Background

The HPC AI Innovation Challenge 2023 by National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore, powered by ACE.SG (the “Challenge”) is organised by National Supercomputing Centre (NSCC) Singapore, registered under the laws of Singapore, with its business office located at 1 Fusionopolis Way, Connexis South, #17-01, Singapore 138632 (“NSCC”). We are running this Challenge in collaboration with our partner network across Singapore (“Partners”).

Official information on the Challenge will be communicated via https://www.hpcic23.sg/ (the “Challenge Website”).

These terms, conditions and any rules for the Challenge on the Challenge Website (together the “Terms and Conditions”) operate for the benefit of NSCC, ACE.SG, NSCC’s and ACE.SG's Partners who contribute to or are involved in the administration, operation and maintenance of the Challenge. References to “we”, “us” and “our” in these Terms and Conditions shall refer to NSCC.

Please read these Terms and Conditions carefully before you enter the Challenge. By submitting an entry, you accept these Terms and Conditions and agree to comply with them.

Eligibility

Who can enter the Challenge:

Government agencies, local enterprises, startups and students at Singapore’s Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs).

Please note that each team must include at least one Singaporean, Permanent Resident, Work Pass, or Student Pass holder based in Singapore.
Team size must be 2 - 5 pax.

The majority of your team must be able to be physically present in Singapore to participate in the Solution Development Phase activities, Solution Day and post-challenge activities (March - July 2024).

If you are unsure about your eligibility to enter the Challenge, please contact us before submitting an entry.

Submitting an Entry

To submit an application, you must fill in all mandatory fields and answer all questions within the application portal on the Challenge Website, navigated through the "Apply Here" button. Entries must comply with guidelines and recommendations set out on the Challenge Website.

Entries must be submitted in English. The submission period for entries starts on 1 November 2023 and ends on 10 January 2024.

We are not liable for possible deficiencies of the platform. Please note that we are not responsible for problems regarding computers, networks or any other reasons that may lead to lost, damaged or late entries. Proof of sending is not proof of receipt.

Timeline

After initial entries have been submitted, the Challenge will be run in accordance with the following indicative timeline. We reserve the right to change any of the time frames indicated on the Challenge Website.

Phase 1: Selection

Applications successfully submitted will be reviewed by the Challenge Organising Committee. NSCC reserves the right to modify the number of selected applicants.

Applicants selected to be the top 15 finalists (“Finalists”) will be notified via email. If you fail to respond or do not provide the required information needed for the next phase of the Challenge within 48 hours of being notified, we will reserve the right to withdraw our offer for you to compete in the next round.

Phase 2: Info Session

An info session will be organised for the Finalists prior to the Solution Day in Singapore or online. Representatives from NSCC will share more on the Challenge themes and problem statements during the briefing session.

Phase 3: Solution Day

The Solution Day will be held in Singapore. Applicants based overseas will need to arrange and pay for their flights, accommodations and personal expenses at their own cost.

Selected applicants will pitch their solution in front of the judging panel. The audience may include leading investors, government officials, corporates and NSCC’s Partners.

NSCC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any entry at any phase of the Challenge. The reasons for disqualification can be, but not limited to, breach of any of the rules, breach of eligibility criteria, breach of any applicable laws, bad conduct or offensive behaviour, or invalid answers contained in the applications. No verbal or written communication will be entertained.

Winner Selection and Prize

The judging panel will decide which entry best meets the assessment criteria, as set out on the Challenge Website. The winners may be presented opportunities to collaborate and co-innovate on proof-of-concept solutions with NSCC at the sole discretion of NSCC.

The decision by the judging panel will be final. No correspondence will be entered into.

Intellectual Property Rights

NSCC does not retain any equity or ownership of the solution upon application. You retain full and exclusive ownership of your information and intellectual property rights. Any solution you submit will only be used for evaluating your application.

Personal Data

Unless stated otherwise, information (including personal and sensitive information) submitted in any entry may be used by NSCC and our Partners in accordance with Singapore Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA).

By submitting your entry to the Challenge, you give us permission to use the information provided by you in your entry and during your participation in the Challenge (including your personal details, logos and photos uploaded by you and taken during events) for the purposes of administering and judging the Challenge, for any purpose connected to the Challenge and for promotional purposes. We may share this information with our judging panel, our Partners, and anyone who is involved in the Challenge.

Liability

We may cancel the Challenge or vary these terms and conditions at any time at our discretion. We will post any changes to these terms and conditions on the Challenge Website.

We reserve the right to suspend the Challenge at any time and to change the form and substance, dates for deadlines and events, locations or specification of the Challenge and/or prize at our sole discretion.

In the event of conflict or any misinterpretation regarding these Terms and Conditions, the conduct or results of the Challenge, or any other matter relating to the Challenge, the decision of NSCC shall be final and unchallenged.

While every care is taken to ensure that the Challenge runs successfully, NSCC and its Partners, including their employees, will not be held responsible for any loss, damage, inconvenience, or disappointment of any kind suffered by any applicant resulting from the Challenge.

NSCC does not endorse any externally linked sites and is not responsible for their contents.

Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with Singapore laws. Any dispute arising under these Terms and Conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Singapore courts. By entering the Challenge, you agree to submit to Singapore laws, regardless of your country of establishment, domicile or residence.

Questions

A list of Frequently Asked Questions (“FAQs”) is available on the Challenge Website. In the event of a conflict between these Terms and Conditions and our FAQs, these Terms and Conditions will prevail.

If you have any further questions about the Challenge, please contact us via the contact details listed on the Challenge Website.

Dr Eric Cheung, Institute of Technical Education