EI Marketplace

Guidelines for Application and Participation

Definitions

  1. “Organiser” refers to Entrepreneurship and Innovation Education Unit of The Education University of Hong Kong Library.
  2. “Applicant” refers to individual EdUHK Student or a group of EdUHK Students applying for participating in EI Marketplace.
  3. “Participant” refers to the Applicant who has been formally accepted in writing by the Organiser and has successfully paid Participation Fee and Deposit for participating in EI Marketplace.
  4. “The Event” refers to EI Marketplace.
  5. One “round” refers to one complete session of EI Marketplace which in general will begin and conclude within a semester.

 

Eligibility and Requirements

  1. All EdUHK students, either part-time or full-time, are eligible to apply for participation.
  2. Each applicant (whether an individual or a group) may submit one application only for each round of Event.
  3. Participant(s) are required to:
  4. attend all briefing(s) and training workshop(s) organised by the Organiser;
  5. submit a Business Plan on or before the date specified by the Organiser;
  6. complete an evaluation form which includes financial statement and reflection on or before the date specified by the Organiser; and
  7. provide any other data or information as required by the Organiser for enhancement of future programmes.

Participants will be entitled to redeem their Deposits upon meeting all requirements described in this paragraph.

  1. Information on goods/services (e.g. handcrafted products) must be provided in advance, and tally with the actual situation of the Event. Participants failing to do so may be disqualified by the Organiser.
  2. Assignment, contracting and/or sub-letting of showcase box(es) and/or stall(s) run by the Participant(s) to any third-parties is strictly prohibited. Any Participant found to be in breach of this sub-letting prohibition will be asked to immediately remove all illegitimate third-party materials and business information.  The Organiser reserves the right to claim for any losses caused by assignment, contracting and/or sub-letting of showcase box(es) and/or stall(s) by the Participant(s) and terminate the participation of such Participant(s).
  3. Applicants may propose to collaborate with external non-profit organisations (e.g. schools, NGOs, social enterprises) in running their business. Full details must be provided in the application for consideration by the Organiser.  If accepted, the Participants will remain to be solely and fully responsible for discharging all responsibilities of their participation in the Event.
  4. The Organiser reserves the right to reject any application base on absolute sole discretion without assigning any reasons.

 

Payment

  1. Participation Fee of $300 (non-refundable) and Deposit of $300 (refundable upon meeting all conditions and requirements in paragraph 8) must be paid immediately upon formal acceptance by the Organiser.
  2. Request for refund will not be considered once payment is made. Redeem of Deposit must be made in accordance with all conditions and requirements specified in paragraph 8.
  3. Participation Fees and Deposits will not be refunded to Participants disqualified by the Organiser or withdraw on their own accord for whatever reason.

 

Allocation of Showcase Boxes

  1. The Organiser will review and ensure that the applications are qualified according to all terms and conditions of the Event. If the number of qualified applications exceed the number of showcase boxes available, the Organiser will select applications according to criteria pre-defined by the Organiser, including but not limited to: relevancy to the aims and objectives of the Event, expected learning experience in entrepreneurship and innovation, viability of the proposed business, attractiveness, expected customer base, etc.  All decisions of the Organiser shall be final and no appeal will be accepted.
  2. The Organiser has the sole and absolute discretion in allotting showcase box for each accepted Participant. All decisions including showcase box location shall be final and no request for change will be entertained.

 

Showcase Boxes, Webpages and Face-to-face Selling Opportunities

  1. A dedicated showcase box of approximately 500mm(W) x 500mm(D) x 350mm(H) will be assigned to each Participant for the period and in the location designated by the Organiser for each round of the Event.
  2. Participants will be provided face-to-face opportunity/opportunities to sell their products at time period(s) and venue(s) (on-campus and/or off-campus) to be determined by the Organiser. Venue(s) and period(s) will be allocated by drawing lots if interested Participants exceed the number of places.

 

Online-Offline Operation

  1. Participants must complete arranging their products in the designated showcase box and uploading information to designated webpage at the time specified by the Organiser. All online information must be submitted to the Organiser in advance for approval and record.
  2. When uploading information onto the designated webpages, participants must observe the following rules and regulations:
    1. Any pornographic, obscene, provocative, defamatory and hate-spreading contents are strictly prohibited.
    2. Titles, descriptions and prices of products must be clearly presented and should assist the potential customers in understanding the product.
    3. Descriptions of the goods/services to be sold must be accurate and in compliance with the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.
    4. Any image or content that violate any trademarks or intellectual properties is prohibited.
  3. Participants are allowed to change photos and/or content in their designated showcase boxes and webpage upon seeking prior approval from the Organiser.
  4. Participants shall be responsible for removing the products displayed in their showcase boxes within 10 working days after the conclusion of each cycle.
  5. Participants’ webpages on EI Marketplace Website will be frozen after the conclusion of each cycle.

Display and Merchandising Requirements

  1. Participants can only sell merchandise and services declared on their application forms unless with exemption granted by the Organiser.
  2. Sale of the following items is strictly prohibited:
    1. All food and beverage
    2. Unlicenced, banned products or items which violate any trademarks or intellectual properties
    3. Offensive weapons, firearms, ammunition, explosives, radioactive materials, flammable substances, obscene articles, poisons and illegal drugs and associated paraphernalia
    4. Any form of alcohol or tobacco products
    5. Any animals or parts of animals
    6. Any items or materials of the following nature: i) provocative; ii) defamatory; and iii) spreading hate speech
    7. Any other items, merchandise or goods that are prohibited by laws or considered inappropriate by the Organiser
  3. Participants warrant that all merchandise to be sold at their stalls do not violate the laws of Hong Kong SAR (including the National Security Law and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance). All merchandise to be sold or services to be provided must be legal in Hong Kong market and if any licences or permits are required for such marketing, selling or possession, Participants must obtain appropriate licences or permits.  Participants must at all times be compliant with any laws or regulations governing the marketing, sale, importation and possession of such products or provision of such services.

 

Seller’s Codes of Conduct

  1. All customer and potential customer information received by Participants, such as residential and correspondence addresses, e-mail addresses, phone numbers, etc. must only be used to fulfill orders and must be deleted after the orders have been completed. Participants must not share customer and potential customer information with any third-party.
  2. Participants must provide accurate information to the Organiser, customers and potential customers at all times, and proactively update relevant parties immediately when such information changes.
  3. Participants must act fairly and do not misuse website and facilities provided by EI Marketplace. Examples of unfair activities include but not limited to: attempting to increase the price of a product after an order is confirmed, attempting to damage another sellers’ goodwill, delaying delivery of goods after receiving payment, etc.
  4. Participants may not send unsolicited or inappropriate messages to customers and potential customers by any means. All communications must be related to fulfilling the orders or providing customer services.  Unsolicited marketing communications are prohibited.
  5. Participants must clearly state the rights and obligations of buyers and sellers under the sales agreement on their designated webpage, such as when the offer is accepted, payment method, expected period and ways of delivery, dispute resolution, etc.

 

Termination of Right to Participate

  1. If the Organiser is of the view that behaviours or actions of particular Participants are illegal, offensive, dangerous, and/or potentially inconsistent with the Organiser’s/Event’s objectives, the Organiser has the full authority to terminate the participation of such Participants.
  2. If any Participants are found to have committed any acts which, in the opinion of the Organiser, might prejudice or damage the reputation and/or image of the University, the Organiser has the full authority to terminate the participation of such Participants.
  3. If particular Participants’ right to participate in the Event is terminated by the Organiser, the Participants shall have no claim for refund of any monies paid to the Organiser or any form of compensation.

 

Change and Cancellation of the Project

  1. The Organiser reserves the right to change the format, venue and period (including but not limited to postponing to later date(s)) of the Event as the Organiser deems fit, or cancel, or shorten the duration of the Event at any time without incurring any liability whatsoever to the Participants due to circumstances beyond the Organiser’s control.

 

Additional Rules and Regulations

  1. The Organiser reserves the right to interpret, alter and amend any of these guidelines and to issue additional rules and regulations at any time it considers necessary for the orderly operation of the Event.

 

Indemnity

  1. The Organiser shall not be held responsible for any dispute or liability arising from the sale of merchandise or services provided by the Participants.
  2. The Organiser undertakes no financial or legal responsibility for any type of risk concerning or affecting the Participants/their customers.
  3. The Organiser shall not be held responsible for any loss or damage of items stored and displayed at any showcase box, stall, market, etc.
  4. Doing business involves risk. Applicants must fully understand that there will be chances of money losses, and they should consider their own investment objectives and risk tolerance level.  The Applicants acknowledge that the Organiser has given no commitment or guarantee as regards the sales achieved, and agree that they have no claim against the Organiser in this connection.

Appendix 1

 2025 Student Fair Competition Regulations

 

Judging Panel

 Three representatives of the EdUHK Organisers and Academic Staff

 

 The Best Business Plan 最佳銷售計劃書
(For EdUHK student teams only 只限教大學生圑隊) 

Judging: Assessment by Judging Panel (100%)
Announcement of Awards: 25 January 2025
Recognition: $2,000 book coupon and an award certificate

Judging Criteria:

Criteria Weighing Remarks
Originality of products and services 40%
Innovation in operational model and marketing strategies 40% Feasibility of the operational model (e.g. risk control, marketing strategies, market analysis, financial management, etc.)
Organisation skills and team building 10% Team building / person-in-charge’s overall planning
Presentation 5%

The Best Stall Design 最佳攤位設計
(For EdUHK student teams only 只限教大學生圑隊)

Judging: a)      Assessment by Judging Panel (50%)

b)      Voting by visitors (50%)
Announcement of Awards: 26 January 2025
Recognition: $2,000 book coupon and an award certificate

Judging Criteria:

Criteria Weighing Remarks
Creativity in naming of stall (by Judging Panel) 5% Creativity of stall’s name; can it reflect its business nature
Overall design, theme and decoration of stall (by Judging Panel) 45% Aesthetics and attractiveness of the stall, whether it can help draw target customers and stand out from the rest
Voting by all visitors 50% Each visitor can cast one vote to the stall they considered with the best design by 4pm, 25 January 2025

The Most Popular Stall 最受歡迎攤位
(For stalls run by EdUHK students, alumni and schools只限由教大學生、校友及學校圑隊營運的攤位)

Judging: Voting by visitors (100%)– Each visitor can vote at most three favourite stalls.  The stall receiving the highest votes as of 4pm, 25 January 2025 will be the winner.
Announcement of Awards: 26 January 2025
Recognition: $2,000 book coupon and an award certificate