Submission Terms

Submissions into the Ruder Finn x PRWeek AI Innovation Challenge (“Challenge”) will be accepted from 9 a.m. Eastern Time (“ET”) on February 23, 2026 through 11:59 p.m. ET on March 31, 2026 (“Submission Period”).

ELIGIBILITY: Challenge is open to individuals, 18 or older, who are full or part-time undergraduate students at time of submission enrolled in a U.S.-based college or university. Students interning or that have received/accepted an offer from a communications or marketing agency are not eligible. Group submissions will not be accepted. Employees of Ruder Finn, Inc. and Haymarket Media, Inc. (dba PR Week) (collectively, “Sponsors”), and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates and advertising and promotion agencies, and members of their immediate family (spouse and parent, children and siblings and their respective spouses, regardless of where they reside) and persons living in the same household, whether or not related, of such employees, are not eligible to participate. Challenge is subject to all applicable federal, state and local laws. By participating, each participant agrees to abide by these Terms and decisions of Sponsors, which shall be final and binding in all respects relating to this Challenge.

HOW TO SUBMIT A SUBMISSION: During the Submission Period, to submit an Submission, visit https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/8704904/Ruder-Finn-PRWeek-AI-Innovation-Challenge and follow the instructions provided to submit the Submission form in its entirety. The challenge asks each respondent If you could create a groundbreaking new AI-powered solution that communications agencies could use to transform client outcomes, what would it be and why? Your response to this query will be revealed in your answers to the following four questions, with each one mandating a response of no more than 150 words:

-What solution are you proposing and what problem does it solve for companies?
-How would company stakeholders benefit from this and what industry(ies) does this impact?
-Why is AI the best solution for this idea? What specific qualities of AI make this approach more effective than traditional tools or processes?
-How would you measure the success of this solution?

(“Idea,” and collectively, the “Submission”). Limit one (1) Submission per person. Multiple Submissions from any person will be void. Submissions generated by artificial intelligence, script, macro, automated, or other means which subvert the submission process are void. All Submissions become the sole property of Sponsors.

SUBMISSION RESTRICTIONS: Submission must be in English, true and verifiable and the original work product of the participant. No part of the Submission may have been previously published, have won previous grants or contests, or infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity.

By making a Submission, participant represents and warrants that the Submission conforms to these Terms and understands that Sponsors, in their sole discretion, may disqualify the Submission for any reason, including if it determines, in its sole discretion, that the Submission fails to conform to these Terms in any way or otherwise contains unacceptable content as determined by Sponsors, in their sole discretion.

PUBLICITY GRANT AND LICENSE/USE OF SUBMISSIONS: By making a Submission, participants agree and hereby grant to Sponsors and their respective designees, successors, licensees and assigns (collectively, “Licensed Parties”) a non-exclusive, unlimited, perpetual, irrevocable, assignable, royalty-free, fully paid-up license to reproduce, distribute, create derivative works of, edit, alter, broadcast, stream, post, combine with other materials, exploit and otherwise use the Submission and all elements embodied therein (including the Idea), in whole or in part, together or separate from their names, cities and states of residence, likenesses, biographical information and/or statements made about the Challenge, in any manner and in any and all media now known or hereafter devised throughout the universe for any purpose whatsoever, including, without limitation, for commercial purposes, without compensation or notification to, or permission from, participant or any third party. Participants agree that Released Parties (as defined below) are not responsible for any unauthorized use of Submissions by third parties. Licensed Parties are not obligated to make use of the rights granted herein.

Idea Waiver: Participants understand and acknowledge that Sponsors have wide access to ideas, designs, and other materials, and that new ideas are constantly being submitted to them or being developed by their own employees. Participants also acknowledge that many ideas may be competitive with, similar or identical to their Idea and/or each other in theme, idea, format or other respects. Participants acknowledge and agree that they will not be entitled to any compensation as a result of any Licensed Party’s use of any such similar or identical material. Participants acknowledge and agree that the Sponsors do not now and shall not have in the future any duty or liability, direct or indirect, vicarious, contributory, or otherwise, with respect to the infringement or protection of the copyright in and to the Idea or Submission. Finally, participants acknowledge that, with respect to any claim by participant relating to or arising out of any Licensed Party’s actual or alleged exploitation or use of any Idea or other material submitted in connection with the Challenge, the damage, if any, thereby caused to participant will not be irreparable or otherwise sufficient to entitle participant to seek injunctive or other equitable relief or in any way enjoin the production, distribution, exhibition or other exploitation of the Idea or any material based on or allegedly based on the Submission, and participant’s rights and remedies in any such event shall be strictly limited to the right to recover damages, if any, in an action at law..

JUDGING: All eligible Submissions received will be reviewed by senior industry leaders based, among other things, on the following five key areas (100 points total):
1. Inventiveness (25pts) – How novel, innovative and forward-thinking is your idea?
2. Smart AI Use (25pts) – Is AI thoughtfully integrated into the solution and is essential vs traditional tools?
3. ⁠Problem Relevance (20pts) – Does your idea clearly define and solve a meaningful problem for companies?
4. Potential Impact (20pts) – Could this solution meaningfully improve outcomes for stakeholders or the larger industry?
5. ⁠Measurement (10pts) – Is there a clear way to measure success?
Sponsors reserve the right not to award all prizes if, in its sole discretion, it does not receive a sufficient number of eligible and qualified Submissions. In the event of a tie, an additional tie-breaking judged will receive such tied Submissions using the criteria set forth herein to determine the winner(s). All decisions of Sponsors are final and binding. Sponsor will not reveal the judging scores for any Submission.

WINNER NOTIFICATION AND REQUIREMENTS: Potential winners will be notified by telephone, mail and/or email and will be required to execute and return a declaration of eligibility and liability and, unless prohibited, publicity release, within seven (7) days of date of issuance. If a potential winner does not respond to the initial notification within the time period stated, all required documents are not returned within the specified time period, a prize notification is returned as undeliverable, or a potential winner is not in compliance with these Terms, prize will be forfeited and, at Sponsors’ discretion, a runner-up may be selected.

Prizes (3): $1,500 check. Total value of all prizes: $4,500. Any and all federal, state and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners. Winners may not substitute, assign or transfer prize; however, Sponsors reserve the right to substitute a prize of comparable or greater value. All prize details are at Sponsors’ sole discretion. Limit one (1) prize per person.

RELEASE OF LIABILITY: By participating, each participant agrees to release, indemnify, discharge and hold harmless Sponsors, and their respective parents, affiliates, subsidiaries, and advertising and promotion agencies, and the respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, agents and representatives of the forgoing (collectively, “Released Parties”) from any and all injuries, liability, losses and damages of any kind to persons, including death, or property resulting, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from participant’s participation in the Challenge or any Challenge-related activity, the acceptance of a prize and/or any Licensed Party’s use of the rights granted herein.

GENERAL CONDITIONS: Released Parties are not responsible for lost, late, incomplete, damaged, inaccurate, stolen, delayed, misdirected, undelivered, or garbled Submissions, messages, email, mail, or other communications of any kind; or for lost, interrupted or unavailable network, server, Internet Service Provider (ISP), website, or other connections, availability or accessibility or miscommunications or failed computer, satellite, telephone or cable transmissions, lines, or technical failure or jumbled, scrambled, delayed, or misdirected transmissions or computer hardware or software malfunctions, failures or difficulties, or other errors or difficulties of any kind whether human, mechanical, electronic, computer, network, typographical, printing or otherwise relating to or in connection with the Challenge, including, without limitation, errors or difficulties which may occur in connection with the administration of the Challenge, the processing or reviewing of Submissions, the announcement of the prizes, or in any Challenge-related materials. Released Parties are also not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by site users, tampering, hacking, or by any equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Challenge. Released Parties are not responsible for injury or damage to any person’s device related to or resulting from participating in this Challenge. Persons who tamper with or abuse any aspect of the Challenge who act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner or who are in violation of these Terms, as solely determined by Sponsors, will be disqualified and all associated Submissions will be void. Should any portion of the Challenge be, in Sponsors’ sole opinion, compromised by virus, worms, bugs, non-authorized human intervention or other causes which, in the sole opinion of the Sponsors, corrupt or impair the administration, security, fairness or proper submission of Submissions, Sponsors reserve the right at their sole discretion to suspend, modify or terminate the Challenge and, if terminated, at their discretion, select the potential winners from all eligible, non-suspect Submissions received prior to action taken using the judging procedure outlined above or as otherwise deemed fair and appropriate by Sponsors. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE THE WEBSITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CHALLENGE MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND OTHER REMEDIES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH INDIVIDUAL TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, INCLUDING CRIMINAL PROSECUTION.

DATA COLLECTION: Information provided in connection with the Challenge will be subject to each Sponsor’s privacy policy available at https://www.haymarketmediaus.com/haymarket-media-inc-privacy-policy/ and https://ruderfinn.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Ruder-Finn-Privacy-Policy-2025.pdf

REQUEST FOR WINNERS LIST: For the winners list (first name, last initial and state of residence), send an email to: [email protected], by no later than May 20, 2026.

Sponsors: Ruder Finn, Inc., 425 E. 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022 and Haymarket Media, Inc., 275 7th Avenue, 10th floor, New York, NY 10001