1. By submitting an application, you are deemed to have read and accepted the fund guidelines and these terms and conditions. ChangeX.org reserves the right to disqualify any entries which do not comply with the Fund Guidelines and Terms and Conditions.
2. In the event that circumstances beyond the reasonable control of ChangeX affect, or could affect, the proper operation of this fund, ChangeX reserves the right to cancel or amend the fund or these terms and conditions at any time but will make every effort to avoid causing undue disappointment to applicants where such action is deemed necessary.
3. If you are a successful fund awardee, you agree that ChangeX, the funding partner, and the social innovator behind the Idea you replicate, may use your name, image and location for any reasonable and related promotional purposes. You further agree to participate in any reasonable publicity required by ChangeX, the funding partner, and the social innovator behind the Idea you replicate. Any motivation statements, descriptions of your project and updates you post to your ChangeX project page can be used for reasonable and related promotional purposes by both ChangeX, the funding partner, and the social innovator behind the Idea you replicate. This includes newsletters, social media, blog posts, and other promotional materials.
4. Your fund application and any accompanying material submitted to ChangeX (such as motivation statements, group or impact photos, action plans) will become the property of ChangeX on receipt, and may be used for any reasonable and related promotional purposes.
5. Funding provided for your project through ChangeX can be used to cover direct costs for the set-up or maintenance of the project. Funding can not be used to cover any of the following:
   • Cost of work that has already been carried out or anything that is not related to the setup and maintenance of the community project.
   • If applying to start a proven idea, payments to group members for their work on the project.
   • Promotion of religious causes, non-charitable activities, sponsorship or fundraising events.
   • Promotion of or engagement in criminal acts of violence, terrorism, hate crimes, discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, religion, military and veteran status, disability, sex, age, gender identity or sexual orientation, destruction of any state, or support of any entity that engages in these activities.
6. Any images or videos shared on ChangeX must meet our criteria:
   • Parental/guardian consent must be secured for any images or videos featuring children, and any images uploaded to ChangeX will be presumed by ChangeX to have parental/guardian consent. Individual children should not be identified by name on the ChangeX site.
   • You have permission from all people featured in an image or video to share their image or feature them in the video.
   • You own the image/video OR you have secured the photographer’s permission/videographer's permission to share it with ChangeX and our partners.
   • You have the rights/appropriate permissions for any music used in your video.
   • In the event that we need to check any of the above, you will be able to provide evidence that the necessary permissions are in place.
7. ChangeX shall not be held liable to reimburse any costs that are incurred by applicants, prior to the release of funds by ChangeX. In exceptional circumstances, applicants may seek written approval from ChangeX to incur costs ahead of the release of funds. Written approval will be granted at the sole discretion of ChangeX. Payments will only be made if ChangeX finds that all relevant requirements are met.
8. If you are successful in receiving funding, you are required to comply with all applicable laws including those governing the use, accounting, management and maintaining records of the grants received from ChangeX. Any potential tax consequences, reporting requirements, and consents from third parties are solely the responsibility and liability of the recipient of the funding.
9. ChangeX, at its sole discretion, decides which applicants will be accepted, what the funds can be used for, documentation requirements, and whether the relevant criteria for payment have been met, prior to the approval of a project. ChangeX may request further information and documentation as it reasonably deems necessary, and can set further reasonable requirements or criteria during the application process or throughout the project. ChangeX has no commitment to extending grants to applicants, as the applications are subject to the review and unilateral decision of ChangeX for approval.
10. Employees of ChangeX or the funding partner, as well as their family members and close relatives, are not eligible to apply for funding.
11. ChangeX is solely responsible for the management of the fund, including the selection of applicants, starter support, fund distribution and impact tracking.
12. It is very important that you keep all receipts and records of how any funding you might receive is spent as ChangeX will collect and review these receipts before releasing the second instalment of funding. If receipts cannot be shown, if the funds are found to have been spent on costs other than those relating to the set-up or maintenance of the new community project, or if the project has not met the requirements of the initial project plan, no further funds will be allocated to this project and ChangeX reserves the right to retrieve the funds that have already been distributed. In these situations, the applicant will also be indefinitely ineligible to apply for any subsequent grants through ChangeX.
13. By applying to this fund, you:
    • If applying on behalf of an organisation, confirm that you represent the organisation that you are applying on behalf of and warrant that you have the necessary authorisations to act on behalf of the entity, including the ability to provide the required documents to support such approval if required during the process.
    • Agree that any personal information provided by you with the fund application may be held and used only by ChangeX and to administer the fund and for any other purposes to which you have expressly consented;
    • Understand that you may withdraw such consent at any time by contacting ChangeX at [email protected]
    • Are deemed to have read, understood and accepted the ChangeX privacy policy, a copy of which can be found at https://www.changex.org/ie/sites/privacy.
14. Insofar as is permitted by law, ChangeX will not in any circumstances be responsible or liable to compensate applicants or accept any liability for any loss, damage, personal injury or death occurring as a result of taking part in the fund except where it is caused by the negligence of ChangeX or its employees.
15. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall operate to limit or exclude its liability for death or personal injury caused by its negligence or for fraud (including, but not limited to, fraudulent misrepresentation) or for that which cannot lawfully be excluded.
16. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall impact the awardee’s statutory rights.
17. If any provision of these terms and conditions is held by a competent authority to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions of these terms and conditions will not be affected and will remain valid.
18. Nothing in these terms and conditions shall confer any rights on any third person owing to the rule of privity of contract.
19. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ireland. Any dispute arising under these terms and conditions (whether such disputes or issues are contractual or non-contractual in nature, such as claims in tort, for breach of statute or regulation or otherwise) shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the Republic of Ireland.

ChangeX Child Protection Policy

ChangeX indirectly engages with thousands of children within the context of supporting local communities to start a range of innovations on the ChangeX platform. ChangeX is committed to taking the necessary actions to support child protection. At ChangeX we care about the well-being and safety of children and recognise our fundamental duty to care for the children with whom we directly engage, and our responsibility to ensure that the social innovations we work with, and the local organisations that directly engage with children through the starting of innovations from the ChangeX platform, are also committed to this duty to care for children, and are equipped with the relevant information needed to do so.

ChangeX has a zero tolerance policy for child abuse in any form. People working for or affiliated with ChangeX must always treat children decently and respectfully.

Scope of the Child Protection Policy

In accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, a child is defined as an individual below the age of 18. This policy covers all children we engage with directly and indirectly through our strategic partners and local communities. It also includes any young people below the age of 18 who work or cooperate with ChangeX or our partners.

ChangeX operates in different geographical contexts where ideas and legislation related to children and child protection vary. ChangeX strives to provide a positive experience for all children, and they must be treated with dignity and respect, no matter where we operate.

It is mandatory that all ChangeX employees and others acting on behalf of ChangeX comply with this policy. 

Child abuse is intolerable and all ChangeX employees and partners or affiliated parties are expected to comply with the law. 

ChangeX Child Protection Guidelines

ChangeX staff, partners, and other individuals representing ChangeX, as well as social innovation teams, and local community organisations starting innovations from the ChangeX platform, must never:

• hit, otherwise physically assault, or physically abuse children.

• engage in sexual activity or have a sexual relationship with anyone under the age of 18 years or below the age of consent in the country of operation. Mistaken belief in the age of a child is not a defense.

• develop relationships with children which could in any way be deemed exploitative or abusive.

• act in ways that may be abusive in any way or may place a child at risk of abuse.

• use language, make suggestions or offer advice which is inappropriate, offensive or abusive.

• behave physically in a manner which is inappropriate or sexually provocative.

• have a child/children with whom they are working to stay overnight at their home unsupervised unless exceptional circumstances apply and previous permission has been obtained from the immediate manager.

• sleep in the same bed as a child with whom they are working.

• sleep in the same room as a child with whom they are working unless exceptional circumstances apply and previous permission has been obtained from the immediate manager.

• do things for children of a personal nature that they can do themselves.

• condone, or participate in, behaviour of children which is illegal, unsafe or abusive.

• act in ways intended to shame, humiliate, belittle or degrade children, or otherwise perpetrate any form of emotional abuse.

• discriminate against, show unfair differential treatment or favour to particular children to the exclusion of others.

• spend excessive time alone with children away from others in a manner which could be interpreted as inappropriate.

• expose a child to inappropriate images, films and websites including pornography and extreme violence.

• place themselves in a position where they are made vulnerable to allegations of misconduct.

This is not an exhaustive or exclusive list. Staff, partners and other representatives should at all times avoid actions or behaviour, which may allow behaviour to be misrepresented, constitute poor practice or potentially abusive behaviour.

ChangeX staff, partners, and other individuals representing ChangeX, as well as social innovation teams, and local community organisations starting innovations from the ChangeX platform must:

• listen, value and respect all children.

• know the culture in which you are working and the appropriate behaviour and language around children.

• listen to children carefully if a child has a concern.

• as a member of staff or a volunteer, run projects in a safe, fun and positive manner.

• let children know you are there to help them.

Resources

1. Relevant child safeguarding training:

   • Save the Children make such resources available: Understanding Child Safeguarding: A facilitators guide | Save the Children’s Resource Centre

   • Keeping Children Safe offers resources, a self-assessment tool plus free trainings: Training Resources Archives - Keeping Children Safe

   • The UK Government also offers some resources: Child abuse concerns: guide for practitioners - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) They reference the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, who also offer many resources, a self-assessment tool and trainings: NSPCC Learning homepage - safeguarding training and resources

2. To report any suspected child abuse, you can fill out a form through the ChangeX Reporting System.