Fair-play rules for Season 1
SOFL separates platform governance from participant outcomes. Policies cover conflicts of interest, scoring, data, disputes, sponsors, partners, and contributors.
1. Conflict Of Interest Policy
SOFL operates as a seasonal ranking and recognition platform. Projects directly owned or operated by SOFL, CONSYF, founders, or the core operating team are not eligible for main awards in the season SOFL organizes. Organizer-affiliated projects may appear only as clearly labeled demos, exhibitions, or case studies.
2. Scoring Methodology
Season 1 prioritizes public data, third-party signals, and reviewable sources. Each startup receives a baseline at submission or admin approval depending on the category. SOFL labels indirect metrics as signals instead of claiming private numbers as confirmed.
3. Data Policy
SOFL collects only the data needed to operate the leaderboard, verify eligibility, contact participants, and publish seasonal results. Public data, self-declared data, and private data are treated separately. Sensitive data is not published without consent.
4. Dispute Process
Startups can dispute data, score, eligibility, sector, baseline, or award outcomes within the published season window. A dispute should include startup name, disputed metric or category, reason, supporting links, and a representative contact.
5. Sponsor Policy
Sponsors may fund gifts, credits, services, media support, mentorship, or named awards. They cannot buy ranking influence, change scores, change rules for one startup, or decide independent SOFL category outcomes.
6. Partner & Contributor Policy
Partners, builders, researchers, mentors, media partners, and community members may contribute data-source suggestions, methodology review, code, documentation, founder intros, sponsor intros, events, or distribution. Contributions do not create preferential scoring, eligibility, or award treatment.