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TERMS & CONDITIONS

FEATUREBYTE DATA SCIENCE CHALLENGE
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Last updated November 2025


ORGANIZERS OF THE COMPETITION
The FeatureByte Data Science Challenge (the "Challenge") is conducted by FeatureByte, Inc. (the "Organizer" or "FeatureByte").

 

1. ELIGIBILITY TO ENTER
1.1. Requirements: Participants must have access to and ability to share production data that meets the technical specifications outlined in the Challenge Rules.
1.2. Legal Capacity: Participants must (i) have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms and Conditions. (ii) represent and warrant that they meet the following requirements: Is at least 18 years of age; (iii) possess full power and authority to enter into agreements, including these Terms and Conditions, on behalf of the company or organization they represent; (iv) be duly authorized by such entity to register for, agree to, and participate in the Challenge, share data, and receive any awarded prizes; (v) not be subject to any law, court order, or contractual restriction preventing them or their company/organization from participating in this Challenge or agreeing to these Terms and Conditions.

 

2. CHALLENGE PERIOD
2.1. Registration Period: Registration opens on December 2, 2025 at 12:00 AM ET, and closes on January 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET (“Registration Period”). Any submissions made after the date and time the Challenge ends shall not be counted or eligible for evaluation or eligible to win any prizes as set out under section 5, “Prizes.”
2.3. Results Announcement: Results will be evaluated and communicated to participants in the second half of March 2026. FeatureByte reserves the right to delay the announcement of results if circumstances arise that necessitate additional time for evaluation, including but not limited to technical issues, data complications, or other unforeseen conditions. Participants will be notified promptly of any delays to the results timeline.

3. HOW TO ENTER
3.1. Registration: Participants must register at challenge.featurebyte.ai during the Registration Period.
3.2. Required Agreements: As part of registration, participants must agree to:

  • These Terms and Conditions
  • Challenge Rules
  • Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
  • Privacy Policy
  • Any additional legal documentation required by FeatureByte

3.3. Data Sharing: Participants must provide access to production data as specified in the Challenge Rules.

4. EVALUATION AND WINNER SELECTION PROCESS
4.1 Evaluation Criteria: Once the deadline to submit entries to the Challenge ends, all submissions will be evaluated in accordance with the Challenge Rules. 
4.2 Judging Panel: Submissions shall be evaluated by a panel of independent third-party judges appointed by the Organizer to ensure fair and unbiased evaluation.
4.3 Winner Selection: The top three (3) Teams or Participants whose production models beat FeatureByte's models based on the Challenge Rules shall be selected as the Winner, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up. The judging panel's decision shall be final, and no correspondence shall be entered into.

5. PRIZES
5.1 Prize Structure: The Winner, First Runner-Up, and Second Runner-Up shall receive the following monetary prizes:

  • Winner (First Place): US$10,000.00
  • First Runner-Up (Second Place): US$5,000.00
  • Second Runner-Up (Third Place): US$2,500.00

5.2 Prize Distribution for Teams: If the Winner or Runner-Up is a team (i.e., more than one person), monetary prizes shall be paid in a lump sum to the winning team's designated Team Leader. The Team Leader shall be responsible for dividing the prize money among team members at their sole discretion. FeatureByte does not require equal distribution among team members. 
5.3 Payment Method: All prize money shall be paid via check to the Team Leader or winning individual. Payment shall be made within thirty (30) days of the announcement of winners.
5.4 Tax Responsibility: FeatureByte shall pay the gross amount to winners without deduction for taxes. Prize winners shall be responsible for all applicable taxes arising from receipt of the prize. 
5.5 Alternative Prize: In cases where a winning team is unable to receive a monetary award, FeatureByte shall, at the winning team's election and upon verification of the charitable organization's status, donate the award to a charitable organization of the team's choice.
5.6 Prize Conditions: Winners forfeit prizes if eligibility cannot be verified or if winners are found to have violated these Terms and Conditions.

6. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
6.1. Participant IP: Participants retain all intellectual property rights in their submissions, models, algorithms, and related materials developed prior to or during the Challenge.
6.2. FeatureByte IP: FeatureByte retains all rights to its platform, technology, methodologies, and any materials provided by FeatureByte to Participants as part of the Challenge.
6.3. Publicity Rights: By participating in the Challenge, each Participant agrees that FeatureByte may request permission to use the Participant’s name, team name, company name, and performance results for publicity purposes, including but not limited to blog posts, social media updates, press releases, and video content, in connection with the Challenge. Such publication shall only occur with the prior written consent of the Participant, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned, or delayed by the Participant. 

7. DATA PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY
7.1. Non-Disclosure Agreement: All Participant data shall be shared under a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) in the form provided by FeatureByte. Participants must execute the NDA prior to gaining access to Challenge Materials or submitting data to FeatureByte.
7.2. Data Security:
All data shall be stored encrypted by FeatureByte using industry-standard encryption protocols;

  • FeatureByte maintains SOC 2 Type 2 compliance certification;
  • Data processing shall be performed on Participant's designated data platform;
  • Only training, testing, and validation datasets shall be transmitted to FeatureByte;
  • FeatureByte shall implement appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect Participant data.

7.3. Data Usage: Participant data, use cases, and model artifacts will remain private to FeatureByte and will not be shared with third parties except as necessary for Challenge evaluation.
7.4. Data Retention: Data will be retained by FeatureByte up to 30 days after the completion of the Challenge, unless otherwise agreed upon between Participant and Organizer.
7.5 Privacy Policy: Participant personal information shall be processed in accordance with FeatureByte's Privacy Policy available at https://featurebyte.ai/privacy-policy. By participating, you acknowledge and agree that FeatureByte shall be permitted to use your personal information for the purpose of administering the Challenge and for sending updates on business news or other promotional activities from FeatureByte.

8. PARTICIPANT OBLIGATIONS
8.1 Accuracy of Information: In making submissions to FeatureByte, Participants are confirming that all information submitted is accurate, complete, and not plagiarized from any third-party sources.
8.2 Original Work: Participants warrant that all submissions are their own original work or are properly licensed for use. Participants must, upon request of FeatureByte, supply an accurate and complete list of all resources, third-party tools, libraries, and data sources used in the development of their entries.
8.3 Compliance with Rules: Participants must comply with all Rules and technical requirements as outlined in the Challenge Rules.
8.4 Availability and Communication: Teams must be available to answer questions from FeatureByte about their data, models, and methodology to facilitate FeatureByte's understanding of data schema, relationships, and model design. Participants agree to respond to FeatureByte communications in a timely manner.

9. DISQUALIFICATION
9.1. Grounds for Disqualification: FeatureByte reserves the right to disqualify participants for:

  • Violation of these Terms and Conditions or Challenge Rules
  • Providing false or misleading information
  • Data that does not meet technical requirements
  • Failure to respond to communications
  • Any conduct deemed inappropriate or harmful to the Challenge
  • Violation of applicable laws

Please note that your participation and award of any prizes may be subject to restrictions in your local jurisdiction and cannot be guaranteed by the Organizer. Prizes may be withheld or forfeited if eligibility requirements are not satisfied. If your status or circumstances change such that you no longer meet the eligibility criteria, you may be removed from participating in the Challenge immediately. The Organizer reserves the right, at any time and for any reason, to disqualify any participant or team at its sole discretion, including but not limited to cases of non-compliance, failure to respond to communications, submission of data that does not meet technical requirements, inappropriate or harmful conduct, or any other reason deemed sufficient by the Organizer.
9.2. Effect of Disqualification: Disqualified participants forfeit any right to prizes and recognition.

10. LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION
10.1. Limitation of Liability: The Organizer is not liable for any claims, losses, costs and expenses incurred or damage whatsoever (including, but not limited to, direct,  indirect or consequential damages losses) sustained by Participants or their employers or the companies they represent during or arising from the Challenge, except for liability that cannot be excluded by law.
10.2. Indemnification: Participants agree to indemnify and hold harmless FeatureByte from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from their participation in the Challenge.
10.3. Technical Issues: FeatureByte is not responsible for technical difficulties, system failures, or other issues beyond its reasonable control.

11. CANCELLATION AND MODIFICATION
11.1. Right to Cancel: FeatureByte reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge or the Challenge Rules at any time for any reason.
11.2. Force Majeure: FeatureByte shall not be liable for any failure to perform its obligations due to circumstances beyond its reasonable control.
11.3. Notification: Participants will be notified of any material changes through the official communication channels.

12. GENERAL PROVISIONS
12.1. Governing Law: These Terms and Conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States, excluding its conflicts of laws provisions.
12.2. Jurisdiction: Any disputes arising from these Terms and Conditions shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the federal and state courts located in Massachusetts.
12.3. Severability: If any provision of these Terms and Conditions is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.
12.4. Entire Agreement: These Terms and Conditions, together with the Challenge Rules, and Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between the parties.
12.5. Amendments: FeatureByte reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. 
12.6. Waiver: No waiver of any provision shall be deemed a continuing waiver or waiver of any other provision.

13. CONTACT INFORMATION
For questions regarding these Terms and Conditions or the Challenge, please contact:

Email: challenge@featurebyte.ai
Website: challenge.featurebyte.ai

14. ACKNOWLEDGMENT
By participating in the Challenge, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions.