Awards

• This award seeks to promote innovation which may have high impact on the energy system. This award is open to nominations from all sectors within the energy industry.

• This award seeks to promote innovation which may have high impact on the energy system. This award is open to nominations from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from all sectors within the energy industry.

• constitute products, services, process solutions, management systems, work processes and/or applications which are new/newly developed
• be accompanied by enough information about the company behind the innovation so that the innovation can be easily placed in the correct category
• be accompanied by a description of the team behind the innovation
• be accompanied by a concise description of the innovation involved and answer clearly to all the criteria listed
• be written in English and in layman’s terms so that it is understandable to those outside of one’s own field of technology discipline/subject. Some of the jury members are specialists, others are generalists, the descriptions must therefore be easy to understand for all
• be submitted via the internet to the organiser with full documentation at any time up to application deadline

• Level of innovation involved (innovation in the specific enterprise, in a specific industry or sector, national or global market)
• Market readiness – whether any further development or demonstration is required in order to achieve market penetration. The applicant should clearly describe whether the innovation is fully developed, has been demonstrated or has reached first commercial sales. The EU TRL (Technology Readiness Levels) scale can be used if applicable.
• The market potential of the innovation (annual sales, etc). The applicant should also describe weather the innovation is a niche product, has possibilities for wider adoption, is a small step or something that can revolutionize the industry.
• The added value by the introduction of the new product, service or process and its likely business benefit to the enterprises involved and value for society at large (both innovator and users of the innovation)
• Environmental impact – whether the technology, process or services reduces environmental impact compared to existing solutions

This document describes ONS and the Jury’s (the “Recipients’ ”) confidentiality policy (the “Confidentiality Policy”) towards applicants (“the Disclosing party”) in relation to information received in connection with the application for ONS Innovation awards (the “Confidential Information”). Applicants for the ONS Innovation awards are subject to acceptance of this Confidentiality Policy.

Recipients will receive Confidential Information as a part of the assessment of the applications. The jury is selected on the basis of their experience and reputation and are asked and expected to use the same care and respect for confidentiality as they do in reviewing designs, business ideas and product concepts in their other offices and positions. In particular, the Recipients shall:

1. Keep the Confidential Information secret and confidential and not disclose any of it to any person other than individuals i) who are directors or employees of ONS or ii) members of the Jury; and iii) who need to know the same for the purposes of considering, evaluating, advising on or furthering the application.
2. only use the Confidential Information for the sole purpose of considering, evaluating, advising on or furthering the application and shall not use it for any other purpose;
3. keep the Confidential Information and any copies thereof secure and in such a way so as to prevent unauthorised access by any third party, shall not make any copies of it or reproduce it in any form except for the purpose of supplying the same to those to whom disclosure is permitted in accordance with this policy; and
4. inform the Disclosing party immediately if the Recipient becomes aware that Confidential Information has been disclosed to an unauthorised third party.

The Confidential Information shall remain the property of the Disclosing party and its disclosure shall not confer on the Recipient any rights (including any intellectual property rights) over the Confidential Information whatsoever.

The provisions above shall not restrict any disclosure required by law or by any court of competent jurisdiction, or any enquiry or investigation by any governmental, official or regulatory body which is lawfully entitled to require any such disclosure.

If Confidential Information is disclosed to third parties, by a violation of this Confidential Policy, the Recipients will have no liability whatsoever towards the Disclosing party, to the extent it is possible to limit responsibility according to Norwegian law and court practice.

This Confidentiality Policy shall be governed by Norwegian law. Venue shall be Stavanger District Court, Norway.

This document describes the ONS and the Innovation Award Jury’s guidelines on conflict of interest with respect to evaluation of and decision on application(s) received for the Innovation Awards.
Each individual is responsible for assessing his/her own impartiality and providing notification of any circumstance which may disqualify him/her.

The provisions pertaining to impartiality is based on Chapter II “Concerning disqualification” of the Public Administration Act.

1.1 Disqualification based on discretionary assessment
A member of the Innovation Award Jury or member of the ONS Administration shall be disqualified from preparing the basis for a decision or from making any decision in a case if there are any special circumstances which are apt to impair confidence in his or her impartiality.

Every effort should be made to assess impartiality on a discretionary basis. Such assessment should primarily be focused on whether special circumstances exist that could impair confidence in a member’s impartiality. In other words, the crucial element here is not whether there is reason to believe that an individual will act in a non-impartial manner, but whether confidence in this individual is likely to be diminished. It is on the basis of how this will be perceived by the parties involved, as well as by the public at large, that the assessment must be carried out.

Example on special circumstances that could impair confidence in a member’s impartiality: A bid situation or an aquisition involving a member of the Innovation Jury (or his/her enterprise/institution) and an applicant.

1.2 Automatic disqualification
A member of the Innovation Award Jury or member of the ONS Administration shall automatically be disqualified from preparing the basis for a decision or from making any decision if:

1. a) he himself or she herself is party to the case;
   b) he or she is related by blood or by marriage to a party in direct line of ascent or descent, or collaterally as close as a sibling;
   c) he or she is or has been married or engaged to, cohabitant with or the registered partner of a party, or is the foster parent or foster child of a party;
   d) he or she is the agent of a party to the case or has been the agent of a party after the case began;
   e) he or she is the head of, or holds a senior position in, or is a member of the executive board or the corporate assembly of a public or private institution that is a party to the case;
   f) he himself or she herself is a party to an application in direct competition with the application being processed.

A person who is a party to the case, or is in a close relationship to a party to the case as described under this section, will be automatically disqualified without any further consideration