Terms and Conditions

The 2027 VEGPRENEUR Awards (the “Awards”) are run by VEGPRENEUR LLC, a California limited liability company (“VEGPRENEUR,” “we,” “us”).

These terms are a binding agreement between VEGPRENEUR and the business entering a product (“you”). By submitting an entry or paying an entry fee, you agree to these terms.

The person submitting the entry confirms they are at least 18 and authorized to agree to these terms on behalf of the business. If you are an agency or distributor entering on behalf of a brand, you confirm you have the brand owner’s written permission.

Details that change from year to year (prices, entry tiers, deadlines, tasting cities, dates and prizes) are set out on the Awards entry pages at vegpreneur.org/awards and in our emails to you (together, the “Entry Website”). The details shown at the time you submit your entry apply to you.

Questions about these terms can be sent to hello@vegpreneur.org.

Any business may enter a consumer product that meets the Animal-Free Standard in Section 4. Eligible product types are listed on the Entry Website and currently include food, beverages, wellness, personal care and beauty, fashion, and household and lifestyle products.

VEGPRENEUR LLC, its employees and contractors, and their immediate family and household members may not enter.

A Product that has already won a VEGPRENEUR Award may not be entered again. Past Finalists may re-enter the same Product, and past Winners may enter other Products.

We decide whether a Product is eligible. If we use categories, we decide which category each Product is judged in.

Each brand may enter no more than 4 Products in total, across all Entries and entry tiers.

Every entered Product must meet all of the following (the “Animal-Free Standard”):

Products made with cultivated (cell-cultured) animal cells are not eligible. Products made with precision fermentation are eligible if they otherwise meet the Animal-Free Standard.

A “may contain” or similar warning caused only by shared equipment or facilities does not make a Product ineligible.

By entering, you confirm that each Product meets the Animal-Free Standard. If we ask, you agree to give us reasonable information to support that confirmation.

If a Product does not meet the Animal-Free Standard, we will disqualify it, or revoke any award it has received under Section 10. Entry fees are not refunded in that case.

Entry tiers, prices, discounts and deadlines are those shown on the Entry Website when you submit. Entries close at the final deadline or when Evaluation Event slots are full, whichever comes first. Some tiers have a limited number of places.

Your entry is complete only once payment is received. Payments are processed by our payment provider. Only one discount code may be used per Entry. Entry fee discounts apply only to entry fees, and add-on discounts apply only to add-ons, so an entry fee discount and an add-on discount cannot be combined.

All fees are non-refundable, except in these cases:

You will not receive a refund if you withdraw, miss a deadline, send late or insufficient samples, or are disqualified under Section 10.

If you dispute a payment with your bank or card provider instead of contacting us first, we may withdraw your Entry.

Sample quantities, shipping addresses, arrival windows and handling instructions are provided on the Entry Website and by email, and may change. You must follow the instructions current at the time you ship.

Evaluation Events will be held in Los Angeles and New York City, and possibly other cities. Locations and dates may change. We will try to honor your preferred city, but we assign each Product to an Evaluation Event and cannot guarantee your preference.

Samples must be identical to the Product as you sell it, or plan to sell it. Do not send batches made specially for judging.

You pay all shipping costs, duties, taxes and customs charges. Samples are your responsibility until we receive them. We are not responsible for samples that are lost, delayed, damaged or spoiled in transit.

Once received, we will store samples according to your instructions where we reasonably can. Food and beverage Products may be prepared by a chef following the package instructions and any notes you provide on your entry form.

Samples are not returned. We may use, share, donate or dispose of any samples left over after judging.

Samples that arrive late, in insufficient quantity, or in a condition unfit for evaluation may not be judged.

You confirm that each Product, and every sample you send:

If a Product becomes subject to a recall or regulatory action before the Winners are announced, you must tell us promptly.

Judges may decline to evaluate any Product. We may decline to present a Product at an Evaluation Event if we reasonably believe it is unsafe.

Each Product is evaluated by at least the number of Judges stated for your entry tier on the Entry Website, using the criteria published there. We may adjust the criteria or the judging format, and may substitute a Judge who becomes unavailable.

Evaluation Events are closed-door. You and your team may not attend.

Judges may not evaluate a Product made by a business they are affiliated with, such as a company they work for, serve as a formal advisor or board member to, invest in or have a financial interest in.

You may not contact a Judge about your Entry, or try to influence any Judge, during the Awards.

We decide the number of Finalists and Winners, and whether awards are given overall or by category. All judging and award decisions are final and may not be appealed.

Judges’ views are their own and do not represent VEGPRENEUR. They are not advice on which you should rely.

Testimonials and results shown on the Entry Website, such as sales, retail placements or partnerships achieved by past entrants, reflect individual experiences. They are not typical or guaranteed, and entering or winning does not promise any particular business outcome.

Every Entry includes a 1:1 call with the VEGPRENEUR team, who will talk you through your Judges’ scores and comments.

Feedback is shared only through this call. You are not entitled to copies of score sheets, Judges’ notes or other brands’ results.

We will contact you to schedule your call. If you do not book a call within 60 days of our invitation, the call may be forfeited.

Feedback reflects the opinions of individual Judges. We are not responsible for business decisions you make based on it.

We may disqualify an Entry, or revoke a Finalist or Winner status, at any time before or after it is announced, if:

If an award is revoked, you must stop using the Seal and any reference to the award, and remove them from packaging, websites and marketing within 30 days. We may remove the Product from our winner listings.

Fees are not refunded after disqualification or revocation.

You keep ownership of your brand, Product and materials.

You give VEGPRENEUR a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use your brand name, logos, Product names, images, descriptions and other materials you submit, to run and promote the Awards. This includes announcing Finalists and Winners, and sharing them with our event and prize partners for the same purpose. This license continues after the Awards for archive and past-winner listings.

We will not publicly name brands that enter but do not become Finalists or Winners without your permission.

Any pitch deck, sell sheet or other collateral you ask us to share with Judges will be shared with them as submitted. We ask Judges to treat it as confidential, but we cannot guarantee that. Do not include trade secrets or anything you would not share with a potential buyer or investor.

Scores may be used, without identifying you, to produce category benchmarks and comparisons for other brands.

You confirm you have the right to give us everything you submit, including permission from anyone shown in your images, and that our use of it under these terms will not infringe anyone’s rights.

Winners will be announced at the Summit in early 2027. If we tell you before then that you are a Finalist or Winner, you must keep it confidential until we announce it publicly. You do not need to attend the Summit to win or to receive a prize.

Prizes will be announced on the Entry Website. Prizes are not transferable and have no cash alternative. If a prize becomes unavailable, we may substitute one of similar or greater value. Winners are responsible for any taxes on prizes. Prizes not claimed within 60 days of our notice may be forfeited.

Entry benefits such as Summit tickets or discounts are as described on the Entry Website at the time you enter.

Each Winner receives a free, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the Seal, on these conditions:

Finalists may say they were a Finalist, with the year, but may not use the Seal. Brands that entered but did not become Finalists or Winners may not suggest they won or were recognized.

We may change the Awards’ categories, criteria, cities, venues, dates or format when we reasonably need to. We will post material changes on the Entry Website or email you.

If an Evaluation Event or the Summit is postponed or moved, your Entry carries over to the new date or location. We may hold judging in another city or format.

If we cancel the Awards entirely, we will either credit your fees toward the next VEGPRENEUR Awards or, at our discretion, refund them, less any payment processing fees we choose to deduct.

We are not responsible for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control, such as natural disasters, public health emergencies, government action, venue closures, strikes or carrier disruptions.

To the fullest extent the law allows, VEGPRENEUR’s total liability to you for anything relating to the Awards is limited to the entry fees you paid for the Entry concerned.

We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, such as lost profits, lost sales or harm to reputation.

You are responsible for your Products. You agree to cover VEGPRENEUR, its Judges, partners and team for any claims, losses and reasonable costs (including legal fees) arising from:

Nothing in these terms limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

We handle personal information under our privacy policy at vegpreneur.org/privacy-policy-1.

We will email you about your Entry, Evaluation Events, feedback and results. We may also send you VEGPRENEUR news and offers, and you can unsubscribe from those at any time.

We may share your brand and Product information with Judges, and with event and prize partners, only as needed to run the Awards and deliver prizes.

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California.

Before starting any formal claim, you agree to contact us at hello@vegpreneur.org and try to resolve the issue informally for at least 30 days.

Any dispute that is not resolved informally will be settled by final and binding arbitration in Sacramento County, California, administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its applicable rules, before a single arbitrator. Either party may instead bring an individual claim in small claims court if it qualifies.

Class action waiver. Claims may be brought only on an individual basis, not as a plaintiff or class member in any class, collective or representative action. The arbitrator may not combine claims of more than one party.

Either party may ask a court for urgent relief to protect its trademarks or other intellectual property, including misuse of the Seal.

These terms, together with the details on the Entry Website, are the whole agreement between you and VEGPRENEUR about the Awards. If they conflict, these terms win.

We may update these terms. The version in effect when you submitted your Entry applies, except for operational changes under Section 13.

If any part of these terms is found unenforceable, the rest still applies.

If we do not enforce a term right away, we can still enforce it later.

You may not transfer your Entry or these terms to anyone else without our written consent.