1 Purpose and public status

1.1. This Code of Conduct (the “Code”) sets out the standards of behaviour required in connection with Startup World Cup Championship (“SWCC”). Its purpose is to support a safe, respectful, inclusive and fair environment for learning, competition, professional collaboration and international exchange.

1.2. This Code is issued by WORLD EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION ORGANISATION LIMITED (“WESIO”), company number SC752638, as the Organiser identified in the SWCC Terms and Conditions of Participation. It is a public participant-facing document forming part of the applicable SWCC documents.

1.3. This Code takes effect upon its approval and publication by WESIO on the official SWCC website, unless WESIO specifies a later effective date. It must be made available before acceptance of the participation terms. Acceptance and incorporation are governed by the Terms and Conditions and applicable law.

2 Persons and activities covered

2.1. This Code applies to Clients and Participants as defined in the Terms and Conditions, including applicants, students, startup teams, accredited and non-accredited partners, educational institutions, teachers, mentors, jury members, speakers, investors, sponsors, exhibitors, media representatives, parents, guardians, accompanying persons and guests. WESIO personnel, authorised representatives, volunteers and contractors must also observe these standards when performing SWCC duties.

2.2. It applies to the Certification Stage, Main Stage, Open League and associated SWCC activities, whether in person or online, including preparation, applications, presentations, judging, meetings, networking, award ceremonies and official communications. Conduct outside an official session falls within this Code where it has a direct and material connection with SWCC participation, safety or integrity.

2.3. Clients, institutions and team leaders must communicate this Code to the persons they register or bring to SWCC. Adults responsible for children must explain the rules in an age-appropriate way. Responsibility for another person’s conduct remains subject to the applicable agreement and law.

3 Respect and equal treatment

3.1. Everyone must behave courteously, respect personal boundaries, listen to others and treat participants fairly regardless of nationality, ethnicity, race, language, religion or belief, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, disability, age, pregnancy, family circumstances or other personal characteristics.

3.2. Harassment, sexual harassment, bullying, stalking, intimidation, threats, violence, unwanted physical contact, discriminatory abuse, degrading jokes and repeated unwanted attention are prohibited. These rules apply equally to speech, gestures, images, messages and online behaviour.

3.3. Critical questions and disagreement about ideas are welcome when expressed respectfully. Participants must not humiliate others because of their age, language skills, disability, experience or project performance. Reasonable accessibility arrangements and approved assistance must be respected.

4 Protection of children and vulnerable participants

4.1. For this Code, a child is a person under 18. All adults must maintain appropriate professional boundaries and prioritise children’s safety and wellbeing. Abuse, exploitation, grooming, sexualised conduct towards children and pressure to keep inappropriate interactions secret are prohibited.

4.2. Unless WESIO expressly agrees otherwise in writing, a parent, legal guardian or authorised accompanying adult remains responsible for the child’s general supervision, safety needs and wellbeing. This does not remove any safeguarding responsibility or legal duty of WESIO, its personnel or other adults.

4.3. Adults acting in an SWCC role must use authorised communication channels and transparent meeting arrangements. Private one-to-one contact, transport or meetings with children must comply with the notified safeguarding arrangements; secluded or secret contact is prohibited. Necessary individual support must be appropriately authorised and observable or otherwise safeguarded.

4.4. No person may pressure a child to provide personal contact details, accept private gifts, enter commercial arrangements or share images or confidential information. Photography, interviews and publication concerning children must follow the applicable media, parental-authorisation and data protection requirements.

4.5. Concerns about abuse, exploitation, a missing child or immediate danger must be reported promptly to authorised event personnel and, where appropriate, the relevant emergency or child protection authorities. Do not wait for an email response. Reports must not be routed through a parent or other adult suspected of causing the harm.

5 Honest participation and project integrity

5.1. Participants must provide accurate information about identity, age, team membership, institutional affiliation, eligibility, qualifications and project ownership. Registration, league allocation, certification and competition requirements remain governed by the Championship Policy and relevant official instructions.

5.2. Plagiarism, impersonation, fabricated evidence, falsified financial results, invented customers or partnerships, manipulated impact claims and misrepresentation of prototypes as functioning products are prohibited. Forecasts, assumptions, simulations and achieved results must be clearly distinguished.

5.3. Teams must acknowledge significant external assistance and third-party materials. Teachers, mentors, parents and service providers may support preparation within the applicable rules but must not misrepresent their work as the students’ own work or secretly answer on their behalf during assessment.

5.4. Artificial intelligence tools may be used only consistently with the applicable competition instructions. Material AI assistance affecting authorship, evidence or assessed work must be disclosed. Participants remain responsible for accuracy, permissions and their ability to explain their work. Undisclosed live assistance during assessed presentations or questions is prohibited unless expressly authorised, including approved accessibility support.

5.5. Participants must not sabotage another project, interfere with a presentation, manipulate votes or scoring systems, obtain restricted assessment information or collude to distort results.

6 Jury independence and conflicts of interest

6.1. Jury members must use the official criteria consistently, assess the relevant evidence and give constructive, age-appropriate feedback. Nationality, personal relationships, sponsorship and financial contributions must not influence scores or treatment.

6.2. Actual or reasonably perceived conflicts must be disclosed promptly to the Organising Committee or authorised jury coordinator. Examples include family connections, teaching or mentoring relationships, ownership, employment, investment interests and significant commercial relationships with a team.

6.3. The responsible coordinator must determine appropriate safeguards, which may include disclosure, reassignment, independent moderation or withdrawal from a particular assessment. A jury member must not determine their own conflict without disclosure. This process does not automatically exclude teachers or branch managers from the Certification Stage, where the Championship Policy expressly provides for their participation.

6.4. Jury registration fees and permitted voluntary contributions do not purchase favourable treatment, additional voting rights or influence over results. Bribery, gifts, hospitality, threats, private lobbying or promises intended to influence judging are prohibited.

6.5. Non-public scores, deliberations and assessment materials must remain confidential. Only authorised persons may announce or amend official results. Requests concerning competition results must follow the applicable competition procedure; a conduct complaint does not itself entitle anyone to re-scoring.

7 Safe participation and access

7.1. Participants must follow lawful and reasonable directions from authorised event personnel, venue staff and emergency services, observe access restrictions and comply with notified health, safety and technical requirements.

7.2. Badges, credentials and online access must not be shared, transferred or used to impersonate another person. Restricted areas, accounts, documents and sessions may be accessed only with authorisation.

7.3. Unsafe demonstrations, unauthorised hazardous materials, illegal substances, weapons prohibited by law or venue rules, and intoxication that compromises safety or disrupts activities are prohibited. Alcohol must not be supplied to children. Equipment, exhibits and shared spaces must be treated with care.

7.4. Participants must respect schedules and presentation limits, avoid obstructing sessions and report hazards, injuries, lost credentials or security incidents promptly. A child removed from a session must be handed over safely to an authorised adult, unless safeguarding concerns require another protective arrangement.

8 Confidentiality and intellectual property

8.1. Participants must comply with the Confidentiality Policy. Non-public project information, business discussions, contact details, internal documents and restricted materials must not be copied, disclosed, recorded, exploited or uploaded to external services without appropriate authority.

8.2. Attendance at a pitch, meeting or exhibition does not transfer ownership of a project or grant a licence to use another person’s intellectual property. Participants must respect copyright, trade marks, licences and lawful confidentiality restrictions.

8.3. Public presentations may be reported or recorded only within the applicable permissions. Participants should clarify restrictions before sharing sensitive material and must not assume that an open presentation creates a private non-disclosure agreement.

8.4. Confidentiality obligations do not prevent lawful reporting of suspected wrongdoing, safeguarding concerns or disclosures to competent authorities. Information must be shared only to the extent appropriate or legally required.

9 Personal data and media

9.1. Personal data must be handled in accordance with the Personal Data Processing Policy and applicable law. Unauthorised collection, scraping, sale, circulation or reuse of participant details is prohibited. Access to a participant list or an introduction does not confer unrestricted marketing permission.

9.2. Photography, filming, recording, interviews and publication must comply with official media instructions, permissions, confidentiality restrictions and safeguarding requirements. Recording in private meetings or restricted areas without proper authorisation is prohibited.

9.3. Participants must respect notified restrictions and must not publish another person’s private details, humiliating material or information that could expose a child to harm. Suspected loss, unauthorised disclosure or misuse of personal data must be reported promptly to WESIO.

9.4. This Code does not create additional consent for personal data processing or media use. Privacy requests and objections must be handled under the applicable policy and law.

10 Commercial integrity and public representation

10.1. Business discussions must be honest, voluntary and free from coercion. Fraud, bribery, corruption, deceptive fundraising, unlawful sales and misleading investment promises are prohibited. Participants must comply with applicable sanctions and other laws relevant to their activities.

10.2. Selling, soliciting sponsorship, distributing promotional materials or conducting commercial activities within SWCC requires the relevant approved participation rights. Persistent unwanted solicitation, spam and pressure on students or families are prohibited.

10.3. Names, logos, certificates, awards and participant, sponsor, partner or jury status must be used accurately and within the permissions granted. No person may claim to speak for WESIO, imply guaranteed investment or endorsement, or misrepresent affiliation with a public authority or international organisation.

10.4. Genuine feedback, lawful criticism, good-faith complaints and cooperation with authorities are permitted. Threats, harassment, knowingly false allegations and unlawful disclosure are prohibited; criticism alone is not a breach of this Code.

11 Reporting concerns

11.1. Formal reports and complaints should be sent to info@wesio.org with the subject “SWCC Conduct Concern”. Include the event or activity, date, persons involved, a factual description, available evidence and a safe method of contact. Provide only information relevant to the concern.

11.2. Urgent concerns may be raised immediately with authorised event personnel, venue security or relevant emergency services. An urgent or safeguarding report must not be disregarded solely because it was made verbally or outside the formal email channel.

11.3. A child may approach a trusted adult or authorised event representative. A person reporting a concern is not required to confront the person complained about. Anonymous reports may be considered, although limited information can restrict investigation or feedback.

11.4. Reports concerning an organiser, staff member or decision-maker should be marked for the attention of a WESIO director who is not implicated. WESIO must arrange impartial handling and exclude persons with a relevant conflict from determining the complaint. Nothing restricts direct reporting to competent authorities.

12 Fair handling and protection against retaliation

12.1. WESIO will assess reports reasonably and proportionately, taking account of urgency, available evidence, age, vulnerability and safeguarding needs. Where necessary, it may seek assistance from the Organising Committee, relevant institutions, professional advisers or competent authorities.

12.2. Where practicable and safe, the person concerned will receive sufficient information about the allegation and a reasonable opportunity to respond before a final adverse decision. Disclosure may be limited to protect children, witnesses, personal data, confidential information or an external investigation.

12.3. Information will be shared on a need-to-know basis in accordance with applicable policies and law. Absolute confidentiality cannot be promised. Relevant evidence must be preserved; participants must not intimidate witnesses, obstruct enquiries or destroy evidence.

12.4. Retaliation against anyone who raises a concern in good faith, seeks support or assists an enquiry is prohibited. A complaint that is not substantiated is not, for that reason alone, misconduct. Knowingly fabricated reports or evidence may constitute a breach.

12.5. WESIO will communicate the outcome and relevant next steps to the affected person and, where appropriate, the reporting person, subject to privacy and safeguarding restrictions. Where enquiries take time, WESIO will provide a reasonable progress update.

13 Protective measures and consequences

13.1. Where there are reasonable grounds to consider that safety, safeguarding, confidentiality or competition integrity is at risk, WESIO may impose immediate temporary restrictions, separate individuals, pause a presentation, limit contact, suspend access or require a person to leave. A temporary measure is not itself a final finding of misconduct and must be reviewed as circumstances develop.

13.2. Following review, measures may include guidance, a warning, required correction or removal of material, conditions on participation, withdrawal from a role, restriction or termination of access, or exclusion from specified future activities. Serious incidents may be referred to competent authorities.

13.3. Competition-related measures, including disqualification or withholding, correction or revocation of an award, must be taken by the authorised body under the Championship Policy and applicable terms. Academic certification and accreditation decisions must follow the relevant rules and decision-making responsibilities.

13.4. Measures must be proportionate to the nature, seriousness, evidence, impact and repetition of the conduct, and take account of age and vulnerability. No team or institution should be sanctioned solely by association without considering its involvement or the effect on competition integrity.

13.5. Financial consequences, including whether a refund is due following removal or termination, are governed by the Terms and Conditions, Refund and Cancellation Policy, applicable individual terms and mandatory law. This Code creates no automatic financial penalty or unconditional forfeiture of payments.

14 Requests for review

14.1. A person affected by a final conduct decision may request a review by emailing info@wesio.org, identifying the decision and explaining any material factual error, procedural unfairness, conflict of interest, disproportionate measure or relevant new evidence. Requests should be made promptly; any applicable deadline must be clearly communicated with the decision.

14.2. Where reasonably practicable, the review will be conducted by a person who did not make the original decision and has no relevant conflict. WESIO will communicate the review outcome within a reasonable period. Protective measures may remain in place while the review is considered.

14.3. This procedure concerns conduct decisions. It does not replace a separate competition, academic, accreditation, refund or data protection procedure, and does not restrict access to courts, regulators, emergency services or other competent authorities.

15 Related documents and interpretation

15.1. This Code must be read with the SWCC Terms and Conditions of Participation, Championship Policy, Confidentiality Policy, Personal Data Processing Policy, Refund and Cancellation Policy, and any applicable category-specific terms, venue rules and official instructions.

15.2. The document-priority provisions of the Terms and Conditions continue to apply. Competition and academic requirements remain governed by the relevant Championship rules; personal data and confidentiality matters remain governed by their respective policies. This Code does not amend fees, evaluation criteria, qualification requirements or prize commitments.

15.3. Nothing in this Code excludes or limits a mandatory right, remedy, safeguarding obligation or liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited. The Code is governed by the laws of Scotland, subject to mandatory applicable law, including the law of the host country. Jurisdiction follows the Terms and Conditions, subject to mandatory jurisdiction protections.

16 Publication and language

16.1. WESIO may publish updated versions on the official SWCC website and will identify the applicable version and effective date. Material changes affecting confirmed participation must be communicated appropriately and applied in accordance with the applicable agreement and law. Updates must not be used retrospectively to create a breach or penalty for conduct that was permitted when it occurred.

16.2. The English version is the primary legal version. Translations are provided for convenience unless WESIO expressly approves a translation as legally binding. Confidentiality and other obligations intended to continue after participation remain effective in accordance with the relevant policy and law.

17 Official organiser and contact details

Organiser: WORLD EDUCATION, SCIENCE AND INNOVATION ORGANISATION LIMITED

Company Code: No. SC752638

E-mail: info@wesio.org

Official website: https://startupworldcup.biz/

Related policy links:

Championship Policy
Terms and Conditions

Confidentiality Policy

Personal Data Processing Policy

Refund and Cancellation Policy

Code of Conduct