Ghana AI Innovation Challenge

1.1. The Ghana AI Innovation Challenge ("the Challenge") is an action research competition that invites data scientists, technologists, researchers, and innovators to develop AI‑powered solutions using Ghanaian datasets to address locally relevant problems.

1.2. By registering for and/or submitting any entry to the Challenge, each participant ("Participant") agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.

2.1. The Challenge is organised by [Consortium made up of Knowledge Innovations (organisers of Ghana AI Summit 2025) and Ghana AI Research Network (GAIN)] ("the Organiser").

2.2. The Organiser reserves the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the Challenge where necessary, with reasonable notice posted on the official communication channels.

3.1. The Challenge is open to:

• Individuals who are at least 18 years old at the time of registration; and/or
• Teams of up to five (5) members.

3.2. Participants must be Ghanaian citizens or residents or demonstrate a clear collaboration with Ghana‑based institutions or Ghanaian stakeholders.

3.3. Staff, board members, and immediate family members of the Organiser and core implementation partners may be restricted from competing for prizes at the Organiser's discretion (they may participate "out of competition" if allowed).

3.4. Participation is free of charge; no purchase or payment is required to enter.

4.1. Participants must complete the official application/registration form by the stated deadline.

4.2. Each team must designate a Lead Participant who will serve as the primary point of contact.

4.3. Participants may not register under multiple team names for the same project; however, an individual may participate in more than one project only with prior written approval from the Organiser.

4.4. By registering, Participants confirm that all information provided is accurate and complete.

5.1. Each solution must use at least one Ghanaian dataset as a primary data source.

5.2. Datasets may be:

• Publicly available open data (e.g., government open data portals, research repositories);
• Proprietary or partner‑provided data (with written permission);
• Self‑collected data (e.g., surveys, sensor data), provided collection complies with ethical and legal standards.

5.3. All data sources must be clearly documented in submissions, including source, ownership, licensing/permission status, and any usage restrictions.

5.4. Participants are solely responsible for ensuring that they have the legal right to use all data and that their use does not infringe third‑party rights.

6.1. The Challenge will be carried out over approximately 20 weeks, following phases announced in the official guidelines (e.g., registration, development, abstract submission, review, summit showcase).

6.2. Participants must submit all required deliverables in line with the official timeline and format, including:

• Technical abstract;
• Poster or presentation materials;
• Live demonstration/pitch; and
• Code repository and documentation, as specified in the Challenge guidelines.

6.3. Late or incomplete submissions may be disqualified at the Organiser's discretion.

7.1. All submissions must be the original work of the Participants and must not violate any intellectual property rights, confidentiality obligations, or other rights of third parties.

7.2. Participants retain ownership of their code, models, and other intellectual property created during the Challenge.

7.3. By participating, Participants grant the Organiser a non‑exclusive, royalty‑free, worldwide license to:

• Display and showcase their projects, abstracts, posters, and demos at the summit, on the Organiser's website, social media, reports, and related publications.
• Reference their solution as part of Challenge documentation, case studies, and impact reporting.

7.4. Any additional commercialization or deployment arrangements (e.g., pilots with partners) shall be subject to separate agreements between the relevant parties.

8.1. Participants will be required to submit code via a repository (e.g., GitHub or similar) or via another mechanism specified by the Organiser to enable reproducibility review.

8.2. Participants are responsible for ensuring that their submission does not disclose secrets, passwords, or confidential data.

8.3. Any third‑party libraries, models, or tools used must be properly cited and used in line with their respective licenses.

9.1. Participants must comply with applicable Ghanaian laws, including data protection and privacy regulations, as well as relevant ethical guidelines.

9.2. Solutions must not deliberately promote discrimination, harm, or violations of human rights, and should take reasonable steps to mitigate bias in data and models.

9.3. Participants must not use illegally obtained or non‑consensual personal data. Where personal data is used, anonymisation or pseudonymisation should be applied where feasible.

9.4. The Organiser reserves the right to disqualify any submission deemed unethical, harmful, or in violation of legal or ethical standards.

10.1. Eligible submissions will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges appointed by the Organiser.

10.2. Evaluation criteria will be communicated in advance and may include relevance and impact, technical soundness, innovation, scalability and feasibility, and quality of presentation.

10.3. The judges' deliberations are confidential.

10.4. The judges' and Organiser's decisions regarding scoring, shortlisting, and awards are final and not subject to appeal.

11.1. The Organiser will announce awards and recognitions (e.g., grand prizes, domain‑specific awards, diversity recognition, cloud credits, certificates) in the official Challenge materials.

11.2. The Organiser reserves the right to withhold or reallocate awards if the minimum quality threshold is not met or if fewer than a reasonable number of eligible submissions is received in any category.

11.3. Cash awards and other prizes may be subject to taxation under applicable Ghanaian law, and winners are responsible for any such taxes.

12.1. Participants are expected to uphold professional and respectful conduct towards other teams, judges, mentors, and organisers.

12.2. The following may lead to disqualification:

• Plagiarism or misrepresentation of work or data;
• Breach of data protection, ethical or legal requirements;
• Use of fraudulent methods or manipulation of evaluation processes;
• Failure to comply with these Terms and Conditions or official guidelines.

12.3. The Organiser may remove or disqualify any Participant or team at its sole discretion where necessary to protect the integrity of the Challenge.

13.1. The Organiser will use reasonable efforts to ensure a smooth running of the Challenge but does not accept liability for any technical failures, data loss, or other issues beyond its control.

13.2. Participants take part at their own risk and are responsible for their equipment, software, and internet connectivity.

13.3. To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Organiser shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, or consequential damages arising from participation in the Challenge.

14.1. Personal data collected through registration and participation will be used only for administering the Challenge, communicating with Participants, and documenting outcomes.

14.2. The Organiser will handle personal data in line with applicable data protection laws and its privacy policy, which will be made available to Participants.

14.3. Participants may be asked for consent to have their names, photos, and project summaries used in publicity; consent can be withdrawn subject to legal and reporting obligations.

15.1. The Organiser reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions, the Challenge schedule, or other operational details where necessary, provided that Participants are notified through official channels.

15.2. Continued participation after such notice will constitute acceptance of the amended Terms and Conditions.

16.1. These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Republic of Ghana.

16.2. Any disputes arising in connection with the Challenge that cannot be resolved amicably shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ghana.