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Terms and Conditions

  • Competition Organizer: The organizer is AIMACADEMY Training Joint Stock Company (“AIM Academy”), who will be referred to as the “Organizer” or “Competition Organizer”. 
  • Competition Sponsor: The sponsor is a corporation duly established and operating in Vietnam, or in any other jurisdiction, or any individual, who would like to sponsor Awaken The Lions 2026 held by AIM Academy, hereinafter be referred to as the “Sponsor”.
  • Brief Owner: The Brief Owner is the organization or an individual who issues the brief for a category. The Brief Owner is legally responsible for the content of the brief in terms of information, copyright and trademark (If applicable). The Brief Owner has all rights to possess content from the submissions of the competition contestants, including ideas and works in forms of text and visual. For clarification, the Brief Owner can be the Competition Sponsor or not.
  • Copycat: Means any act intentionally and/or unintentionally to copy, imitate, emulate, simulate or mime the following, including but not limited to, words, images, ideas, contents, gestures and expressions of another individual/ entity/ product/ service/ Submission/ others.
  • Seeking For Help: Means any act intentionally and/or unintentionally to seek for help or receive help from any other individual/ entity in any manner.

To be eligible to participate in the Awaken The Lions 2026 Competition (the “Competition”) you must meet all the requirements as below: 

  • Hold a valid Vietnamese passport or a Vietnamese national identity card;
  • Be 22 years old or younger on 01 January 2004 (i.e. be born on or after 01 January 2004);
  • Be a current full-time student at an accredited college/ university, not yet graduated, and not yet exposed to the industry

The following people are not eligible for the Competition: 

  • Vietnamese overseas without a Vietnamese passport are not eligible for the Competition; 
  • AIM Academy’s employees, PR, event, and website partners are not allowed to enter this Competition;

 

If you meet all of the eligibility requirements to participate in and enter the Competition, you are referred to herein as an “Eligible Entrant”. Candidates must be fluent in written and spoken English since all briefs and instructions will be delivered in English only (there will be no translation). All submitted works must be prepared and presented in English.

Teams are required to submit the following materials in English:

  • A presentation deck (maximum 10 slides) in PDF format, with a file size not exceeding 10 MB.
  • A 60-second video in MP4 format, with a file size not exceeding 100 MB. The video must be produced using original footage filmed and edited by the team and should clearly communicate the campaign concept.

There is a registration fee for each team: 

 

EARLY BIRD 

Thursday, 16 July 2026 to 11.59pm Friday, 31 July 2026

STANDARD

Saturday, 01 August 2026 to 11.59pm Monday, 07 September 2026

200.000 VND/team

300.000 VND/team

The above rate is only applicable when contestants register

and finish the payment before the deadline of each phase.

 

The registration fee is VAT inclusive and it is not refundable.

To enter the Competition, you must create a team of two (2) Eligible Entrants (a “Team”) and complete the Competition registration form at www.register.awakenthelions.net within the registration period. 

Each Team can compete in only one (1) league (North or South). Each contestant can register in only one (01) team.

Regarding VAT invoice, the Organizer has the responsibility to issue VAT invoice when receiving requests from teams via registration form or competition@aimacademy.vn. Please note that the invoices will only be issued on the same day the transaction occurs if it takes place during business hours. For transactions made outside of business hours, the invoice will be issued on the next working day. All information provided for the VAT invoice must be accurate; no modifications or reissuance will be accepted. Once the deadline has passed, all the requests would be automatically considered as being rejected. 

We will issue electronic VAT invoices and send via your provided email address. Please make sure the email address you want to receive is accurate.

For any information modification, Team may be able to change with a fee of: 

  • 100,000 VND per modification due to any wrong registration information. Please note: If any updated information affects the eligibility of a contestant or team, the Organizing Committee reserves the right to require the team to change its competition region immediately. If the team is found to be ineligible, the Organizing Committee also reserves the right to reject the registration, and the registration fee will not be refunded.
  • 500.000 VND per instance of replacing a team member (change ID number, email address) 

The modification fee is not refundable. Also, the modification may be made by sending an email to competition@aimacademy.vn before the end of the registration deadline.

Registration will end at 11.59pm. Monday, 07 September 2026.

Teams that successfully meet all registration requirements under these Terms and Conditions will receive the Competition Brief, provided by the Sponsor at 9.30am, Saturday, 12 September 2026.

The Competition Brief describes the guidelines for creating an entry (a “Submission”) for each category, as summarized below, and set out in further details in the Submission Guidelines. The competition brief will be published online. Eligible teams can access their contestant accounts at register.awakenthelions.net to view the brief. 

If your team has received the registration confirmation email from the Organizing Committee but is unable to access your account to view the brief within the designated time, please contact via email at competition@aimacademy.vn or through our hotline (+84) 91 450 8448 for prompt assistance. All requirements for the submission must meet the Submission Guidelines (made available on the Brief Day) as well as the time restriction in order to be accepted to the judging phase of the Competition.

Teams must submit their Submission by 11am, Monday, 14 September (48hrs).

The deadline as specified during the Brief Day and Submission Guidelines will be the final official deadline. Any Submissions received after the deadline will not be accepted. Submissions from unregistered persons will not be accepted. No Submission will be returned. All Submissions become the property of the Competition Organizer. Submissions must adhere to the Submission Guidelines as outlined in the Competition Brief.

  1. Intellectual Property Warranties, Representations and Licenses. All materials submitted (the Submission and any other materials, as applicable) become the property of the Competition Organizer and will not be returned to the Eligible Entrants and Team. You hereby warrant that your Submission is wholly original and that you are the copyright owner of the Submission. You warrant that your Submission does not infringe or violate any intellectual property rights including copyrights and trade-marks, proprietary rights, privacy or publicity rights, or any other rights of any kind whatsoever including any federal, provincial or municipal laws. The Submission has not been created using any pirated or unlicensed content, or other materials that include copyrighted or trademarked material that the Competition Organizer would not be entitled to use without a further payment to the intellectual property owner. Upon the request of the Competition Organizer, you agree to obtain in writing any intellectual property licenses, assignments, waivers, consents and releases as required. 
  2. You hereby grant the Competition Organizer a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, exclusive license to publish, display, retain, archive, use, store, produce, reproduce, perform in public, broadcast and communicate to the public by telecommunication, the Submission, in any material form, in whole or in part, on any platform, including but not limited to its print newspaper, digital platforms, in syndication, videos, and social media platforms such as blogs, Twitter feeds, Facebook posts, in connection with any product (whether in print, digital or any other form) created, owned or published by either Competition Organizer or any of its affiliates, now and in the future, and to sub-license such rights to any licensee of the Competition Organizer.
  3. You hereby acknowledge and understand that the Competition Organizer may edit, modify or alter the Submission at its discretion and place the Submission in its products and on any platform without your further consent.
  4. The Competition Organizer reserves the right to void any entry that the Competition Organizer, in its sole and absolute discretion, determines does not meet the Submission rules and guidelines.
  5. You hereby acknowledge and understand that in case of any Copycat and/or Seeking for Help is conducted in relation to your Submission; your Submission will be disqualified as per the sole decision of the Juries. Any awards will also be withdrawn and you will not be eligible for the next competitions organized by the Competition Organizer. You have the responsibility to double check and research to make sure that you have not and will not commit any Copycat, regardless of your intention or not to do so, and try your best to avoid the Copycat. The Juries will not be obliged to check and research to confirm that any Copycat is conducted or not in your Submission.
  6. Any suspicion must be immediately and directly reported to competition@aimacademy.vn. The Competition Organizer will use its best endeavor to investigate the situation in accordance with the procedures and regulations of Cannes Lions. You are requested to be prudent in accusing any others in relation to the Copycat and Seeking for Help; and shall bear the civil and/or criminal responsibility under the law relating to any accusation to be publicly announced by you on any communication channels without the investigation and conclusion from the Competition Organizer. The conclusion of the Competition Organizer is final and binding.

The sole determinant of time for the purpose of receipt of a valid Submission will be the computer servers and official emails from competition@aimacademy.vn of the Competition Organizer.

By participating in the Competition, you acknowledge that you have read and understood these Terms and Conditions and agree to abide and be bound by them and all decisions of the Competition Organizer, which shall be final and binding, without the right of appeal, in all matters relating to this Competition and the awarding of prizes. The Competition Organizer reserves the right, in their sole and absolute discretion, to disqualify any entrant that it finds to be: (a) violating the Terms and Conditions; (b) tampering or attempting to tamper with the entry process or the operation of the Competition; (c) acting in an unfair play or disruptive manner; or (d) attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition.

Caution: Any attempt by an entrant or any other individual to deliberately damage any website associated with this Competition or to undermine the legitimate operation of this Competition may be a violation of criminal and/or civil laws. Should any of such an attempt be made, the Competition Organizer reserves the right to seek remedies to these damages to the fullest extent permitted by law, and to ban or disqualify the entrant from this and future competitions.

The Jury will select the top twenty (20) eligible submissions from among all eligible submissions, based on the criteria set out above. The teams that submitted these entries will be recognized as the Semi-finalist teams. On or before Thursday, 01 October 2026, the Competition Organizer, acting reasonably, will attempt to contact each potential Semi-finalist by email or telephone. 

Potential Semi-finalist determined by the Competition Organizer to be ineligible, for reasons including but not limited to failure to comply with the Terms and Conditions, failure to be contacted or respond to contact attempts, failure to make physical presence of both members for the Semi-Final round (Live Presentation & Q&A), might be disqualified from the Competition. The Competition Organizer reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to select or decline to select the next highest-scoring eligible team to replace a Semi-finalist team.

The Competition Organizer may, at their sole discretion, publish one or more of the confirmed Semi-finalist teams and their Submissions in print, digital, electronic, mobile and social media formats of the Competition Organizer. All confirmed Semi-finalist teams hereby consent to the profiling and publication of their Submissions in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, and will use reasonable efforts to cooperate with the Competition Organizer in the preparation of such profiles and publicity by the Competition Organizer.

Upon request by the Competition Organizer, each entrant, as an Eligible Entrant and/or Team, must provide the Competition Organizer with proof of their identity, qualification, pictures, Team’s name and the other reasonable request(s) of the Competition Organizer’s. The Competition Organizer may disqualify any Submission where such proof is not provided upon request or not in a proper manner as per the sole and reasonable discretion of the Competition Organizer. 

In the event of a dispute over such proof of an online entrant, entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized holder of the email account, as assigned by an internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g. business, educational institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address.

On or after Sunday, 01 November 2026, at the Grand Finale (Live Presentations & Winner Announcement) of Awaken The Lions 2026, the Competition Organizer will announce the winning Teams (the “Winners”. Once confirmed as a Winner, the potential Winner must review, sign and return within the time frame specified by the Competition Organizer any and all agreements as required by the Competition Organizer, including waivers, release agreement, release of liability and indemnity agreements and intellectual property license. 

A potential winning team may be determined by the Competition Organizer to be ineligible for the Prize, for reasons including but not limited to failure to comply with the Terms and Conditions, or failure to be contacted or respond to contact attempts. The Competition Organizer reserves the right to award the Prize to an alternate potential winning Team.

Overall award structure

 

Main awards

Special awards

Awaken The Lions 

2026

01 Champion

Learning trip to Asia in 2027 (maximum of 3 days)

01 Best Presentation

A scholarship valued at 5,000,000 VND to study at AIM Academy

01 First Runner-Up

A scholarship valued at 10,000,000 VND to study at AIM Academy

01 Second Runner-Up

A scholarship valued at 8,000,000 VND to study at AIM Academy

01 Best Debate

A scholarship valued at 5,000,000 VND to study at AIM Academy

02 Merit Awards

A scholarship valued at 5,000,000 VND to study at AIM Academy

 

Top 10 Finalist

05 teams from the North and 05 teams from the South.

 
  1. Champion

There is one (1) Champion Prize available to be awarded to one (1) team in the competition. The Prize consists of:

  • The privilege to participate a learning trip in Asia in 2027 of maximum 3 days 
  • Tuition fee
  • Traveling packages from Ho Chi Minh City to a country within Asia and back to Ho Chi Minh City.

Notes: 

  • The trip is valid for one-time use only, at a time determined by the Competition Organizer, and cannot be postponed or reserved.
  • Choice of flights, airline(s), hotel accommodations (including, without limitation, room size and occupancy) are at the sole and absolute discretion of the Competition Organizer. The trip portion of the Prize is subject to availability and other restrictions and is based on availability at time of booking and all travel arrangements relating to the Prize must be made through the Competition Organizer. The duration of the trip portion of the Prize cannot be extended and no travel services may be exchanged for alternate arrangements. 
  • The costs of everything not specifically stated above as included in the Prize are the sole responsibility of each Winner, including, without limitation: transportation for Winner to and from the International airport closest to the winner’s home; transportation for Winner to and from the accommodation in a country in Asia; in-flight meals & beverages; excess baggage fees; additional meals and beverages; any applicable overnight layover; additional ground or other transportation not expressly included above; personal and miscellaneous expenses for Winner of any kind; medical; health; hospital; travel and trip cancellation insurance; import charges; gratuities; merchandise; telephone calls; communication charges; costs associated with guests amenities and services at winner’s accommodation; sightseeing; and any costs or expenses related to the obtaining of travel documents, passports, visas and vaccinations.
  • It is the sole responsibility of the Winner to obtain all necessary travel documentation, including passports and visas (as applicable) to comply with any customs and immigration requirements. The Competition Organizer is not responsible if the Winner is late or otherwise misses any mode of transportation or other component of the Prize. Winner must travel when required or Prize is forfeited and nothing will be substituted in its place, and cannot be extended under any circumstances and no change will be permitted to travel dates or passenger names once the Prize travel booking has been confirmed. 
  • The Winner must sign a declaration released in a form satisfactory to the Competition Organizer, indicating that he/she waives all recourse against the Releases (defined below) relating to his/her participation in the Prize (including, without limitation, any travel related thereto). 
  • The Prize must be accepted as awarded, and is provided “as is” without further representations, conditions or warranties of any kind, and is not transferable, assignable and/or convertible to cash (except as may be specifically permitted by Competition Organizer in its sole and absolute discretion.)

You are obliged to keep your Submission confidential and private, not to share part of or all of the Submission to other Entrants and/or any third party/ media in any manner and in any perspective during the Competition and within six months after the Grand Finale. Any violation to this confidential obligation resulting in the damage or harm to the Competition Organizer, the Competition Sponsor, and/or the other Entrants shall be subject to the disqualification and/or other legal acts of the Competition Organizer at its sole discretion.

By entering the Competition, you are deemed to: 

  • Confirm compliance with the Terms and Conditions; 
  • Consent to the use of your name, city, comments, photographs, video, sobriquet, and/or other likenesses and all other indicia of personality, for publicity, general news, entertainment, advertising and informational purposes by the Competition Organizer and its parent, affiliated subsidiary and related companies, without further notice or compensation; and
  • Release the Competition Organizer, its affiliates (including, without limitation, any parent, sister and subsidiary companies), suppliers of materials or services related to the Competition and other parties in any way involved in the development or administration of this Competition (including advertising and promotional agencies, public relations agencies), and all of their respective employees, directors, officers, shareholders, agents, partners, licensees, successors and assigns (collectively the “Releases“) from and against any and all manner of action, causes of action, suits, debts, covenants, contracts, claims, liabilities, demand or damages (including legal fees and expenses), of any nature or kind, arising out of, or in connection with your participation or attempted participation in the Competition and the awarding or use of a prize, including as set out below in the Limitation of Liability section.

Releases do not assume any responsibility and each entrant releases the Competition Organizer from any and all claims, actions, damages, loss, injury, costs, demands and liabilities of whatever nature or kind arising in connection with the Competition and/or Prizes including, without limitation, the administration of the Competition, the selection and confirmation of Winner, and the awarding and use of the Prize. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Releases are not responsible for: 

  • The incorrect or inaccurate capture of entry information; 
  • Late, lost, stolen, illegible, damaged, misdirected, mutilated, garbled or incomplete entries or entries that are altered or otherwise irregular, mechanically reproduced, submitted using robotic, automated, programmed, or through illicit means, included in a bulk-drop off, or contain false information, or do not conform with or satisfy any or all of the conditions of the Terms and Conditions, as determined by the Competition Organizer, in its sole and absolute discretion; 
  • Any failure, errors, or problems with websites associated with the Competition, including any website feature, howsoever caused; 
  • Traffic congestion on the Internet and any postal delays, strikes or failures; 
  • Injury or damage to an entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating in the Competition; 
  • Any website functionality lost due to not having cookies enabled; 
  • Any errors, omissions, incorrect or inaccurate information in any Competition-related materials howsoever caused; and
  • The security or privacy of information transmitted via computer networks or for breaches of privacy due to interference by third party computer “hackers” or otherwise.

By participating in this Competition, you hereby consent to the Competition Organizer collecting and using your personal information and to receiving commercial electronic messages from the Competition Organizer for the purpose of administering this Competition. Other than that, entrants will receive marketing communications related to other services of the Competition Organizer such as training, competition, job matching.

This Competition will be run in accordance with these Terms and Conditions, subject to amendment by the Competition Organizer. 

The Competition Organizer, in its sole and absolute discretion, reserves the right to modify or terminate the Competition and amend the Terms and Conditions at any time, without individual notice, and for any reason.

All intellectual property, including but not limited to trade-marks, trade names, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations are owned by each Competition Organizer and/or its affiliates. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any copyrighted material or intellectual property without the express written consent of its owner is strictly prohibited.

We hereby acknowledge that we have read this Terms and Conditions carefully, that we have been afforded sufficient time to understand the terms and effects of this document, that we freely and voluntarily are executing this Terms and Conditions and that neither AIM Academy nor any Sponsor nor any AIM Academy’s officers, directors, employees or representatives have made any representations inconsistent with the terms and effects of this Terms and Conditions.