Clear boundaries before the work begins.

Selection and programme participation

Selection into TraceLab is discretionary and depends on the programme criteria, available capacity, conflict checks and the information available at the time of review. Participation does not guarantee a grant, prize, pilot, procurement opportunity, customer, investment, fundraising outcome or admission to a later programme.

TraceLab may adjust programme content, timing, reviewers, mentors or activities where operationally necessary. Material changes affecting selected teams should be communicated directly.

Intellectual property and open source

Participation in TraceLab does not by itself transfer ownership of a team's pre-existing or newly created intellectual property to TraceLab or Data Immigrant Kft.

Where a project uses or releases open-source software, the applicable open-source licence governs those materials. Teams are responsible for understanding third-party licence obligations and for ensuring that they have the right to contribute code, data, models, designs and other materials.

Any investment, IP assignment, commercial licence, revenue share or other ownership arrangement will require a separate written agreement.

Confidential information

Do not assume that a public application, pitch, workshop or mentor session is confidential. Teams should avoid disclosing trade secrets or other highly sensitive information unless an appropriate confidentiality arrangement has been agreed in writing.

Evidence and impact claims

TraceLab may challenge, test or request evidence for technical, environmental, social, commercial and financial claims. Review or participation does not constitute certification, regulatory approval, audit assurance or a warranty that an impact claim is correct.

Teams remain responsible for the accuracy and lawfulness of claims they make about their own products, technologies and impacts.

Funding and regulated activity

References to funding or finance on the public TraceLab website describe possible pathways. Any actual grant, prize, equity investment, debt, revenue-based financing, procurement or other instrument will have separate terms and may involve an authorised third party.

TraceLab does not guarantee that any team will receive financing, and public programme participation should not be interpreted as an investment recommendation or endorsement.

Independent relationships

Programme participation does not create an employment, agency, partnership, fiduciary or joint-venture relationship between a participant and Data Immigrant Kft., or between participants and external mentors, reviewers, sponsors or institutions, unless a separate written agreement expressly creates such a relationship.

Conduct and compliance

Participants are expected to act professionally, respect applicable law, avoid harassment and discrimination, disclose material conflicts of interest, respect research and data rights, and follow any security, safety, venue or platform rules that apply to a specific activity.

A fuller participant agreement and code of conduct should be issued before the first cohort begins.