FREE ELECTRONS
TERMS & CONDITIONS
FREE ELECTRONS PROGRAM
TERMS & CONDITIONS OF APPLICATION AND PARTICIPATION
SECTION ONE – CONDITIONS OF APPLICATION
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible to apply for the Program, your start-up must:
- Be incorporated (in any country), and provide proof of that registration if requested by the Program Members;
- Offer a product or service solution in at least one of the following recruitment categories:
- Next Generation Renewables
- Energy Management / Data
- Asset Optimisation
- Thermal Solutions
- Grid Planning, Optimisation and Stability
- Energy Storage
- Connected & Engaged Customers (B2B & B2C)
- Mobility & Transport Electrification
- Other
- Have at least four full-time employees or the equivalent thereof (consultants and/or advisors do not qualify as employees or the equivalent of employees).
Note that start-ups with business models that are based solely on consulting are ineligible to participate.
Selection in the Program and Indicative Schedule
Event | Date (Indicative only) |
Applications open | October 16th, 2025 |
Application closing time | January 31st, 2026, 2025 11:59pm UTC |
Successful applicants notified | March 25th, 2026 |
Application Submission
To facilitate the application process, Free Electrons primarily accepts applications via F6S at https://www.f6s.com/free-electrons-2026/apply (the application form will be available from Oct 16, 2025). If you’re applying through an Ecosystem Partner, such as the SET Award, please note that the same terms and conditions apply. Each application route may have its own deadlines and closing times, and it is the responsibility of potential applicants to verify these dates. While Program Members may consider late submissions at their discretion, they are not obligated to do so.
All applicants referred by a Partner of the Free Electrons Program should formalize their application in the F6s form provided above.
Application Perks
Applicants may be offered non-financial perks depending on when they submit their application, such as feedback on applications, consultation sessions, Q&A opportunities, or visibility in Free Electrons communications. These perks are optional, subject to change, and provided at the discretion of the Program Members. They do not create any entitlement and may be modified or withdrawn at any time without liability.
Selection Criteria and Evaluation
The criteria Program Members use and how such criteria will be applied will be decided by us, at our discretion, but is likely to include our assessment of your:
- Quality Management – credible team, quality CVs, relevant qualifications/experience;
- Elegant Solution – clearly innovative or disruptive, differentiated from existing solutions, scalable, exhibits sustainable competitive advantage potential and fits with the Program and the Program Member’s challenges;
- Market Size – large addressable market to facilitate significant sales growth;
- Business Plan – viable business model based on credit, commercial and economic assumptions;
- Development Stage – pilot project ready, but also early enough to benefit from the Program, have internal resources and flexibility to support pilot project (possibly international);
- Positive social/environmental impact in one of the recruitment categories referred to above.
Notification
You will be advised in writing of any decision made with respect to your application promptly. We are not obliged to provide reasons for acceptance or rejection of your application.
Costs of Application
You participate in this application process at your sole risk and expense. You will bear all costs of and incidental to the preparation of your application and participation in the application process.
Conflict of Interest
You must identify and notify us of any actual, potential or perceived conflict of interest that you have in relation to this application or your participation in the Program. If you fail to notify us, or you are unable or unwilling to resolve the conflict as required by us, your application may be excluded from further consideration.
An existing commercial or legal relationship with a Program Member is not a conflict of interest but we request you include details of the relationship in your application.
Confidentiality
- applying to participate in the Program;
- allowing us to consider your application;
- your participation in the Program; and
- allowing one or more Program Members to identify and commence separate discussions about potential commercial or legal relationships between your start-up and the Program Member (Agreed Purpose).
- which was known by the receiving party prior to the other providing the Confidential Information;
- which is or becomes available to the public (other than by unlawful means);
- which becomes available (other than by unlawful means) from a source other than the disclosing party and that source is under no obligation to the disclosing party to maintain the Confidential Information in confidence; or
- which is required to be disclosed by the receiving party by rule or law or by regulation of a Stock Exchange which has authority over a Program Member.
Ownership of applications
All applications become the property of the Program Members upon submission.
Intellectual Property Rights
- evaluating and/or clarifying your application;
- if selected, your participation in the Program; and
- a Program Member considering potential commercial or legal relationships between your start-up and the Program Member outside the scope of the Program.
Misleading Claims, Improper Assistance, and Anti-Competitive Conduct
- make any false or misleading claims, statements or other representations;
- engage in any collusion, anti-competitive conduct or any other similar conduct with any other person;
- use the improper assistance of any Program Member employee, or any improperly obtained information; and
- violate any applicable laws regarding the offering of inducements.
Program Member Rights
- suspend, vary, amend or cease to proceed with the Program selection process or Program; vary or amend the application form or evaluation criteria;
- consider and accept or reject any application that is non-conforming or received after the closing time;
- vary or extend any time or date relevant to the selection process or Program;
- call for new applications;
- terminate participation in the selection process by any person;
- allow any applicant to change its application;
- publish or disclose your company name whether successful or unsuccessful; or take such other action that we at our discretion consider to be appropriate.
SECTION TWO: CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM
Benefits for successful applicants
Selected participants will be able to partake in the Program. The Program itself consists of 1 initial online module and 3 presential modules, which it is intended they take place in Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Canada, respectively.
The Program will cover flights (in the form of reimbursement up to a specified limit), as well as accommodation, and standard meals for 2 employees from each Participant to attend each module. Participants will fly in economy class and stay in modestly priced hotels which are approved by the Program Members for the duration of the module. Participants must pay for any other expenses incurred. In addition, participants are solely responsible for obtaining and maintaining adequate travel, medical, and liability insurance (including coverage for personal injury, illness, accidents, and loss of property) for the duration of their participation in the Program-related travels. The Organizers shall bear no responsibility for any costs, damages, or losses arising from a participant’s failure to obtain such insurance.
Some Participants may be awarded prizes during the Program, at the discretion of the Program Members.
During or at the end of the Program, you may receive the opportunity to engage in a pilot project and/or receive strategic investment by one or more of the Program Members; however, this opportunity is not guaranteed. Any commercial relationships or opportunities you are offered are subject to separate negotiations and agreements with the relevant Program Member and do not form part of the Program.
Participation in the Program
- commit two team members directly employed by the company (employees) to attend each module of the Program. One of the two employees should be either the Chief Technology Officer (or equivalent) (CTO) or Chief Executive Officer (CEO), to maximize the benefit to Program Members and the Participant. If Participants are unable to attend each module with two eligible employees, one of whom being the CTO or CEO, they may forfeit their place in the Program;
- give consent for your company name to be associated with this Program and used by Program Members to promote the Program or themselves;
- share requested information about your company and products with all Program Members. Confidential Information will be protected by the confidentiality undertaking in section two;
- commit to scheduling and attending periodic inter-module calls with start-up peer Participants in the Program and with start-up mentors in the Program;
- actively participate in each module and inter-module discussions;
- participate in a Program evaluation after completion of the last module; and provide to all Program Members the details of relationships entered into with individual Program Members as a result of the Program, and output and results of such relationships. This information is to be provided during and after the Program.
Termination and variations
The Program Members reserve the right to terminate a Participant’s involvement in the Program at their sole discretion if:
- the Participant breaches these Terms and Conditions; or
- if the Participant’s employee(s) engage in inappropriate (as determined by Program Members) or illegal behavior or are disruptive to overall group cohesion.
Participants will be given prior notice before they are terminated from the Program.
Program Members may also terminate or make changes to the Program, in each case for any reason at any time. Participants will be given notice of such termination or changes.
Acknowledgment and Waiver
Participants acknowledge that their participation in the Program is at their sole risk. Participants may withdraw from the Program at any time or make alternative arrangements for travel, accommodation or meals (at their cost). Program Members will have no liability to Participants for any loss or damage arising in connection with the Program, including personal injury, property damage or economic loss (except in relation to a breach of the confidentiality undertaking in section 1). Program Members must not make a claim against any Program Member for any such loss or damage.
SECTION THREE: DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
Definitions
Unless the context requires otherwise, the following terms have the following meaning in these Terms and Conditions:
Employee means a person directly working for the startup organisation and does not include consultants, advisors or contractors engaged on behalf of the startup.
Ecosystem Partners mean:
- InnovateUK;
- DENA;
- T-Hub
and are direct affiliates of the Program.
Participant means a start-up that has been selected by the Program Members to participate in the Program.
Program means the Free Electrons international accelerator program more fully described at freeelectrons.org.
Program Members mean:
- CLP Power Hong Kong Ltd.;
- EDP Inovação S.A.;
- E.ON Innovation Co-lnvestments Inc.
- Electricity Supply Board;
- Hydro-Quebéc;
- Origin Energy.
Program Members may be described as us, we, or our throughout these Terms and Conditions. You or your means an applicant or, after selection, a Participant.