1. Entry criteria

1.1     The promoter of this competition is the National Lottery Promotions Unit (“NLPU”).

1.2     To enter your project into The National Lottery Awards 2012 competition (“National Lottery Awards”) you must be an authorised representative of the project with all permissions necessary to enter this competition for and on behalf of the project and the project must:

1.2.1   have received Lottery funding at any time since 1994; and

1.2.2   be based in the UK;

1.2.3   not have won an award in The National Lottery Awards in the  previous five years;

1.2.4   agree that details and images relating to the project’s entry may be used in the media for promotional purposes;

and you agree that this entry is the project’s entry and not your personal entry.

1.3     Projects that entered The National Lottery Awards previously, but did not win an Award, are eligible to enter this National Lottery Awards competition.

2. Entry and competition process

2.1     To enter The National Lottery Awards, the project must:

2.1.1   complete and submit the entry form available at www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards; or

2.1.2   obtain an entry form by calling the helpline on 020 7293 2128 and return the completed entry form in the post to the address set out on the entry form.

2.2     All entries must be received on or before noon Tuesday 12 March 2012.

2.3    Each entry must select up to two of the following categories in which the project wishes to compete: 

2.3.1     Best Arts Project;

2.3.2     Best Education Project in association with Best magazine;

2.3.3     Best Environment Project;

2.3.4     Best Health Project in association with iVillage.co.uk;

2.3.5     Best Heritage Project;

2.3.6     Best Sport Project; or

2.3.7     Best Voluntary/Charity Project

2.4 All entries are reviewed by an expert independent organisation, who (in consultation with NLPU) will score each entry against a pre-agreed scoring criteria to identify which projects will make up a longlist of 20 projects in each category, to be put forward to a judging panel.  The scoring criteria is available on request, and scores are given to each project by based solely on the entries submitted by each project.

2.5 A judging panel selected by the NLPU will then shortlist 10 projects in each category to be voted on by the public in the “semi-final round of public voting”. The judges decision is final and in making its decision the judging panel will consider which projects:

2.5.1   stand out as a good example of the use of Lottery funding;

2.5.2   demonstrate the positive difference that Lottery funding makes to people, places and/or communities; and

2.5.3   are able to demonstrate and give clear examples of the project’s impact on its beneficiaries

2.6 NLPU is not responsible for any lost, incomplete, incomprehensible or misdirected entries. Such entries will be void.

2.7 In the event of any fault, mistake, misunderstanding or dispute concerning the operation of any part of the competition, the operation of the technical system or any other matter arising out of the entry process, the decision of NLPU shall be final.

2.8 Under no circumstances (including but not limited to any act or omission on the part of NLPU) will NLPU be liable for any indirect, incidental, special and/or consequential damages or loss of profits whatsoever which result in connection with this competition.

2.9 In the event of a draw between two competing projects in the semi-final round of public voting (taking into account both phone and online votes), both projects will progress into the final round of public voting.

2.10 In the event of a draw between two competing projects in the final round of public voting (taking into account both phone and online votes), votes cast for each project during the semi-final round will be added to the final round’s total and the project with the most combined votes will be the winner. If after counting both the semi-final round and the final round votes it is still a draw, both projects will be deemed equal winners and the Prize will be divided equally between them.

2.11  You agree all intellectual property rights (including copyright) in the material submitted to the NLPU for the purposes of or in connection with this competition is assigned to the NLPU from the date of the project’s entry. You warrant that the entry is your own original work or the original work of the project.

2.12 All winners of the competition will be published on NLPU’s website (www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk) and social media channels including but not limited to Facebook and Twitter after the winners are announced. You agree that your name and the project’s name may be published on this website and social media channels.

2.13 NLPU reserves the right to amend these terms and conditions at any time without prior notice in its absolute discretion. Any material changes will be advertised on the website www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk and such posting shall be adequate notice to all users.

3. Voting during the public voting rounds – general terms

3.1 You will be able to cast a vote for The National Lottery Awards either (a) online at the website www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards or (b) from a landline or mobile telephone (“vote”). In casting a vote you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions.

3.2 You can cast a vote during the semi-final and final voting phases of The National Lottery Awards. You may cast a vote for one project or multiple projects.

3.3 The Electoral Reform Services (ERS) will act as Competition Adjudicator throughout the voting process, and will have systems in place to monitor the voting, scrutinise the votes, carry out testing to ensure the validity of the vote and certify the final tally of votes at both the semi-final stage and final stage.

3.4 The eligibility of any vote is at the sole discretion of NLPU.  NLPU reserves the right in its sole discretion to challenge, remove, suspend, modify or discount any votes received where, in reasonable perception of the independent adjudicator (in consultation with NLPU), it seems likely that the vote has been manipulated or tampered with, or for any other reason that NLPU in its sole and absolute discretion deems necessary, and it will take any action that may be available to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the vote in order to maintain and/or uphold the integrity of the competition.  NLPU has (in conjunction with ERS) its own internal procedures to maintain and/or uphold the integrity of the competition, which can be made available on request.

3.5 Each vote must be cast by the person to whom the vote belongs, unless exceptional circumstances prevent this – in this instance, the vote can be cast on behalf of someone else, but only with the express authority of the person to whom the vote belongs.

3.6 NLPU is not responsible for network, telephone line or communication failures of any kind, or for votes that are incomplete or incomprehensible or not received. Such votes will be void.

3.7 In the event of any fault, mistake, misunderstanding or dispute concerning the operation of any part of the voting, the operation of the technical system or any other matter arising out of the vote, the decision of NLPU shall be final and no correspondence will be entered into.

3.8 Under no circumstances (including but not limited to any act or omission on the part of NLPU) will NLPU be liable for any indirect, incidental, special and/or consequential damages or loss of profits whatsoever which result from any use or access of, or any inability to use or access the vote.

3.9 The result of each voting phase will be the sum of all votes received (both online and telephone) during the relevant voting phase. Telephone votes which are received after the relevant voting phase ends will not be counted but may still be charged.

3.10 In the event of a draw between two competing projects in the semi-final round of public voting (taking into account both phone and online votes), both projects will progress into the final round of public voting.

3.11 In the event of a draw between two competing projects in the final round of public voting (taking into account both phone and online votes), votes cast for each project during the semi-final round will be added to the final round’s total and the project with the most combined votes will be the winner. If after counting both the semi-final round and the final round votes it is still a draw, both projects will be deemed equal winners and the Prize will be divided equally between them.

4. Branding

You and the project agrees that the project will display National Lottery Awards branding in accordance with the guidelines provided by NLPU on any of its websites if this entry progresses to the public voting rounds of this competition.

5. Monitoring of Voting

An independent Competition Adjudicator will be appointed by NLPU for this competition and voting process. The Competition Adjudicator will have systems in place to monitor the voting, scrutinise the votes, carry out testing to ensure the validity of the vote and certify the final tally of votes.

6. Results

The results are expected to be announced at a special Awards event which will be broadcast on BBC television. NLPU and the BBC reserve the right to change, amend or vary any of the dates, times or media of the announcement of the results or any of the other programmes in relation to the vote at any time in their absolute discretion.

9. Contact details and further information

For a hard copy set of these Terms and Conditions please send a self-addressed envelope to the Legal Department, NLPU, 1 Plough Place, London EC4A 1DE.

10. Consumer rights

Nothing in these terms and conditions restricts your statutory rights as a consumer. For more details on your statutory rights you should contact your local Trading Standards Office or Citizen's Advice Bureau.

Any personal information you supply us is protected by the Data Protection Act 1998. Your personal information will be held on a database by the NLPU and may be used by the NLPU for promotions, research or marketing. The NLPU may disclose your personal information to one of its agencies to help the NLPU run this competition or for promotions, research or marketing. If you do not want to receive information from the NLPU or third parties, please email the NLPU at: awards@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

11. Assistance with entering or voting during this competition

If you experience any difficulties entering or voting in this competition, or have any questions please call 020 7293 2128 or send an email to: awards@lotterygoodcauses.org.uk

13. Governing law

These terms and conditions shall be exclusively governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of England and Wales and you irrevocably submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales. All times and dates refer to the time and date in England.