Terms & Conditions 2024-2025
The following rules are designed to ensure that the ABP Angus Youth Challenge is conducted as fairly and as efficiently as possible and are subject to change at any time at the sole discretion of the organising group. Infringement of any of the rules listed below may lead to exclusion of individuals or groups from present and/or future participation. The decision of the judges in relation to any breach of the rules shall be final.
General Rules
1. The ABP Angus Youth Challenge is organised by ABP and Certified Irish Angus Producer Group whose decision on all matters relating to the competition will be final.
2. There may be multiple entries per school/club/society which must be constructed as follows:
i) A team of 2, 3 or 4 members
ii) In Year 11 at school at time of entry / 14-15 years old
3. Entry is by way of
(i) completing the online entry form available through this website which should be completed and submitted any time from 1st September and before noon, 30th September 2024.
(ii) A 3 minute video should be uploaded to YouTube as unlisted. The video should explain the following:
· An introduction to your school/club.
· The meaning of agriculture and the agri-food industry to the lives of the entrants.
· Plans for promoting ABP/Certified Irish Angus Producer Group throughout the competition.
· Specific area of agriculture/agri-food the team would like to investigate if successful.
· Why the team would like to win 5 Aberdeen Angus calves.
The YouTube video link should be emailed to schools@certifiedirishangus.ie by the closing date of 5.00pm on 30th September 2024.
4. Under no circumstances will late entries be accepted after the closing date. A shortlist of entries may be invited to attend an interview based on their video. All members of the team who entered must attend this interview.
5. Projects that have been entered in other similar competitions cannot be accepted as entries.
6. Projects must be submitted on the basis that they cover Angus cattle production, where the project should be predominately about the production cycle from calves through to beef cattle and the processing, distribution and marketing of Angus beef. It may also incorporate other items related to agriculture, agri-business and rural way of life.
7. Projects must be submitted as a whole-group project.
8. Groups may only enter one project into the competition.
9. Each group must appoint a group leader who will direct the work and later act as a spokesperson. All group members must fully participate in judging interviews & events.
10. All members of a group should be fully involved, share the work and be familiar with everything that is presented. The final work should reflect the co–ordinated efforts of all group members.
11. In exceptional circumstances, groups may wish to decrease or increase the number of people participating in their accepted Group Project team. Any such proposed changes need to be submitted in writing to the organisers before any change can be made detailing the proposed change(s) and the exceptional circumstances necessitating them. Failure to do so will lead to the proposed changes being rejected and the project being judged in the original grouping. The organiser’s decision as to whether such changes are acceptable will be final.
12. This project involves live animals. Therefore, participants must ensure that such studies are carried out in accordance with the statutory regulations. Copies of the regulations are available from Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Dundonald House, Upper Newtownards Road, Ballymiscaw, Belfast BT4
13. Participants should be aware at all times of the dangers of dealing with livestock. They should familiarise themselves with best practice in this regard and should conduct themselves in accordance with standard Health & Safety Regulations as per the farm on which the animals are kept. Animal welfare should be considered at all times and a copy of the Animal Welfare Code of Practice is available from the farm on which the calves are or from the organisers (ABP Standard). It is also the responsibility of the parent/guardian and team supervisor to familiarise the team with risks and hazards of the farm setting and to educate the team about health & safety on farm. For further support see https://www.yellowwellies.org/ and https://www.hseni.gov.uk/articles/farm-safety-partnership
14. It is expected that all or the majority of the work for a project will be conducted either in the home or the outside environment. Understandably, some projects may involve visiting distant locations. Participants may seek advice or information about their project from sources beyond their school/club, such as on the 'web', from government organisations or from Universities, Institutes of Technology, CAFRE or other experts. However, the majority of participants' work should be conducted under the supervision of their relevant school/club leader with, where appropriate, suitable levels of involvement by parents, guardians or other responsible adults.
15. A group may be part of only one project. Members of one group may not be members of another group.
16. Some groups who have entered a project may find themselves unable to complete it. It is very important that the organisers are immediately notified of this. If a project has to be withdrawn, the organisers must be notified immediately by e–mail.
17. The judges reserve the right to withhold awards in the event of projects not reaching a satisfactory standard.
18. If a group has not adhered to all the rules and regulations of this competition, the judges have the right to withhold awards or exclude the project at any stage during the judging process.
19. The judges' decision in all matters relating to the award of prizes will be final.
a) Judges feedback can be provided to those who are unsuccessful in reaching the final stage by the Chairman of the Judging Panel. This will be provided after the finalists have been announced and to the designated point of contact only.
b) Parents are very welcome to accompany their children to the exhibition and we are delighted to have them present. Please convey however that no communication or correspondence will be entered into during any of the selection stages about the decision-making process or relative performance of competing teams; nor will any feedback be provided to anyone other than the designated point of contact.
c) Any requests for feedback related to the exhibition displays must to directed in writing from the nominated point of contact for the school/club or society for the team ONLY. This request should be sent to schools@certifiedirishangus.ie with the subject header FEEDBACK REQUEST ABP ANGUS YOUTH CHALLENGE ENTRY
20. Finalist groups must submit updates on the progress of the cattle and their project at regular intervals. These progress reports will be used in publications.
21. Finalist groups must be available to attend ABP Angus Youth Challenge events organised and remain present to speak with the visiting public and the media about their projects.
22. The organisers will NOT be responsible for any expenses incurred by the groups in travelling to or from the exhibition or during their stay there.
23. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has come into effect from 25th May 2018, replacing previous data protection framework under the EU Data Protection Directive. Privacy Notices have been issued by Certified Irish Angus Producer Group CLG, Longfield, Virginia, Co. Cavan. We take our responsibilities under applicable data protection law, including the General Data Protection Regulation and implementing legislation such as the Irish Data Protection Act 2018 and the UK Data Protection 2018 (“Data Protection Law”), as applicable, very seriously. These privacy notices are available on our website at www.angusproducergroup.com and can be found at the following link https://www.certifiedirishangus.ie/privacy/. The purpose of these notices is to inform you on the data relating to you that we may collect and use and the uses (including disclosures to third parties) we may make of such data.
Prizes:
24. The finalist groups will be presented with their prize of 5 Angus cross calves per group
25. The calves will then be sent to a designated farm selected by the group. That farm will need to apply and be verified as suitable for that purpose by the organisers. All farms must be Farm Quality assured by time of finishing. In the absence of the group being in a position to provide a farm to rear the calves, the organisers will nominate a farm.
26. When the calves have gone through the system and are ready for market, they must be slaughtered in an ABP NI plant selected by the organisers on a designated day. At this point, if the groups have completed all the requirements of the project, they will receive the original value of the calves, plus any profit made during the period spent on the host farm after all reasonable costs have been deducted.
27. Having submitted their completed projects, one of the finalist groups will be selected as the overall winner and that group will receive £1,000 for their school/club/society.
28. The organisers will commission a photographer to take photographs and videos of the cattle and the participants from time to time, both on farms and at events. The organisers retain the right to use these photographs and videos for promotional purposes such as website or in the media.
29. For the avoidance of doubt, all those interested in applying to enter the competition (or their lawful parents or guardians in respect of entrants under the age of 18) shall be deemed by virtue of the submission of an application and completion of the application process to have agreed to the use of certain personal information such as, but not exclusively, their names, town of residence, age, subjects being undertaken at school, career aspirations, photographs, project information, interview filming and recordings, in the manner and for the purposes set out in clause 28 above.
30. Every effort will be made by the organisers for fairness and equity. There is no mechanism for appeal or for the discloser of marks awarded at any stage of the competition.