Official rules & conditions
Freelancers Got AI Talent Awards
By submitting a project to the "Freelancer Got AI Talent Awards", you acknowledge and agree to the following terms and conditions (the "Official Rules").
By submitting a project to the "Freelancer Got AI Talent Awards", you acknowledge and agree to the following terms and conditions (the "Official Rules").
The competition entitled "Freelancers Got AI Talent Awards" (hereinafter referred to as "the Competition") is organized by:
Malt Community SAS, a simplified joint-stock company (société par actions simplifiée), registered with the Paris Trade and Companies Register under number 791 354 871, having its registered office located at 18, rue Godot de Mauroy - 75009 Paris (hereinafter referred to as "the Organizer" or “Malt”).
2.1 Description of the Competition.
The Organizer is organizing a Competition that is free of charge and with no obligation to purchase, aimed at rewarding the innovative and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) tools by independent professionals or freelancers (the “Participants”). Participants must submit a project that incorporates the use of AI (the “Project”), which will then be evaluated for a chance to win the Competition by a jury panel selected by the Organizer (the “Jury”).
The competition categories (the “Categories”) include:
-> “The technical (excellence) award” (Machine Learning / Research Scientist, Data Scientist, Data Engineer, Analytics Engineer, Cloud Engineer / Data Ops, ML Ops Specialist.)
-> “The (Gen)AI impact award” (AI Engineer / GenAI Engineer (LLM fine-tuning, RAG), AI Developer (LLM integration), Mobile developers with LLM skills.)
-> “The AI Transformation award” (AI Strategist, Change Manager AI, Transformation Manager AI, PMO AI.)
2.2 Schedule of events.
The key stages and dates of the competition are as follows:
Application submission period: Starts on 29/01/2026 at 09:00 AM and will end on 27/02/2026 at 06:00 PM. Any participation in the contest outside of these specified dates and times will not be considered by Malt. The Competition organizing teams will verify compliance with the participation and eligibility requirements to validate each application.
On 06/03/2026, the Finalists selected by the Jury (“Finalist”) will be notified of their selection by email.
The public will be able to vote for their favourite project using a dedicated typeform and a public landing page dedicated to voting (“Public Vote phase”).
The Public Vote Phase starts on the 09/03/2026 at 09:00 AM and will end on the 27/03/2026 at 06:00 PM.
The Finalists with the highest number of votes (the “Winners”) will be announced in a dedicated email in April 2026, along with the non-finalists.
Award Ceremony will take place on 21/05/2026. The Winners will be announced to the entire audience.
3.1. Participant status:
Participant status: The Participant must be an active, verified freelancer registered on the Malt platform. A Freelance shall be defined as any natural person or legal representative of a legal entity, holding a SIRET number and registered with the Trade and Companies Register, the Directory of Trades, the Special Register held by the clerk of the Commercial Court of their business formalities center, or the National Directory of Associations, or otherwise operating as an independent contractor under legal conditions from France or abroad.
3.2. Project status:
Project status: The Project must be completed and delivered to a client (whether through Malt platform or externally) between January 1, 2024, and January 31, 2026. Concepts, prototypes, or purely internal/personal projects are ineligible. In the Typeform, freelancers will need to provide:
Project Context: Title, client problem, and mission duration, with an executive summary.
Technical Proof: Details of the AI solution implemented and visuals/portfolio.
Measurable Results: Quantifiable ROI/KPIs and a short pitch on the project's scalability and excellence.
3.3. AI component:
The Project must demonstrably involve the application of Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Generative AI, or AI Governance/Strategy).
3.4. Submission limit:
Each Participant may submit a maximum of one project across the available award Categories.
3.5.
Any Participant who does not meet these conditions, or who refuses to provide proof of eligibility, will be disqualified from the contest and will not be entitled to receive their prize in the event of a win
Each participant warrants to the Organizer that:
-> The submitted Project is an original creation, and none of its components are copied from a third party.
-> The Project complies with all applicable laws, including those relating to intellectual property, privacy, defamation, public decency, and public order.
-> No element protected by third-party intellectual property rights is included in the Project without the prior authorization of the rightsholders.
-> The Project contains no advertising, no elements infringing upon third-party rights, and no resemblances likely to be interpreted as plagiarism.
-> The Participant holds all necessary rights for the distribution and showcase of the Project.
-> The Participant has obtained the necessary consents from any individuals represented in the Project, as well as from the owners of any locations or property visible therein.
-> The Participant has not taken, and will not take, any action that could compromise the distribution of the Project under the conditions set out in these Official Rules.
5.1. Confidentiality:
The Project summary, technical details, and ROI figures submitted to the Organizer will be treated confidentially during the Jury review process. All Jurors are required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (“NDA”) with the Organizer.
5.2. Licensing and use of content by submitting:
all Participants grant the Organizer a non-exclusive, worldwide, and royalty-free license to use the Executive Summary presenting the project, which was shared when the project was submitted, and high-level, non-confidential metrics of the Project in its internal "Project Library" submitted Projects and for promotional purposes for sales benchmarking and client pitching purposes, even if you are not selected as a Finalist. Participants retain their copyright over their works but agree that their Projects may be featured and used within the framework of events organized by the Participant.
5.3. Winner publication:
If the project is selected as a Finalist or Winner, you grant Malt permission to publish the Executive Summary, the Freelancer Name, and the award Category for external press, social media, and marketing promotions.
5.4.
The reproduction, representation, or exploitation of all or part of the elements comprising this contest, including these Official Rules, is strictly prohibited. All trademarks, logos, texts, images, videos, and other distinctive signs reproduced on the website and/or social media platforms, as well as on sites accessed via hyperlinks, are the exclusive property of their respective owners and are protected as such by intellectual property laws worldwide. Any unauthorized reproduction constitutes an infringement punishable by criminal sanctions.
6.1. Final decision:
All decisions regarding judging, scoring, and the final selection of Winners shall be made by the Jury in their sole discretion based on a dedicated evaluation grid for each award category. The decisions are final and binding.
6.2. Scoring mechanics:
Winners will be selected based on the weighted score: 80% Jury Evaluation (based on specialized technical and strategic criteria) and 20% “Public Vote” (based on community engagement and visibility).
6.3. Exclusion right:
The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify any project deemed fraudulent, incomplete, or failing to comply with these Official Rules.
7.1. Fair voting:
Only one vote per unique individual (verified by email/login) is permitted during the Public Vote phase.
7.2. Prohibited methods:
Any attempts to manipulate the Public Vote using bots, scripts, automated programs, or fraudulent methods will result in immediate disqualification of the associated project.
The Competition provides for the following awards, to be granted to the top three participants:
The Technical Excellence Award: Rewards core expertise in Foundational AI, complex algorithms, and technical performance.
The Gen AI Impact Award: Rewards innovation in LLMs (RAG, Agents) and the fluidity of the user experience (UX).
The AI Transformation Award: Rewards organizational impact, change management, and strategic AI alignment.
Malt will directly manage cover travel and accommodation expenses up to a maximum of €600 for Winners to attend the mandatory Awards Ceremony.
The winners will be announced in a dedicated email in April 2026, along with the non-finalists. And the winners will receive their prizes during the award ceremony on 21/05/2026 Any Winner who fails to respond within one week after their announcement will be deemed to have waived their prize, which may then be awarded to another Participant or cancelled, at the Organizer's discretion.
All submitted elements will be used and published on the dedicated voting platform as well as in all our promotional communications (PR, social media, etc.). It is therefore essential to adapt your Project's presentation to maximize its visibility and impact across these different channels.
Malt processes your data in connection with your participation in this contest, specifically for the purposes of verifying your eligibility, awarding prizes, and announcing the Winners' names. By participating, you consent to the processing of your data for these purposes.
Malt commits to complying with current personal data protection regulations, specifically Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (GDPR) and the amended French Data Protection Act No. 78-17 of 6 January 1978.To participate in the Competition, the following personal data will be collected: last name, first name, country, a professional profile photo, Link to Malt profile and email address. This data is necessary for the management of the Competition and will be used exclusively for this purpose. Participants who wish to delete their data before the end of the contest will be unable to participate. Furthermore, all participants have the right to access, rectify, and delete their data upon written request to Malt’s Data Protection Officer at : dpo@malt.com.
Winners authorize Malt to use their contact details (first name, last name, pseudonym) for advertising, promotional, or public relations purposes on any medium whatsoever. This authorization does not confer any compensation, right, or advantage other than the awarding of the prize.
These Official Rules are governed by French law. Any dispute arising out of or in connection with the Competition that cannot be resolved amicably shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Paris.Any claim regarding the interpretation or application of these Official Rules must be addressed to Malt at the address specified in Article 1. Please note that no disputes, particularly regarding the contest mechanics, results, will be accepted later than one month after the end of the contest.
For any questions regarding the Competition, please contact the Organizer at the following address: maureen.michaud@malt.com.
The Organizer shall not be held liable in the event of malicious intervention, technical issues, or any other disruption affecting the proper conduct of the Competition. Participation in the Competition implies the acceptance of the inherent risks associated with the use of the internet, including the risk of data interception or hacking.
The Organizer reserves the right to modify, suspend, shorten, extend, or cancel the Competition should circumstances so require, without any liability being incurred as a result.
By checking the box below, you confirm that you have read, understand, and agree to the Official Rules & Conditions for the Freelancer Got AI Talent Awards 2026.
You need assistance or you have a question ? Our team is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of this competition. If you encounter any technical issues with the voting platform or have questions regarding the finalists, please reach out.
