Deloitte Top 200 Awards – Continuing Eligibility Terms and Conditions

The Deloitte Top 200 Awards (the Awards) recognises and celebrates outstanding organisations and individuals who demonstrate excellence in business performance, leadership and contribution to New Zealand's business community. The Awards uphold the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and public trust.

Purpose

These terms and conditions (the Terms) outline the circumstances in which Deloitte as the Awards organiser (Organiser) may review, exclude, withdraw, revoke or rescind an entry, finalist or winner designation or award.

Scope

These Terms apply to:

• All individual Award categories, including nominees, entrants, finalists and winners.
• All organisation-based Award categories, including nominated organisations, entrant organisations, finalist organisations and winning organisations.
• Any person acting on behalf of, or closely associated with, an organisation participating in an organisation-based Award category (including, without limitation, directors, senior officers, key personnel or significant shareholders) where their actions may materially impact the integrity or reputation of the award.

All entrants must uphold the highest standards of conduct, integrity and professionalism, and must not engage in behaviours which could harm the reputation of the Awards.

Right of Review

The Organiser reserves the right to review the continuing eligibility, participation, finalist status or winner status of an entrant, nominee, finalist or winner where information becomes known that, in the Organiser's reasonable opinion:

• would have materially affected the judging outcome or eligibility assessment had it been known at the relevant time;
• indicates that information provided by, or about the entrant, finalist or winner was false, misleading, inaccurate or incomplete, including by omission, during the nomination, judging or vetting process;
• relates to actual, alleged or suspected criminal conduct, serious misconduct, professional or regulatory breaches, investigations or enforcement action, whether or not such matters have been substantiated, determined or finally resolved;
• results in, or could reasonably be expected to result in, reputational damage to the individual, their organisation, the Awards (including its judging process, the Organiser, or the sponsors), by reason of the underlying conduct or circumstances;
• gives rise to concerns that the continued participation or connection of the entrant, finalist or winner in the Awards may adversely affect the integrity, reputation or credibility of the Awards (including its judging process, the Organiser, or the sponsors), or undermine confidence in the Awards.

Review Process

Where a concern is identified, the Organiser may take any or all of the following steps (Review), in any order they consider appropriate.

• Undertake additional due diligence and fact-finding.
• Seek advice from legal, governance, risk or other relevant advisors.
• Unless the Organiser determines that urgency or other exceptional circumstances require an immediate outcome to be determined, give the finalist or winner, where reasonably practicable, a reasonable opportunity to provide information or respond to the matter before an outcome is determined.
• Refer the concern  to the Judging Panel Convenor and/or the main judging panel for consideration.

A Review may proceed whether or not the entrant, finalist or winner provides information or responds to requests within the timeframe specified by the Organiser, the Judging Panel Convenor and/or the main judging panel (as applicable).

Outcome of Review

Following a Review, the Organiser may determine one or more of the following  outcomes (each an  Outcome):

• Take no further action.
• Remove an entry from award consideration prior to final determination.
• Continue finalist or winner status subject to any conditions considered appropriate.
• Suspend an entrant or finalist from further participation in the Awards process pending completion of a review.
• Delay a finalist announcement or award presentation pending further review.
• Remove finalist status from an entrant.
• Rescind an award granted to a finalist under the applicable Awards programme to which these terms apply.
• Amend, withdraw or defer any announcement, publication or promotional material relating to the entrant, finalist or winner.
• Determine any other action reasonably necessary to protect the integrity and reputation of the Awards.

Final Decision

All decisions regarding Outcomes, continuing eligibility, finalist status, award rescission and any related action shall be made in the Organiser's sole discretion, in consultation with the Judging Panel Convenor (at a minimum) and, where considered appropriate, the independent judging panel. Decisions are final and are not subject to review or appeal.

Finalist’s Disclosure Requirement

As part of the finalist acceptance process, award finalists will be required to:

• Complete a declaration confirming that, to the best of their knowledge, having made reasonable enquiry, there are no matters that could reasonably bring the Awards programme (including its judging process, the Organiser, or the sponsors) or the finalist’s participation in the Awards programme into disrepute.
• Disclose, to the best of their knowledge, any current, pending or threatened investigations, litigation, regulatory or professional actions, governance concerns, or other matters that may be relevant to eligibility for, or participation in, the Awards programme, where "threatened" means matters of which the finalist is actually aware and which have been communicated or indicated to them by a credible source.
• Consent to reasonable background, reputation and due diligence checks, including Ministry of Justice vetting where considered appropriate by the organisers. Any such checks will be conducted in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 and, where applicable, the Criminal Records (Clean Slate) Act 2004.

Public Communications

The Organiser reserves the right to make any public statement it considers necessary in connection with any Review or Outcome under these Terms in order to protect the integrity and reputation of the Awards. Any such public statement shall be made in good faith, factual accuracy and legal review to mitigate defamation risk.