Rules and Regulations

Eligibility

The competition is open to:

• Students
• Lecturers and academicians
• Researchers
• Innovators
• Industry representatives
• Government agencies
• Non-governmental organisations and community practitioners

Participation may be individual or in a group of up to five members.

UCYP participants must provide valid proof of affiliation to qualify for the special registration fee.

Innovation Categories

Each entry must be registered under one of the following categories:

The organisers reserve the right to reassign an entry to a more appropriate category.

Competition Theme

All entries should reflect the theme:

The innovation should address an identifiable issue and demonstrate potential benefits for education, industry, society, the environment or the wider community.

Registration and Fees

• Registration period: 15 September – 26 October 2026.
• Registration fee payment deadline: 26 October 2026.
• Standard registration fee: RM200 per entry.
• UCYP participant fee: RM50 per entry.
• A maximum of five members is permitted for each group entry.
• Registration is confirmed only after the organiser receives the completed registration form and payment.
• Registration fees are non-refundable unless the programme is cancelled by the organiser.

Poster Requirements

Each entry must prepare one innovation poster and print it at their own cost. Participants are required to bring the printed poster on the event day.

The poster must be presented in English or Bahasa Melayu.

Recommended Poster Format

• A1 size
• Portrait orientation

Required Poster Content

• Innovation title
• Name of participant or team members
• Institution or organisation
• Innovation category
• Background or problem statement
• Innovation objectives
• Description of the innovation
• Development process or methodology
• Novelty or uniqueness
• Results, evidence or current development status
• Benefits and potential impact
• Commercialisation or implementation potential
• Relevant images, diagrams or supporting data
• Acknowledgements and references, where applicable

The poster must be clear, professionally designed and readable from a reasonable viewing distance.

Participants must avoid excessive text and use appropriate diagrams, photographs, tables or infographics to communicate the innovation.

The organising committee may request a digital copy of the poster in PDF format before the event.

Originality and Intellectual Property

The submitted innovation must represent the participant’s or team’s original work.

Participants must properly acknowledge all external materials, data, images and references.

Entries Must Not

• Infringe any copyright, patent, trademark or intellectual property rights.
• Contain plagiarised material.
• Misrepresent another person’s work.
• Include confidential information without permission.

Participants remain responsible for protecting the intellectual property associated with their innovation.

Participation does not transfer ownership of the innovation to UCYP University or the organisers.

The organiser may use photographs, posters and short descriptions of the entries for event documentation and non-commercial promotional purposes, with appropriate acknowledgement.

Poster Presentation

At least one registered participant must be present during the assessment session.

Participants must explain:

• The problem addressed
• The proposed innovation
• Its novelty
• Evidence of effectiveness or feasibility
• Potential impact and future development

Presentations may be delivered in English or Bahasa Melayu.

Participants must remain at their assigned exhibition space during the scheduled evaluation period.

Failure to attend the assessment session without prior approval may result in disqualification.

Evaluation Criteria

Entries will be assessed based on the following criteria:

Awards

Eligible entries may receive the following awards:

• Platinum Award
• Gold Award
• Silver Award
• Bronze Award
• Best Presentation Award

A Certificate of Participation will be awarded to all eligible participants who complete the competition requirements.

The number and level of awards will depend on the judges’ evaluation and the quality of submissions.

Assessment and Decision

• Assessment will take place on 4 and 5 November 2026.
• Each entry will be evaluated by an appointed panel of judges.
• The judges may request clarification, supporting evidence or a demonstration of the innovation.
• The judges’ decision is final, and no appeal or correspondence regarding the results will be entertained.
• Awards may be withheld if entries do not meet the required standard.

Ethical and Safety Requirements

• Innovations involving human participants, personal data, health information or vulnerable groups must comply with applicable ethical requirements.
• Participants must obtain permission before displaying identifiable photographs, personal information or confidential organisational data.
• Products, prototypes and demonstrations must be safe for exhibition and public viewing.
• The organiser may prohibit any display or demonstration that presents a safety, ethical or reputational risk.

Disqualification

An entry may be disqualified if:

• Registration information is incomplete or inaccurate.
• Payment is not received by the deadline.
• The entry contains plagiarism or infringes intellectual property rights.
• The participant fails to attend the assessment session.
• The poster contains inappropriate, misleading or offensive material.
• The participant does not comply with the event rules or instructions.
• The innovation is substantially different from the registered submission.

Organiser’s Rights

The organising committee reserves the right to:

• Amend the programme schedule when necessary.
• Reassign entries to suitable categories.
• Request revisions to posters that do not meet the requirements.
• Photograph or record the competition for documentation and promotion.
• Reject or disqualify entries that breach these rules.
• Make decisions on matters not specifically covered in these regulations.