HWL Awards Submission Rules

RULES FOR THE 2025 AWARDS OF THE HEALTHCARE WEEK LUXEMBOURG (HWL)

Article 1 – Presentation of the Awards

As part of the annual Healthcare Week Luxembourg event, which will take place at Luxexpo The Box, Hall 2, on October 7 and 8, 2025, awards are organized to identify, recognize, and promote innovation in the healthcare sector. Candidates are invited to compete in one of the four defined categories. Finalists will have the opportunity to participate in the award ceremony during the HWL Gala Dinner.

Article 2 – Conditions and Modalities of Participation

2.1 Conditions of Participation

Be a legal entity (individual persons are not allowed to apply)
Ensure that no member of the Jury is part of the company or institution
Ensure that the company or institution agrees to abide by these Rules

The Project submitted must:

Be a product, a technology, or a service, either physical or digital
Address one of the categories listed in Article 3 of these Rules

2.2 Modalities of application

Participation in the Awards is done through the application website. Candidates will be able to access their account to complete, modify, or finalize their application.

Application files must be completed and submitted no later than July 4, 2025, at 5:00 PM (GMT+1), in the format required on the designated application website.

Any incomplete application file or any file that does not comply with the criteria set out in these Rules will be automatically rejected.

Article 3a – Categories

Awards are open to organizations eligible to apply in one of the following four categories: Medical Innovation Europe, Managerial Innovation Europe, Startup Europe, and Luxembourg Startup. Each candidate may only apply once and in a single category. The application criteria for each category are as follows:

Medical Innovation Europe

Innovative project that aims at advancing medicine.

Candidates include but are not limited to healthcare providers, universities, research institutions
Located in Europe

Managerial Innovation Europe

Healthcare institution that has implemented an innovative project improving management efficiency or clinical care.

Candidates must be healthcare institutions
Located in Europe

Startup Europe

The Project must be at least at the MVP stage, demonstrating a tangible benefit for the healthcare sector.
Candidates must be startups or SMEs registered for less than 8 years
Located in Europe

Luxembourg Startup

Startup developing an innovative solution for the healthcare sector and based in Luxembourg.

The Project must be at least at the MVP stage, demonstrating a tangible benefit for the healthcare sector
Candidates must be startups or SMEs registered for less than 8 years
Located in Luxembourg

Article 3b - Selection criteria

Each category will be evaluated by a jury composed of nationally and/or internationally recognized experts in the sector, based on the criteria and scoring scale outlined below.

Medical Innovation Europe – Evaluation Criteria (Score out of 20)

EVALUATION CRITERIA	SCORE OUT OF 20
Project meet a specific need	Up to 5 points
Project make a significant contribution to medical advancements	Up to 5 points
Project have a clinical applicability or be implemented in patient care	Up to 5 points
Project include collaboration and interdisciplinarity, for example partnerships with startups, hospitals, research networks...	Up to 5 points

Managerial Innovation Europe – Evaluation Criteria (Score out of 20)

EVALUATION CRITERIA	SCORE OUT OF 20
Project meet a specific need	Up to 5 points
Project prove their impact on management and/or care, for example efficiency gains, cost reduction, and care improvement	Up to 5 points
Project prove their replicability in other institutions (best practice)	Up to 5 points
Project prove adoption and acceptance by healthcare professionals	Up to 5 points

Startup Europe and Luxembourg Startup – Evaluation Criteria (Score out of 20)

EVALUATION CRITERIA	SCORE OUT OF 20
Project prove their impact and value in the healthcare system	Up to 5 points
Project prove their USP	Up to 5 points
Project prove their scalability and adoption potential, for example ability to integrate into hospitals and healthcare structures	Up to 5 points
Project prove their economic viability through their business model and growth potential	Up to 5 points

Each criterion will be scored according to the following scale:

0 – Out of scope
1 – Poor: Significantly below expectations, with noticeable issues or problems
2 – Fair: Below expectations, but with some redeeming qualities
3 – Good: Meets expectations, average performance, no major issues
4 – Very Good: Exceeds expectations with minor areas for improvement
5 – Excellent: Outstanding, flawless performance with no notable weaknesses

Article 4 – Selection process

Each Jury will evaluate all applications within its category and select three Finalists. These Finalists will present their Projects to the same Jury during a pitch session. Following these pitch sessions, the Jury will select one Laureate per category. Each Finalist who has been officially notified and announced cannot withdraw their application and must be present at Healthcare Week Luxembourg on October 7 and 8, 2025. The Jury's decisions are final and not subject to appeal. In the event of an application being rejected, the Jury is under no obligation to provide justification for its decision.

Article 5 – Prizes

Medical Innovation Europe:
- Pitch the Project the next day of the Gala Dinner, day 2 of HWL
- Take part of a conference the next edition of HWL (according to the topic)
- Visibility and exposure through social media, newsletters and the website
Managerial Innovation Europe:
- Pitch the Project the next day of the Gala Dinner, day 2 of HWL
- Take part of a conference the next edition of HWL (according to the topic)
- Visibility and exposure through social media, newsletters and the website
Startup Europe:
- Pitch the Project the next day of the Gala Dinner, day 2 of HWL
- Presence on the Startups Pavilion the next edition of HWL
- Visibility and exposure through social media, newsletters and the website
Luxembourg Startup:
- Introductions to FHL members hospitals
- Visibility and exposure

Article 6 – Awards calendar

Launch of the Awards: May 2025
Applications deadline: July 4, 2025, at 5:00 PM (GMT+1)
Finalists’ selection by the Jury(s): July 2025
Announcement of Finalists: August 2025
Finalists pitch sessions for European categories: Mid-September 2025, via videoconference
Finalists pitch session for Luxembourg category: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, during HWL
Announcement of the Laureates during the Awards ceremony: Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the Gala Dinner
Laureates’ presentation at HWL: Wednesday, October 8, 2025

Article 7 – Integrity of information and Communication with the Jury

Candidates must ensure the legality and accuracy of the information provided to the Jury as part of these Awards. They formally commit to presenting information that is accurate and truthful, avoiding any omission or inaccuracy that could mislead the Jury. In the event of proven irregularities in the information provided, the Jury reserves the right to withdraw a previously awarded trophy and to publicly explain the reasons for this withdrawal to the media.

Furthermore, Candidates agree not to establish direct contact with Jury members or communicate any information regarding their Projects to them, except through the designated platform. This restriction is intended to ensure the integrity and fairness of the evaluation process.

Article 8 – Protection of Projects

Candidates are responsible for ensuring that their industrial property rights have been preserved and, where applicable, that the corresponding patents have been filed. Candidates certify that they hold all intellectual property rights to the elements submitted as part of their application. HWL declines any responsibility for any commercial or non-commercial use that may be made of the projects submitted for these Awards, including any infringement of the Candidates' rights.

Furthermore, the elements submitted by the Candidates within the framework of the Awards are the sole responsibility of the Candidate, who alone bears all associated rights. Candidates declare that the submitted elements do not in any way infringe upon intellectual property rights or any other rights of third parties. Candidates release HWL from any liability in this regard and shall indemnify HWL against all damages suffered and shall guarantee HWL against any action brought against it relating to these elements.

Article 9 – Authorizations

9.1 Candidates expressly authorize HWL to use, upon the official announcement of the selected Projects, the name of the presented Projects, their brief description, images (animated or not), and, more generally, all elements submitted by the Candidates as part of their participation in the Awards, for all communication purposes related to the Awards and the promotion of HWL.

9.2 Candidates pre-authorize the use of their name, address, and photograph for any advertising or promotional action related to the Awards, without giving rise to any rights other than the prize won, and this for a duration of five years.

9.3 Candidates expressly authorize, free of charge, HWL and/or any third party designated by HWL:

to take photos and/or films during the event or the official award ceremony, representing them, their team members, and their exhibited Projects,

to freely use these images on all types of media, especially digital and advertising media, both in Luxembourg and abroad, without time limitation,

to cite and reproduce, free of charge, their brand or corporate name as a commercial reference for communication purposes, on all media (including the Internet), both in Luxembourg and abroad, for a period of five years.

Article 10 – Liability

HWL reserves the right to shorten, extend, postpone, or cancel the Awards for any reason. HWL also reserves the right to remove a category for any reason. If such changes or deletions occur, HWL is obligated to inform the Candidates as soon as possible, but its liability cannot be engaged.

Article 11 – Disputes

Participation in the Awards necessarily implies each Candidate’s full acceptance, without reservation or restriction, of these Rules. In the event of a dispute relating to the interpretation or execution of these Rules, HWL will seek an amicable solution with the Candidates. Failing that, any dispute will fall under the jurisdiction of the courts of Nanterre, France.