EVERY TEAM 1 TO 5 PEOPLE · MAX. 100 PARTICIPANTS · KICK-OFF 19 NOVEMBER @ MICA · €2,000 PRINT BUDGET FOR THE WINNER · SHOWCASE AT VISUALIZE EXPO

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Terms of Participation MAKE IT REAL: Creator Commerce Challenge, edition 2026–2027

Version 1.0, last updated 15 oktober 2026 *If translations differ, the Dutch text prevails.*

These are the ground rules. They are here to protect you and to make clear what you can expect from Probo and MICA, and what they can expect from you.

1. Organisation

MAKE IT REAL is an initiative of Probo Sign B.V. and Media Innovatie Campus (MICA), together referred to as "the organisers". Contact: info@mica.nu.

2. Who can take part?

  1. Students enrolled at Firda or NHL Stenden. Students from other schools may only take part through a wildcard, with the organisers' approval.
  2. You must be at least 16 when you register.
  3. A team consists of 1 to 5 people. There is room for a maximum of 100 participants; once all places are filled, no more are available.
  4. Participation is free. The organisers assess applications based on the idea, motivation and feasibility, and may reject an application without giving reasons.
  5. Everyone creates their own account. Do not share accounts or passwords.
  6. Employees of Probo and MICA and members of the judging panel cannot take part.

3. Under 18?

  1. If you are 16 or 17, you confirm when registering that your parent or guardian knows you are taking part.
  2. You do not need to start a business for the challenge. If you decide to do so afterwards, additional rules apply to under-18s, such as parental permission. The organisers can offer guidance, but you are responsible for making the arrangements.
  3. We ask for your separate consent to use images in which you are recognisable. If you are 16 or 17, please discuss this with your parents too.

4. How it works

  1. The challenge follows the roadmap on the website, with scheduled events such as the kick-off, check-ins, the hackathon and concept final on 8 and 9 December 2026, and the commercial final (Demo Night @ MICA) on 15 January 2027. You must attend these scheduled events or arrange for your team to be represented.
  2. For the commercial final, you must deliver: a working shop, a specific offering with real prices, market evidence and a live pitch.
  3. The organisers may change the schedule or cancel all or part of the challenge if necessary, for example because of too few participants or force majeure. We will let you know as soon as possible.

5. Print budget

  1. Test budget: during the concept track, each team receives a print budget at Probo to make samples and prototypes. This budget is valid up to and including the hackathon and concept final on 9 December 2026 and expires afterwards.
  2. Prize: the winning team of the commercial final on 15 January 2027 receives a €2,000 print budget at Probo for its first collection, campaign or pilot production run. This budget is valid for 6 months, up to and including 15 July 2027, and expires afterwards.
  3. Both budgets can only be spent on production through Probo for your own MAKE IT REAL project. They cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred.
  4. You may sell products made using the budget. The proceeds are yours.

6. Concept live, business later

During the challenge, you launch your concept. You do not need to register with the KvK to do this. Whether you start a business afterwards is up to you: the organisers offer advice, and you make the arrangements. If you start selling for real, you are responsible for:

  • registration with the KvK and the Dutch Tax Administration (VAT and, where applicable, the small businesses scheme);
  • the rules for online sales: clear prices, your business details on the website, terms and conditions, and the 14-day right to cancel (which does not apply to products that are specially made to measure or personalised);
  • your own customers' privacy (a privacy notice on your shop);
  • agreements with platforms such as Shopify, Stripe or Mollie.

Probo and MICA are not parties to your sales. Probo supplies products as the manufacturer, under Probo's terms and conditions. The toolbox contains templates and checklists to help you with this.

7. Who owns your work?

  1. Your idea, brand, designs, text, website and shop remain yours, including after the challenge.
  2. You give the organisers permission to use your brand name, shop, products, pitch and results in communications about MAKE IT REAL (website, social media, press, presentations, Visualize Expo). This permission is free of charge, non-exclusive and valid for 2 years after this edition ends. We will always credit your brand or team name.
  3. Until you have made your idea public, the organisers and judging panel will keep it confidential.
  4. Probo and MICA will not use your idea commercially themselves without an agreement with you. The example ideas on the website are free for everyone to use.
  5. If Probo, MICA or a partner wants to work with you after the challenge (for example, to collaborate or acquire a product), we will make separate agreements about this.

8. Other people's rights

Only use images, logos, brands, music and text that you have permission to use. This means no well-known characters, club logos or brand names without permission, and no photos of people who have not consented. If you use AI tools, check whether you are allowed to use the output commercially. If the organisers receive a claim because of your submission, they may take that submission offline.

9. Within your team

At the start, agree together on who contributes what, who owns the brand and what happens if someone leaves. There is a template in the toolbox. If a team member leaves, the team continues with what the team has created together. The organisers do not mediate in disputes within teams, but are happy to offer guidance.

10. Conduct

We treat each other with respect. No discrimination, intimidation or hateful content. No products that are illegal, misleading, sexually explicit or offensive. The organisers may exclude a participant or team for breaching these terms, after first attempting to contact them.

11. Judging

  1. An expert judging panel assesses the finalist teams on: niche and insight (30%), brand and creativity (20%), business model (30%), validation and evidence (10%), and pitch and team (10%).
  2. If a judge has a personal or business interest in a team, they must declare it and must not assess that team.
  3. The judging panel's decision is final. No correspondence will be entered into about the results.

12. Prizes

  1. The prizes are listed on the Prizes page. They cannot be exchanged for cash or transferred to anyone other than the winning team.
  2. Any taxes payable on a prize are the winner's responsibility.
  3. If a prize cannot be provided due to force majeure, the organisers will offer an equivalent alternative.

13. Photos and videos

We take photos and videos during events. We only use images in which you are recognisable if you have given separate consent. You can withdraw that consent at any time through My details; we will then stop using the images in new communications. If you do not want to appear in photos or videos, tell the photographer or the organisers.

14. Education

MAKE IT REAL is a voluntary activity alongside your studies. Participation does not count towards your academic results unless your school makes its own arrangements for this. The organisers will not give information about you to your school without your knowledge.

15. Liability

You are responsible for what you build, sell and agree to. The organisers are not liable for the commercial results of your concept or shop, for loss or damage caused by third-party tools or platforms, for agreements within your team, or for the loss of data you manage yourself. For other loss or damage caused by the organisers, their liability is limited to the amount paid out by their insurer in that case. These limitations do not apply in cases of intent or deliberate recklessness by the organisers, or to personal injury. Products made by Probo are subject to Probo's terms and conditions.

16. Privacy

You can read about how we handle your data in the privacy notice.

17. Changes and applicable law

The organisers may amend these terms; we will inform participants of any significant changes. These terms are governed by Dutch law. We will first try to resolve disagreements together. If that is not possible, the District Court of Noord-Nederland has jurisdiction.