Capital Elle Business Impact Award

Terms and Conditions  & Applicant Agreement

1 IMPORTANT: Please read these Terms carefully and in full. These Terms are presented in their entirety below and become binding only when the applicant checks the mandatory confirmation box in the “Applicant Acceptance” section at the end of these Terms and submits the application. By checking that box, the applicant agrees to be bound by these Terms.

2 SPONSOR & ADMINISTRATOR

2.1 The Capital Elle Business Impact Award (the “Award”) is administered by Erin Sisko, operating as The Elleiance Network (the “Administrator”).

“Terms” means these Capital Elle Business Impact Award – Award Terms and Conditions / Applicant Agreement.

2.2 The Award is supported by participating sponsors, judges, professional service providers, prize contributors, promotional partners, and other collaborators identified by the Administrator (collectively, the “Award Partners”). 

2.3 Unless expressly stated otherwise, Award Partners are independent third parties. No Award Partner is responsible for administering the Award or for another Award Partner’s obligations.

3 AGREEMENT TO THESE TERMS

3.1 These Terms are presented in full below. The applicant is agreeing to them by checking the mandatory confirmation box in the “Applicant Acceptance” section at the end of these Terms and submitting an application. By checking that box, the applicant:

  1. confirms that she has read, understood, and agrees to these Terms and Conditions;

  2. consents to the collection, use, and disclosure of information as described below;

  3. confirms that she has legal authority to apply personally and, where applicable, on behalf of the identified business; and

  4. agrees to be bound by the decisions of the Administrator and judges, subject to applicable law.

3.2 If an applicant does not agree to these Terms, she must not check the confirmation box or submit an application.

4 AWARD & PURPOSE

4.1 The Award is a national initiative intended to recognize and support women entrepreneurs building impactful, income-generating businesses in Canada. Its objectives include helping address barriers to capital, visibility, strategic relationships, business resources, and growth opportunities.

4.2 The Award may provide access to:

  1. strategic connections and introductions;

  2. financial grants or other capital-related resources;

  3. professional and business services;

  4. public recognition and visibility; and

  5. potential partnership, financing, expansion, or acquisition-related opportunities.

4.3 Participation in or receipt of the Award does not guarantee financing, investment, revenue growth, media coverage, a commercial relationship, an acquisition, or any other business outcome.

5 ELIGIBILITY

5.1 Subject to final confirmation by the Administrator, the Award is open to an applicant who, when she applies and when any prize is awarded:

  1. self-identifies as a woman;

  2. has reached the age of majority in her province or territory of residence;

  3. is a founder or co-founder of an income-generating business operating in Canada;

  4. is a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or otherwise legally authorized to operate a business in Canada;

  5. owns and exercises operational control over the business, subject to any confirmed minimum ownership requirement of fifty-percent (50%);

  6. operates through a Canadian corporation, partnership, registered sole proprietorship, or other approved business structure;

  7. has authority to submit the application and bind the business concerning the application;

  8. and whose business is in good standing and materially complies with applicable law.

5.2 Regulated businesses may be considered at the Administrator’s discretion and may be required to provide evidence of licences, registrations, approvals, or legal compliance.

5.3 Unless the Administrator approves otherwise, only one application may be submitted per business. Co-founders may participate, but one eligible person must be identified as the lead applicant and signatory

5.4 Ineligible persons: employees, contractors, judges, and representatives of the Administrator or an Award Partner who are directly involved in administering or judging the Award—and members of their immediate families or households—are not eligible.

For these purposes:

  1. “immediate family” includes a spouse or partner, parent, child, or sibling, including step and in-law relationships; and

  2. “household member” means a person residing at the same address, whether related or not.

Prior winners and previous applicants are [ELIGIBILITY RULE].

6 APPLICATION FEE AND MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT

6.1 A non-refundable application fee of CAD $50 [plus applicable taxes / inclusive of applicable taxes] is required to submit an application for the Award, except where the applicant holds an active paid membership with The Elleiance Network at the time the application is submitted.

For an applicant who holds an active paid membership at the time of submission, the cost of submitting one application is included as a benefit of that membership, and no additional application fee is payable. Purchasing or renewing a membership after an application has been submitted will not entitle the applicant to a refund or reimbursement of the application fee.

An applicant is not required to purchase an Elleiance membership to apply for the Award. A person without an active paid membership may apply by paying the $50 application fee through the designated application portal at the time of submission. Membership fees, eligibility, duration, renewal, cancellation, and other membership benefits are governed by the separate membership terms applicable to the member.

The application fee covers costs associated with administering, processing, and evaluating applications. The application fee is non-refundable, including where an application:

  1. is incomplete, withdrawn, late, or unsuccessful;

  2. does not satisfy the eligibility requirements;

  3. is disqualified under these Terms;

  4. is not reviewed because the applicant failed to provide required information or respond to a request from the Administrator; or

  5. is affected by a suspension, postponement, modification, or cancellation of the Award,

except where a refund is required by applicable law.

Payment of the application fee, or an applicant’s status as an Elleiance member, will not improve or otherwise affect the applicant’s eligibility, score, evaluation, or likelihood of being selected as a finalist or winner. All eligible applications will be evaluated on merit in accordance with the judging criteria set out in these Terms.

7 APPLICATION PERIOD & METHOD

7.1 Applications open on September 2, 2026, at 8:00 AM, Eastern Time and close on October 28, 2026, at 10:00 PM Eastern Time (the “Application Period”).

7.2 Applications must be completed and submitted through https://www.elleiance.ca/award before the end of the Application Period. An accessible or alternate application method may be requested by contacting admin@elleiance.ca.

7.3 An application is received only when it is successfully recorded by the Administrator’s designated system. Late applications will not be accepted except where, in the Administrator’s discretion, a technical failure attributable to the Administrator prevented timely submission.

7.4 The Administrator may request clarification or permit correction of a minor omission but is not required to do so.

8 APPLICATION CONTENT & APPLICANT REPRESENTATIONS

8.1 The application may request personal and business contact information, ownership and organizational information, financial or operational information, an impact story, supporting materials, references, photographs, biographies, links, social media information, and other information reasonably required to assess eligibility and merit.

8.2 The applicant represents and warrants that:

  1. all information provided is true, accurate, current, complete, and not misleading;

  2. the applicant has authority to apply and disclose the submitted information;

  3. submitted content is original to the applicant or used with all necessary permissions;

  4. the application does not infringe intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, contractual, publicity, or other third-party rights;

  5. any person, customer, employee, co-founder, or third party identified in the application has authorized the relevant disclosure;

  6. the applicant is not disclosing information in breach of an NDA or other confidentiality obligation;

  7. the applicant and business materially comply with applicable law; and

  8. the applicant will promptly disclose any material change affecting eligibility or the accuracy of the application.

8.3 The applicant should not submit source code, passwords, unnecessary personal information, or trade secrets that are not reasonably required to evaluate the application.

9 PRIVACY CONSENT & NOTICE

9.1 The Administrator may collect personal information including:

  1. name, email address, telephone number, and location;

  2. age-of-majority and eligibility confirmations;

  3. business name, sector, structure, ownership, and contact details;

  4. financial, operational, funding, and impact information;

  5. application narratives and supporting materials;

  6. photographs, biographies, videos, interviews, and social media information;

  7. verification documents for finalists and proposed winners; and

  8. consent, communications, platform, and application records.

9.2 The Administrator may use this information to:

  1. receive and process applications;

  2. verify eligibility and application statements;

  3. administer and judge the Award;

  4. contact applicants, finalists, and winners;

  5. conduct due diligence and reasonable public-source checks;

  6. manage conflicts, security, fraud, and legal compliance;

  7. deliver prizes and Award programming;

  8. publicize finalists and winners, subject to the publicity provisions below;

  9. maintain legal, tax, consent, and dispute records; and

  10. send marketing communications only where separately permitted or consented to.

9.3 Information may be disclosed on a need-to-know basis to the Administrator’s personnel, judges, BDC, other Award Partners, professional advisers, application and technology vendors, and parties involved in verification or prize delivery.

9.4 Information may be processed or stored outside Canada through [APPLICATION, CRM, EMAIL, CLOUD, AND OTHER VENDORS], where it may be subject to the laws and lawful access requirements of the relevant foreign jurisdiction.

9.5 Information will be protected using safeguards appropriate to its sensitivity and retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the identified purposes or as required by law. Unsuccessful application records will be twelve (12) months. Finalist, winner, consent, judging, prize, and tax records may be retained for longer legal or operational periods.

9.6 Subject to applicable law, an applicant may request access to or correction of personal information, withdraw from active consideration before finalist selection, or raise a privacy concern by contacting Erin Sisko at erin@elleiance.ca. Withdrawal of consent necessary to administer the Award will result in withdrawal or disqualification.

9.7 The Administrator’s privacy policy, available at https://www.elleiance.ca/, is incorporated by reference. These Terms govern if there is an inconsistency specific to the Award.

10 OPTIONAL MARKETING & AWARD PARTNERS COMMUNICATIONS CONSENTS

10.1 Consent to receive marketing is not required to apply for or win the Award. Marketing consent must be obtained through separate, unchecked checkboxes.

10.2 Optional Elleiance consent

 ☐ I consent to receive commercial electronic messages from Erin Sisko, operating as The Elleiance Network, concerning newsletters, events, programs, business resources, partner opportunities, and promotions. I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time. 

10.3 Optional Award Partners consent

 ☐ I consent to receive commercial electronic messages from the Award Partners, including information about financing, advisory services, programs, events, tools, resources, and business opportunities. I understand that this consent is optional, is not required to apply for or receive the Award and may be withdrawn at any time. 

10.4 The consent request and resulting messages must include all identification and contact information required by Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation. Every commercial electronic message must contain a functioning unsubscribe mechanism, and unsubscribe requests must be implemented within the legally required period.

12 CONFIDENTIALITY OF APPLICATION INFORMATION

11.1 The Administrator will use reasonable efforts to protect non-public financial and proprietary business information submitted in an application.

11.2 Confidential information may be disclosed:

  1. to judges, Award Partners, vendors, and advisers with a legitimate need to know;

  2. where required to verify eligibility or deliver the Award;

  3. with the applicant’s consent; or

  4. where disclosure is required by law.

11.3 Confidentiality obligations do not apply to information that is public through no breach of these Terms, was already lawfully known, is independently developed, or is lawfully received from another source.

11.4 The Administrator cannot guarantee absolute confidentiality or agree to applicant-specific NDAs through the application process. The applicant acknowledges that the Administrator and Award Partners may receive, evaluate, finance, advise, or support businesses and ideas similar to the applicant’s business. Application submission does not restrict them from doing so.

12 JUDGING & SELECTION

12.1 Eligible applications will be evaluated on merit by a judging panel comprising representatives of the Award Partners.

12.2 Judging criteria will include:

  1. demonstrated business, social, economic, or community impact;

  2. alignment with the Award’s purpose and access-gap objectives;

  3. business fundamentals and viability;

  4. growth and scalability potential;

  5. founder leadership and execution capacity;

  6. capital or investment readiness, where relevant;

  7. potential benefit from strategic connections, capital access, visibility, or acquisition opportunities; and

  8. the quality, clarity, and credibility of the application and impact story.

12.3 The criteria may be weighted internally. The Administrator may request interviews, references, clarification, supporting documents, or additional information.

12.4 No public voting or social-media engagement will affect selection unless the Administrator expressly amends these Terms before the applicable selection stage.

12.5 Judges must disclose material conflicts and may be required to recuse themselves. A tie may be resolved through further review by the panel chair or an additional judge. Judging records and deliberations are confidential. Decisions are final and binding, subject to applicable law, and feedback is not guaranteed.

13 FINALIST REQUIREMENTS

13.1 The Administrator expects to announce approximately fifteen (15) finalists on November 10, 2026.

13.2 Each finalist must:

  1. continue to satisfy all eligibility requirements;

  2. respond to communications within the stated period;

  3. provide requested verification documents;

  4. participate in an interview or other reasonable evaluation process if requested;

  5. sign a finalist declaration and publicity/media release; and

  6. submit a finalist video by November 16, 2026, at 10:00 PM Eastern Time.

13.3 Video length, format, content, file specifications, captioning, and delivery requirements will be provided at www.elleiance.ca/award. Reasonable disability-related accommodations, including an alternate format or alternative to an on-camera submission, may be requested.

13.4 Failure to satisfy finalist requirements may result in disqualification and replacement by another eligible applicant.

14 WINNER NOTIFICATION & VERIFICATION

14.1 The Administrator expects to announce three (3) winner(s) on December 2, 2026.

14.2 A proposed winner will be notified by email using the address in her application and may also be contacted by telephone or through the application portal. She must respond within 48 hours.

14.3 Before being confirmed, a proposed winner may be required to:

  1. prove identity, age, residence, business registration, ownership, control, and eligibility;

  2. substantiate financial, operational, or impact claims;

  3. complete reasonable public-source or reputational due diligence;

  4. sign an eligibility declaration, release, publicity consent, tax acknowledgement, and prize agreement; and

  5. accept applicable Award Partner terms.

14.4 If a proposed winner is ineligible, cannot be contacted, does not respond on time, fails verification, declines the prize, or does not sign the required documents, the Administrator may disqualify her and select an alternate.

15 SKILL-TESTING QUESTION

15.1 The Award is intended to be merit-based and not determined by chance.

15.2 If any random draw, random tie-break, or other element of chance is introduced, a proposed winner must, before being confirmed, correctly answer without assistance a time-limited mathematical skill-testing question administered in the manner directed by the Administrator.

16 PRIZES & AWARD CONDITIONS

16.1 The anticipated aggregate value of all prizes for the 2026 Award cycle is CAD $100,000+, subject to confirmation. The prizes, number of winners, allocation among winners, approximate values, and contributing Award Partners are itemized at www.elleiance.ca/award.:

16.2 Prize values are estimates only. Unless expressly stated:

  1. prizes are awarded as provided and without additional warranties;

  2. prizes are non-transferable and may not be assigned, sold, or exchanged;

  3. in-kind benefits are not redeemable for cash;

  4. services are subject to provider availability, scheduling, onboarding, conflicts, eligibility, and professional or regulatory requirements;

  5. unused prize components expire December 31, 2027;

  6. expenses not expressly included—including travel, accommodation, insurance, taxes, and incidental expenses—are the winner’s responsibility; and

  7. the Administrator may substitute an unavailable component with one of equal or greater approximate value.

17 AWARD PARTNER & THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

17.1 Award Partners are responsible only for the prize components they expressly agree to provide. A winner may be required to enter a separate agreement with a provider and satisfy its conflicts checks, know-your-client procedures, eligibility standards, professional obligations, platform terms, and other onboarding requirements.

17.2 An Award Partner may decline to provide a service where it reasonably determines that:

  1. a legal or professional conflict exists;

  2. providing the service would breach law, licensing rules, or professional duties;

  3. the winner does not satisfy onboarding or eligibility requirements; or

  4. the requested work falls outside the promised scope.

17.3 The Administrator does not control and is not responsible for the acts, omissions, advice, availability, products, or services of an independent Award Partner. Where appropriate, the Administrator may provide a substitute benefit in accordance with Section 17.

18 PUBLIC RELEASE & CONTENT LICENCE

18.1 Each applicant grants the Administrator a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to reproduce and use submitted materials internally for Award administration, verification, and judging.

18.2 Applicants retain ownership of their pre-existing content and intellectual property.

18.3 By accepting finalist or winner status, the applicant grants the Administrator and participating Award Partners a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free licence to use, reproduce, display, publish, distribute, edit, crop, excerpt, adapt, caption, translate, and format her:

  1. name and business name;

  2. city and province or territory;

  3. biography and business description;

  4. photographs, voice, image, and likeness;

  5. business logo and approved trademarks;

  6. interviews, quotes, application excerpts, and impact story; and

  7. finalist video and Award-related recordings.

18.4 These materials may be used for Award administration, announcements, events, reports, case studies, websites, social media, public relations, and reasonable promotion of the Award without additional compensation.

18.5 Publicity use will ordinarily be limited to finalists and winners. A separate finalist or winner media release may define the final duration and scope.

18.6 The applicant confirms that she has obtained all permissions necessary for individuals, music, artwork, trademarks, testimonials, and third-party materials appearing in submitted content.

19 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & AWARD MARKS

19.1 Nothing in these Terms transfers ownership of an applicant’s underlying business, inventions, trademarks, confidential information, or other pre-existing intellectual property.

19.2 The Administrator and its licensors retain all rights in the Award name, application materials, selection process, website content, logos, badges, and other Award materials.

19.3 An applicant may not use an Award name, logo, badge, or Award Partner mark without written permission. Confirmed finalists and winners may identify their status using the Administrator’s approved wording and brand guidelines, including, where applicable, “2026 Capital Elle Business Impact Award Finalist” or “2026 Capital Elle Business Impact Award Winner.”

19.4 No participation, finalist status, or prize creates an endorsement of the applicant’s products, services, business, securities, or investment merits by the Administrator or an Award Partner.

20 NO PROFESSIONAL, FINANCIAL, OR TRANSACTION ADVICE

20.1 Application materials, judging, introductions, programming, and prizes are not legal, accounting, tax, investment, securities, lending, valuation, insurance, brokerage, or other regulated professional advice.

20.2 No solicitor-client, accountant-client, adviser-client, fiduciary, agency, brokerage, lender-borrower, or similar relationship arises merely because a person applies, becomes a finalist, or receives an Award. Such a relationship arises only if the applicant or winner and the relevant licensed provider enter a separate written agreement.

20.3 The Administrator is not acting as a securities dealer, adviser, finder, broker, lender, underwriter, investment fund manager, or acquisition adviser.

20.4 No financing, investment, loan, valuation, partnership, acquisition, commercial transaction, strategic introduction, or business result is promised or guaranteed. Applicants and winners are responsible for obtaining independent professional advice before making business, financing, investment, legal, or tax decisions.

21 TAXES

21.1 Each winner is solely responsible for determining and paying all federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and other taxes arising from the receipt or use of a prize.

21.2 The Administrator or an Award Partner may report prize amounts or issue tax slips where required by law. The characterization and tax treatment of cash and in-kind business benefits may vary according to the winner’s circumstances.

21.3 By accepting a prize, each winner acknowledges that she has been advised to obtain independent tax and accounting advice and has not relied on the Administrator or an Award Partner for tax treatment.

22 CONDUCT, CONFLICTS, & DISQUALIFICATION

22.1 Applicants must act honestly and respectfully and must not:

  1. submit false, manipulated, fraudulent, or infringing materials;

  2. harass, discriminate against, threaten, defame, or abuse another participant, judge, representative, or Award Partner;

  3. disclose another participant’s confidential information;

  4. make an unauthorized recording of a private Award interaction;

  5. offer gifts or inducements to judges;

  6. directly lobby or attempt to improperly influence judges; or

  7. interfere with the application, judging, verification, or Award systems.

22.2 The Administrator may issue a warning, remove a participant from an event or program, disqualify an applicant, revoke finalist status, or forfeit an undelivered prize where the applicant:

  1. is ineligible or breaches these Terms;

  2. provides false, incomplete, unverifiable, or misleading information;

  3. misses a material deadline or fails to respond;

  4. fails eligibility, financial, compliance, or reputational verification;

  5. infringes third-party rights;

  6. manipulates or interferes with the process;

  7. engages in unlawful or harmful conduct; or

  8. creates a material legal, ethical, safety, integrity, or reputational risk for the Award, Administrator, or Award Partners.

22.3 The Administrator may permit an applicant to respond before disqualification but is not required to do so, subject to applicable law.

23 RELEASE, LIMITATION OF LIABILITY, & INDEMNITY

23.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, each applicant releases the Administrator, BDC, the Award Partners, judges, platform providers, and each of their respective affiliates, officers, directors, employees, contractors, agents, and representatives (the “Released Parties”) from claims arising from or relating to:

  1. application or participation in the Award;

  2. judging, verification, selection, or disqualification;

  3. acceptance, delivery, use, misuse, or inability to use a prize;

  4. submitted content or authorized publicity;

  5. technical or platform failures;

  6. Award-related communications, programming, travel, or events; and

  7. independent products or services supplied by an Award Partner.

23.2 The Released Parties will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, punitive, or consequential damages, including lost profits, lost opportunities, lost financing, lost data, reputational loss, or business interruption.

23.3 To the extent liability cannot lawfully be excluded, the aggregate liability of the Administrator arising from the Award will be limited to direct, proven damages up to CAD $1,000, except to the extent caused by the Administrator’s fraud or wilful misconduct or where liability cannot otherwise be limited by law.

23.4 The applicant will indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from third-party claims, losses, liabilities, and reasonable costs resulting from:

  1. the applicant’s breach of these Terms;

  2. false or misleading application information;

  3. infringement of intellectual property, privacy, confidentiality, or publicity rights;

  4. unauthorized third-party content or personal information submitted by the applicant;

  5. the applicant’s business activities or misconduct; or

  6. taxes attributable to the applicant or prize recipient.

23.5 Nothing in these Terms excludes a right or remedy that cannot lawfully be excluded.

24 TECHNICAL ISSUES, MODIFICATION, & CANCELLATION

24.1 The Administrator is not responsible for applications or communications that are lost, late, incomplete, corrupted, inaccessible, misdirected, intercepted, or not received because of internet, email, device, server, software, platform, security, or telecommunications failures outside its reasonable control.

24.2 The Administrator may suspend, modify, postpone, or cancel the Award where reasonably necessary because of:

  1. platform failure or cybersecurity incident;

  2. fraud or interference with Award integrity;

  3. legal or regulatory requirements;

  4. withdrawal or failure of an Award Partner;

  5. fire, flood, severe weather, public-health event, labour disruption, government action, or other event beyond reasonable control; or

  6. circumstances making administration unfair, unsafe, unlawful, or impracticable.

24.3 Changes will apply prospectively where reasonably possible. Notice will be posted on the Award website and, where practical, sent directly to affected applicants. The Administrator may extend deadlines, adjust the judging process, replace judges, or substitute prize components to preserve fairness and Award integrity.

25 GOVERNING LAW, DISPUTES, & GENERAL TERMS

25.1 These Terms and the Award are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable in Ontario, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

25.2 Subject to non-waivable rights under applicable law, the parties submit to the courts of Ontario. A claim falling within the jurisdiction of the Ontario Small Claims Court may be brought there. Any exclusive-forum, arbitration, class-action, or similar restriction will not apply where prohibited by the law applicable to an applicant, including any mandatory Quebec protections if Quebec residents are eligible.

25.3 If a provision of these Terms is unlawful or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary or severed, and the remainder will continue in effect.

25.4 The Administrator’s failure to enforce a provision is not a waiver. Applicants may not assign their rights or obligations. The Administrator may assign administration of the Award to an affiliate or successor on notice, subject to applicable privacy obligations.

25.5 These Terms, the application form, the incorporated privacy policy, and any finalist or winner agreement constitute the entire agreement concerning the Award. These Terms prevail over inconsistent advertising, social media, website, or promotional statements. Sections 9.2 (representations), 13 (confidentiality), 20 (content licence), 21 (intellectual property), 25 (release, limitation of liability, and indemnity), and 27 (governing law and disputes) survive any withdrawal, disqualification, or completion of the Award.

25.6 Headings are for convenience only. Electronic acceptance and signatures are binding. Notices may be delivered by email, through the application platform, or by posting on the Award website. Applicants are responsible for maintaining accurate contact information and monitoring spam or junk folders.

25.7 Questions, accessibility requests, withdrawal requests, and notices should be sent to admin@elleiance.ca.