Camden Challenge Prize 2025: terms and conditions

Read these terms and conditions carefully in conjunction with the Eligibility Criteria, Judging Criteria and Challenge Briefs before submitting an application. By submitting an application, you accept these terms and conditions.

The Camden Challenge Prize (‘Challenge’) is being run by Camden Council.

1. The Challenge

We’re seeking bold, practical, and thoughtful ideas that can make a meaningful impact on food waste and surplus in Camden. Your solution should be:

• People-centric
  Grounded in real-world needs and designed with the people it serves in mind, whether that’s customers, communities, or workers in the food sector.
• Commercially viable
  Applicants must present a realistic and actionable business model that demonstrates the potential for long-term sustainability and growth. The initiative should not be a one-off project but instead be designed to operate independently and continue to generate value over time. We are looking for initiatives that can sustain themselves and scale effectively. These could include offshoots, strategic partnerships, monetization plans, a clear pathway to profitability, or a well-structured not-for-profit model focused on achieving lasting social or environmental impact. Whether for-profit or not-for-profit, the business model should reflect a commitment to long-term sustainability, adaptability to changing market conditions, and an ongoing ability to meet evolving user or community needs.
• Thoughtfully technology-enabled
  We welcome ideas that use technology as a tool, not as the solution itself. Whether low-tech or digitally enhanced, your approach should make responsible, ethical use of data and digital tools to support its impact and effectiveness in a changing world.
• Innovative
  We’re looking for fresh-thinking ideas that go beyond what’s already being done. Camden is already home to creative changemakers tackling food waste, especially in the realm of food redistribution. We’re excited to see what new approaches can build on this work or take it in entirely new directions. Some examples of work that’s already been done in the space are Lifeafterhummus, Neighbourly.
• Scalable
  Your idea should have the potential to grow, whether that means expanding locally, adapting to new contexts, or influencing broader change.

2. Eligibility to participate

2.1 Applications must be received by 5pm on Tuesday 30 September 2025 . We are not responsible for applications which are lost, damaged or late due to computer, network or telecommunications failure. When we receive an application we will send a confirmation email. 

2.2 You may submit more than one application per Challenge and be named as a partner in more than one application . Each idea must be submitted on a separate application . If you are chosen as a prototyping finalist, you will have to pick one to move forward with.

2.3 Elected Members and employees of Camden Council are not eligible to enter.

2.5 Unless otherwise stated, entrants must bear all costs of entering and participating in the Challenge, including travel costs.

2.6 A Prototyping Finalist may not serve as a Judge on our panel or as a Partner in any capacity. 

2.7 Individuals from the same organisation as a Judge or Partner are permitted to enter the competition. However, all parties are required to declare their affiliation at the time it is identified. A Judge or Partner must be able to demonstrate that they have treated all applicants fairly and without prejudice.

3. Withdrawal

3.1 You will be deemed to withdraw from the Challenge if you:

• give us written notice that you are withdrawing, or
• do not participate in any challenge or test or other activities that we ask you to participate in, or
• have been shortlisted and do not submit a final bid by the notified deadline, or
• do not reply to correspondence within 14 days

3.2 If a shortlisted entrant withdraws then the:

• shortlisted entrant must repay any development funding paid by the Council, and
• Council may but, need not, shortlist another application in their place.

4. Shortlisted applications – Prototyping Finalists

4.1 Eligible applications will be assessed against the eligibility and judging criteria and a shortlist will be produced. Prototyping finalists will be notified and will be awarded a grant of £5,000 to develop and test their idea. Prototyping finalists will be required to engage and work with our partner Impact Hub. Prototyping finalists may be asked to complete further tasks as part of the final assessment as a condition of participation in the Challenge.  Any funding paid under this paragraph must only be used for the development and refinement of the application . Prototyping finalists will be required to submit a final proposal by a deadline notified to them.

4.2 Where any user testing of any ideas takes place, the user testing must adhere to the relevant national and local guidance on Safeguarding (if appropriate) and Information Governance 

4.3 The judges’ decision about eligibility, shortlisting and selection, including the measurement and validity of any claims and data submitted, and about the provision of support and financial support, is final and correspondence will not be entered into.

5. Winning application

5.1 The winner of the Challenge must use the prize grant in ways that will further develop and refine the winning solution in Camden, as outlined in the final Business Case.

5.2 The Winner, Runner Up  and Prototyping Finalists may be required to participate in publicity, blog posts and events.

5.3 Camden Council has the right to use the winning application for its business purposes.

6. General

6.1 The Council reserves the right to refuse any application or to make no award if none of the applications meet our required standards. We may also vary the form or substance of the Challenge (including deadlines, event dates and the number of applications selected for each phase) as we deem appropriate in the circumstances to ensure the success of the Challenge. We may also suspend or withdraw the Challenge if funding is withdrawn, if we judge that the Challenge will no longer achieve its aims or in the event of changes outside our control. The Council will give reasonable notice of any variations.

6.2 The Council reserves the right at its sole discretion to remove you from the Challenge if you do not comply with these terms and conditions, if you cheat or behave in a way which is disruptive, inappropriate or potentially dangerous, if you fail to participate fully or do anything to damage the reputation of Camden Council or its partners.

6.3 The prize winners are responsible for payment of tax and other charges in relation to the award of the prize.

6.4 The Council reserves the right to vary these terms and conditions at any time. Variations will take effect from the date they are posted on our website so please check regularly to see the current version.

6.5 These terms and conditions shall be governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and you hereby submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

7. Your promise to us

7.1 By participating in the Challenges, you confirm that:

• you satisfy the relevant eligibility criteria and all information submitted by you is true, accurate and complete. The Council reserves the right to ask for additional evidence of claims made by you, to validate claims by any means we see fit and/or to reject claims at our sole discretion.
• your proposal is your own original idea and is not copied from anyone else. 
• your application will not infringe any intellectual property or other third party rights or breach any contractual obligation.
• you have, or will obtain, all authorisations, consents and permissions necessary to submit your application, carry out your proposal and comply with these terms and conditions and to the best of your knowledge, your application will not infringe any intellectual property or other third party rights or breach any contractual obligation.
• you will act lawfully, ethically and in good faith and comply with the rules of the Challenge and any relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and codes of practice. You will comply with our reasonable instructions while participating in the Challenge, including in relation to health and safety and security.

7.2 If you are entering as part of a group or team, the person completing the application form is responsible for ensuring that other members of the group or team comply with these terms & conditions.

8. Information and publicity

8.1 Camden Council will use information which you provide, including your personal details, to administer the Challenge and may share it with our partners and anyone helping us to run the Challenge, subject to appropriate obligations of confidentiality and data protection.

8.2 We may carry out publicity and promotion for the Challenge and publish our research and evaluation in relation to the Challenge. You agree to participate in publicity for the Challenge and consent to the use of your name and a summary of your proposal in promotion and publications in any media and online. Before publication, we will take into account your concerns about confidentiality and intellectual property rights in your application. Any public statements which you make in relation to the Challenge must acknowledge Camden Council and be approved by us in advance.

8.3 Any intellectual property rights in your application will be retained by you but Camden Council will have the right to use information about the solutions for prize and publicity purposes and for the purposes of its business.

8.4 The Council may receive multiple submissions containing similar ideas, concepts or solutions, and nothing in Terms and Conditions or the Challenge process shall prevent the Council from developing, commissioning, or funding similar initiatives independently, provided no confidential or proprietary information is misused.

8.5 Applicants not selected for award shall have no right to compensation or other remedy against the Council in connection with their application.

9. Limitation of Liability 

9.1 Camden Council is not liable for any direct or indirect loss or liability, costs, claims, taxes, charges or expenses resulting from your participation in the Challenges or your reliance on statements made or advice given by us, our partners or contractors.

9.2 Without prejudice to Clause 9.1, our maximum liability to you in connection with the Challenges (if any) is limited to £500. Nothing in these terms and conditions excludes or limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence or fraudulent misrepresentation made by us.