Please read carefully the following conditions for participating in the Panda IT Aid 2006 program. If you want, you can also download them in pdf format. If you have any queries, please contact us at: pandaITaid@pandasoftware.com
To celebrate its 15th anniversary, Panda Software International, S.L. (hereinafter Panda Software) is launching the present grants program to recognize and contribute to the realization of 15 projects run by non-profit making organizations which, due to their characteristics, will contribute to foment universal and egalitarian access to the Information Society, with particular emphasis on secure use of technologies and preferentially to the benefit of the more disadvantaged sectors of society: young children, the elderly and the disabled.
- Applicant entities
Candidate projects may be presented by entities that fulfill the following requirements:
- be a non-profit making entity.
- be constituted as a legal entity and legally entitled to operate.
- to prove solvency and relevant experience in the area of its activity in similar projects to the one presented.
- to be up-to-date with tax payments and payments to employees.
- additional consideration will be given to entities whose management is subject to internal controls and external audits.
- Project characteristics
Candidate projects will have the principal aim of the secure use of new technologies and/or universal access to the Information Society, especially for disadvantaged sectors of society (prioritizing young children, the disabled and the elderly).
The projects must be executed during 2006, even if they are forecast to continue for a longer period. Only one project may be presented by each non-profit making legal entity.
- Geographical scope
Projects may be presented from candidates worldwide.
- Evaluation criteria
- Creativity and innovation.
- Social impact.
- Headquarters of the applicant organization in areas with an office of a company belonging to the Panda Group or international representative of Panda Software.
- Medium-term projection of the projects.
- Priority groups targeted (young children, the elderly and the disabled).
- Scope for repeating the project in other places.
- Economic, technical and administrative viability.
- Prior experience in similar projects.
- Protocol and deadline for presenting projects
The projects must be presented by e-mailing the completed form available at http://www.pandaitaid.com to the following address: pandaITaid@pandasoftware.com.
All the documentation that cannot be sent via e-mail may be sent by fax, including a reference to “Panda IT Aid. Social Responsibility Department”, to +34 94 424 46 97.
Panda Software International
Ref.: Panda IT Aid
Social Responsibility Department
Buenos Aires 12
48001 Bilbao
Spain
Those in charge of the project must give further details when requested in order to clarify content or rectify formality errors within 10 working days of the date of the communication. Candidates will be responsible for the authenticity of the information provided.
- Documentation
The minimum mandatory documentation that entities applying to the grants program must present is as follows:
- Letter of application signed by the legal representative of the entity.
- Application form.
- Last year's annual report of the applicant entity.
- Last year's financial statements of the applicant entity and, where applicable, a copy of the annual audit.
- Copy of the entity's articles of association.
Furthermore, applicants may include further information on the project and the applicant entity in the form of informative documentation and/or publications related to the project. Panda Software guarantees the confidentiality of the documentation presented by applicants.
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System for selecting finalists and winnersselection process will be divided into the following phrases:
- Phase 1: An internal selection process, following the evaluation criteria and the minimum requirements established for this grants program, will generate a list of a maximum of 30 candidate projects.
- Phase 2: The selection committee, comprising representatives of Panda Software, institutional representatives and external experts on social action will shortlist 15 finalists.
- Phase 3: Finally, an internal voting procedure among all Panda Group personnel worldwide, following the evaluation criteria and recommendations of the Selection Committee, will decide the four winning projects.
- Announcement of the finalists and presentation of the grants The list of finalists will be published on the Internet and other communication channels. Presentation of the grants to the four winners will take place in the last two weeks of June 2006. No appeals will be admitted regarding the decision.
- Grants
The finalists will be given the Panda Software security software solutions needed to protect their project for one year. Panda Software will share products with a value of 400,000 euros (market value in Spain) among all the finalists, evaluating the real needs of each of the project. In addition, the four winning projects will receive a cash grant of €25,000 each, to be invested exclusively on the project presented.
Thereafter, and subject to agreement between the parties, Panda will support the winning projects through collaboration actions. In order to be eligible for this award, winners agree to be photographed and/or be named on Panda Software's website and those of its international representatives as well as in other media to be decided at the time.
- Panda Software’s contribution
The expenses that may be financed by Panda Software are:
- Personnel costs (which may not exceed 50% of the total project budget).
- Equipment.
- Administrative costs and other management costs associated to the project (which may not exceed 10% of the grant awarded).
- Formalization of the collaborationBefore payment is made to the winners, the collaboration will be formalized through the signing of an agreement between Panda Software and the entity or entities whose projects have been selected. Said agreement will reflect, among other aspects, the following:
- Project Description.
- Amount of the financial aid and other possible resources received.
- Communication.
- Deadlines and phases of the project.
- Procedure to follow and generation of six-monthly and annual reports.
- Timetable and formal requirements for partial payments o Causes for termination of the agreement.
- Payment of the grant
Once the agreement has been signed, Panda Software will proceed, in the case of the finalists, to deliver the products and services agreed, and in addition in the case of the four winners, payment of 75% of the agreed financial aid.
Once the corresponding justification documentation has been presented and validated, Panda Software will pay the remaining 25%.
The entity benefiting from the grant must inform Panda Software if the project budget changes by more than 10%.
- Monitoring and proof of execution:
In order to verify adequate technical and financial management of the financed projects, the following rules have been established:
- The chosen entities must present six-monthly reports on the progress of projects and a final report on completion of the project, in accordance with the requirements predefined by Panda Software.
- In the event of circumstances which give rise, during the execution of the project, to substantial modifications, the beneficiary entity must request express authorization from Panda Software for such modifications.
- Panda Software may request at any moment technical and financial information in order to verify or monitor execution of the project. The beneficiary entities must present a final report evaluating and demonstrating the execution of the project.
- Refund
The beneficiary entities undertake to refund the awards received in the following cases:
- Failure to comply with the obligation to demonstrate execution of the project.
- Failure to meet the objectives for which the grant was awarded.
- Circumstances in which the expenses were not incurred for any reason or the projects were modified substantially without express authorization from Panda Software.
- Failure to meet any other condition to which the awarding of the grant is subject. Obtaining the grant without meeting the corresponding requirements.
- General
Should any of the above conditions be legally null or void, this circumstance will not affect the other terms and conditions which shall remain fully valid and effective. Panda Software reserves the right to alter the current terms and conditions. Participation in the present grants program implies acceptance of the present terms and conditions.