirected, late, incomplete, unintelligible or inaccurate participation information, whether caused by you or by any of the equipment or Program associated with or utilized in the Program, or by any technical or human error while processing the Program; (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Program; or (e) injury or damage to your or any other computer or mobile resulting from downloading any materials in connection with the Program.
5.2 We will not be responsible for any accidents, injuries, thefts or other perilous event of similar nature which may happen in the UK. The Exchange Participants agree not to hold us liable for any such events.
6. Variation and Termination
To the extent permitted by applicable law, we reserve the right at any time, in our sole discretion to: (a) modify the Program, the eligibility criteria, disqualification criteria, these Terms and any other terms governing it; and (b) withdraw, terminate, or temporarily suspend the Program, with or without prior notice.
7. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
7.1 The Program and these Terms are governed by the laws of India.
7.2 The courts at New Delhi will have the exclusive jurisdiction to adjudicate any dispute arising out of or relating to the Program and these Terms.
8. Indemnity
To the fullest extent permissible by law, you agree to release and indemnify us, our affiliates (including their officers, employees, and subcontractors) from and against all actions, losses, liabilities, penalties, claims, demands or expenses you may have against us or that we may incur as a direct or indirect result of your participation in the Program.
9. Liability
We will exercise reasonable care and diligence in organising and operating the Program. But we will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or special damages, losses, or injuries arising from your participation in the Program. You acknowledge that your participation in the Program is voluntary, and assume all risks associated with such participation. In any event, our total liability arising out of or in relation to the Program will not exceed Fifty Thousand Rupees (INR 50,000)
10. Intellectual Property and Publicity
10.1 You must respect and adhere to all intellectual property rights, including copyrights, trademarks, patents, trade secrets, and any other proprietary rights, of us and other participants involved in the Program. You may be granted a limited, non-exclusive, and revocable license to use any intellectual property provided by us solely for the purposes of the Program. Any use of such intellectual property beyond the scope of the Program requires additional written consent. You must ensure that any intellectual property you submit or present during the Program is your original work and does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights of any third party.
10.2 By participating in the Program, you agree and give consent to the processing, communication, and publication of your name, social media handle/page, likeness, image, and/or voice (including photograph, film, and/or recording of the same) in any media for an unlimited period through any medium of release (mass media, digital media, etc.). You acknowledge that the potential benefits you may receive by participating in the Program are adequate consideration and you will not receive any additional compensation for such use. Further, you release us, our affiliates, and their employees, agents and assigns from any claims arising out of, or relating to such use.
10.3 You may publish posts about your participation in the Program, subject to the following:
10.3.1 You must accurately represent your involvement in the Program and must not publish any misleading or false information
10.3.2 You must follow our marketing and publicity guidelines for the Program
10.3.3 You must not announce or reveal directly or indirectly your participation in the Program or exchange before we officially announces it
10.4 You grant us the right to share, repost, or feature your social media content or publicity materials relating to the Program on our official social media channels or other promotional platforms
11. General
11.1 In the event of a conflict between these Terms and the details in any promotional material for the Program, these Terms will prevail.
11.2 Failure by us to enforce any provision of these Terms will not be deemed as a waiver of its right to enforce such provision at any later time. No waiver will be valid unless in writing. Waiver of any one provision will not be considered as a waiver of another provision.
11.3 If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect to the extent permitted by law.
11.4 We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and will process your personal data in accordance with the applicable law and our privacy policy.
12. Contact
All queries relating to this Program should be made to indiasupport@tide.co.