SAD ENTERTAINMENT GRANT T&C

Terms and Conditions

Version 1.3 | Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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By submitting an application to the SAD Entertainment Grant Program, applicants

acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these

Terms and Conditions in their entirety. These terms govern all aspects of the

program including application, eligibility, judging, selection, delivery of services, and

dispute resolution.

1. Program Overview

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The SAD Entertainment Grant Program is a non-cash, in-kind production grant administered by SAD Entertainment Inc. ("SAD Entertainment") in Calgary, Alberta. The program is designed to support emerging and equity-deserving artists by providing professional production services at no cost to recipients. The grant consists exclusively of production services as described herein. It has no cash value and cannot be converted, exchanged, or redeemed for monetary compensation under any circumstances.

2. Eligibility

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2.1 General Requirements

To be eligible, applicants must satisfy all of the following at the time of application

and throughout the program cycle:

• Must be a resident of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

• Must be 18 years of age or older. Applicants aged 16 or 17 may apply only with a parent or legal guardian who completes and signs the Minor Consent Form and assumes joint responsibility under these terms. The parent or legal guardian must be reachable by phone during all program sessions and must provide valid contact information on the Minor Consent Form.

• Must submit one application per program cycle. Multiple applications from the same individual will result in disqualification of all submissions.

• Must not be a current employee, contractor, officer, or director of SAD Entertainment Inc., or an immediate family member of any of the foregoing.

2.2 Income Threshold

Applicants are ineligible if they earn $50,000 CAD or more annually from music-related activities. "Music-related income" is defined as gross revenue derived from any of the following, whether earned directly or through a business entity in which the applicant holds a controlling interest:

• Live performance fees and touring income.

• Streaming royalties and digital distribution revenue.

• Sync licensing, master licensing, and publishing royalties.

• Music instruction or coaching where the applicant's musical identity is the primary draw.

• Merchandise directly associated with the applicant's artist brand.

• Recording or production fees earned under the applicant's artist name or brand.

Income from unrelated employment is excluded. Applicants must declare their music-related income honestly. Misrepresentation of income is grounds for immediate disqualification or post-award termination.

2.3 Category Self-Identification

Applicants must select one primary category. Categories are offered to support equity-deserving communities and are subject to change each program cycle. By selecting a category, the applicant declares, honestly and in good faith, that the selection accurately reflects their identity or circumstances.

SAD Entertainment relies on self-identification as the default. Verification may be requested where there is a reasonable, objective basis to do so. Any such request will be proportionate, respectful, and consistent with applicable human rights legislation in Alberta and Canada.

Intentional misrepresentation of category eligibility constitutes a material breach of these terms and may result in disqualification, post-award termination, and public disclosure of the breach at the discretion of SAD Entertainment.

Applicants must select one primary category from the following options for the current program cycle:

• Women in Music

• Indigenous Artist

• Low Income

• General

Categories are subject to change each program cycle.

For the purposes of the Low Income category, applicants self-identify as experiencing financial barriers that significantly limit their ability to access professional music production services. SAD Entertainment does not prescribe a specific income threshold for this category. Selection within this category will be assessed contextually, with need evaluated during the judging process in accordance with Section 4.

3. Application Process

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3.1 Submissions

Applications must be submitted through the designated platform during the open application window. Late submissions will not be accepted. Applicants are responsible for ensuring their submission is complete and accurate prior to the deadline.

Required application materials include: artist or project name, one to three publicly accessible song links, a project description of no more than 300 words, a response to what the applicant would create with the grant, a description of barriers currently preventing project completion, and category selection. Optional demographic information may be provided voluntarily and will be handled in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.

3.2 Accuracy and Declaration

By submitting an application, the applicant declares that all information provided is accurate, complete, and not misleading. The applicant further declares that their income is below the threshold described in Section 2.2 and that their category selection is made honestly and in good faith.

Submitting knowingly false or materially misleading information constitutes a breach of these terms and may result in disqualification at any stage, including after an award has been made.

3.3 AI and Originality

Applicants must submit work that is original or properly attributed. Presenting work as solely original where it has been materially generated by artificial intelligence or third parties without disclosure is considered misrepresentation. SAD Entertainment reserves the right to make this determination acting reasonably, and such determination is final.

4. Judging Process

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4.1 Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be scored on the following criteria, each weighted equally at 20 percent of the total score:

• Clarity and executability of the proposed project.

• Artistic strength as demonstrated through submitted materials.

• Anticipated impact of the grant on the applicant.

• Originality of the work and proposed project.

• Need, assessed in the context of the selected category.

Each criterion will be scored on a scale of 0 to 10. The category winner will be determined by the highest average score across all judges, subject to the provisions of this section.

4.2 Two-Stage Review

To reduce bias, judging is conducted in two stages. In the first stage, identifying information including artist name and personal details is removed. Judges evaluate only non-identifying criteria: clarity, artistic strength, and originality. In the second stage, identifying information is restored, and judges evaluate impact and category-based need.

If a judge recognizes an applicant during the first stage, they must disclose this to the program administrator immediately. SAD Entertainment will determine, in its sole but reasonable discretion, whether the judge should continue evaluating that application.

4.3 Judging Panel

The judging panel will consist of members of the SAD Entertainment team and two to five independent volunteer judges. Volunteer judges participate in an independent capacity and are not agents, employees, or representatives of SAD Entertainment. SAD Entertainment is not liable for the conduct or opinions of volunteers. Volunteer input is advisory. All final decisions rest with SAD Entertainment.

4.4 Evaluation Flexibility

While the criteria above are provided for transparency, SAD Entertainment reserves the right to weigh, interpret, and apply criteria at its reasonable discretion. No applicant is entitled to selection based on any particular score or ranking. All evaluations are inherently subjective. Decisions are final and not subject to appeal, though SAD Entertainment may, at its sole discretion, review concerns related to procedural fairness. Such review creates no obligation to reconsider, revise, or reverse any decision.

5. Volunteer Requirements and Conduct

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Volunteer judges must satisfy the following requirements:

• Must have a demonstrable background in the music industry.

• Must not be an immediate family member of, or in a close personal or professional relationship with, any applicant. This includes but is not limited to ongoing collaborations, shared management or representation, and financial relationships. Volunteers must disclose any such connection, including prior collaborations, social media relationships, or personal conflicts. Failure to disclose a material conflict will result in removal from the panel and invalidation of affected votes.

• Must be willing to commit up to three days unpaid.

• Must attend at least one group meeting in studio prior to voting.

• Must not be currently associated with SAD Entertainment Inc. in any capacity.

Score aggregation and compilation will be handled internally by SAD Entertainment. No volunteer will be designated to this function.

All judges, including members of the SAD Entertainment team and volunteer judges, are required to submit a score for every applicant in every category. Failure to complete a full scoring submission will result in that judge's scores being excluded from the final tally.

SAD Entertainment reserves the right to remove any volunteer at any time for any

reason. Such removal does not affect the validity of the overall judging process.

The SAD Entertainment Team vote carries equal weight to one judge.

6. Community Voting

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Where community voting is incorporated, it will be considered alongside panel evaluation. SAD Entertainment reserves the right to determine the weight, validity, and inclusion of community input.

Votes that are incomplete, manipulated, or inconsistent with the integrity of the program will be disregarded. Manipulation includes but is not limited to coordinated voting campaigns, mass submissions from shared IP addresses, bot- assisted activity, and organized third-party voting drives. SAD Entertainment's determination of manipulation will be documented internally and is final.

7. Grant Services

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7.1 Scope

The grant consists of the following non-cash, in-kind production services:

• Album recording: up to 12 tracks over three studio days, including use of the Sony C800G microphone.

• Album mixing and mastering: full post-production package.

• Music video production: one-day shoot plus post-production. The creative concept must be substantially developed by the recipient prior to the shoot, with guidance available from the SAD Entertainment team.

• Social content package: vertical video edits for social media and session documentation, or brand development discussion.

The scope above is fixed. No substitutions, modifications, or additions will be provided. Any dollar values referenced in program materials are internal estimates for illustrative purposes only. They do not represent cash value, market rates, or any financial entitlement and must not be relied upon for any financial, legal, or tax purpose.

7.2 Scheduling and Attendance

SAD Entertainment will make reasonable efforts to schedule services within 90 days of award notification. Recipients must respond to scheduling communications within 14 calendar days. Failure to respond may be treated as abandonment under Section 7.5.

Recipients are responsible for attending all scheduled sessions on time. Failure to attend without reasonable advance notice may result in forfeiture of that session. Late arrivals may result in reduced session time. Rescheduling is not guaranteed and is subject to availability.

All services must be completed within 12 months of award notification. Any unused portion after this date will be forfeited without compensation.

7.3 Award Notification

Recipients will be notified of their selection by email at the address provided in their application. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure a valid and monitored email address is provided. SAD Entertainment is not responsible for undelivered notifications due to incorrect contact information, spam filters, or other delivery failures. If a selected recipient does not respond to the award notification within 14 calendar days, SAD Entertainment may, at its discretion, revoke the award and offer the grant to an alternate recipient.

7.4 Creative Services Disclaimer

All services are creative and subjective in nature. SAD Entertainment will make reasonable efforts to deliver quality work, but no guarantee is made regarding artistic outcome or recipient satisfaction. Final creative direction, technical decisions, and production execution remain at the discretion of SAD Entertainment. Revisions, if any, are limited and provided at the discretion of SAD Entertainment.

7.5 Abandonment

If a recipient fails to respond to communications or engage with the program for 30 or more consecutive calendar days without reasonable explanation, SAD Entertainment may deem the grant abandoned. All remaining services will be forfeited without compensation.

7.6 Delays Caused by SAD Entertainment

If SAD Entertainment is unable to deliver scheduled services due to circumstances within its reasonable control (including but not limited to equipment failure, scheduling conflicts, or staffing issues), the 12-month completion window described in Section 7.2 will be extended by the duration of such delay. SAD Entertainment will notify the recipient of any material delay and work in good faith to reschedule affected services promptly.

8. Ownership and Intellectual Property

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8.1 Recipient Ownership

The recipient retains full ownership of all original works created through the grant.

8.2 License to SAD Entertainment

By accepting the grant, the recipient grants SAD Entertainment Inc. a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive, irrevocable license to use, reproduce, edit, adapt, distribute, and display the recipient's name, likeness, voice, and any content created through the grant solely for promotional, marketing, and portfolio purposes.

To the extent permitted by applicable law, the recipient waives any moral rights in such content as necessary to allow SAD Entertainment to exercise the rights described above. This waiver applies only to the specific content created through the grant program and does not extend to any other works by the recipient. Where a complete waiver of moral rights is not permitted under the Copyright Act (Canada) or applicable provincial law, the recipient agrees not to exercise such rights in a manner inconsistent with the license granted herein.

8.3 IP Warranty

Applicants represent and warrant that all submitted materials are original or properly licensed and do not infringe upon any copyright, trademark, or other proprietary rights of any third party. Applicants agree to indemnify and hold harmless SAD Entertainment from any claims arising from infringement, misappropriation, or unauthorized use of submitted content. SAD Entertainment shall not be responsible for verifying ownership and may rely entirely on applicant representations.

9. Privacy and Data Handling

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SAD Entertainment collects personal information from applicants for the sole purpose of administering the grant program. This may include name, contact information, income declarations, residency, identity documentation, and

submitted creative work.

Personal information will be shared with volunteer judges only to the extent necessary for the judging process, and only after identifying information has been removed during the first review stage where applicable. Volunteers are required to treat applicant information as confidential.

SAD Entertainment handles personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (Alberta) (PIPA) and applicable federal privacy legislation. Applicants may request access to or correction of their personal information by contacting SAD Entertainment directly. Information will be retained only as long as necessary for program administration and legal compliance, and will be securely disposed of thereafter.

Optional demographic information provided by applicants is collected to assess program reach and equity outcomes and will not be used to identify individual applicants in any public reporting.

10. Limitation of Liability and Indemnification

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10.1 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, SAD Entertainment Inc. shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, or punitive damages, including but not limited to loss of income, reputation, or opportunity, arising from participation in the grant program or from any creative or production services delivered hereunder. In all cases, the total liability of SAD Entertainment shall not exceed the value of the services actually rendered to the recipient.

10.2 Assumption of Risk

Participation involves activities including studio recording, video production, related travel, and any other activity connected to the grant program. By participating, applicants and recipients acknowledge and assume all risks associated with any and all program activities. To the fullest extent permitted by law, participants release and hold harmless SAD Entertainment, its owners, employees, contractors, and volunteers from any and all claims, damages, or liabilities arising from participation in any program activity.

10.3 Indemnification

Applicants and recipients agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless SAD Entertainment Inc., its owners, employees, contractors, and volunteers from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses, including reasonable legal fees, arising from: (a) any breach of these terms; (b) any content submitted, produced, or distributed by the applicant or recipient; (c) any negligent, unlawful, or wrongful act or omission; or (d) any actual or alleged infringement of intellectual property or other rights of any third party. This obligation survives participation in the program.

10.4 Insurance

Participants are solely responsible for obtaining and maintaining any personal insurance they deem necessary. SAD Entertainment does not provide insurance of any kind to applicants, recipients, or participants.

10.5 No Fiduciary Duty 

Nothing in these terms or participation herein creates any fiduciary duty or obligation on the part of SAD Entertainment toward any applicant or recipient.

11. Disqualification and Termination

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SAD Entertainment reserves the right to disqualify any applicant or terminate any recipient's participation at any stage of the program, including after services have commenced, where it reasonably determines that the individual has: breached any provision of these terms; made false, misleading, or materially inaccurate representations; misrepresented their category, income, or submitted work; engaged in conduct that is disruptive, unsafe, or unprofessional; or otherwise acted in a manner inconsistent with the integrity of the program.

Disqualification or termination will result in immediate forfeiture of all remaining services without compensation. Completed services will not be reversed.

Where SAD Entertainment determines that public disclosure of a disqualification is necessary to protect the integrity of the program, it may disclose the fact of disqualification and the general basis for its decision, but only in cases involving fraud, intentional misrepresentation, or conduct posing a risk to program participants. Any such disclosure will be limited to factually accurate information and will not extend to information that is defamatory, misleading, or in excess of what is reasonably necessary for program integrity purposes. Before making any public disclosure, SAD Entertainment will, where practicable, provide the affected individual with reasonable notice and an opportunity to respond.

12. Program Authority and Modifications

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SAD Entertainment reserves the right, in its sole but reasonable discretion, to modify, suspend, or cancel the grant program at any time, for any reason, with or without prior notice. Changes will not materially affect applications already submitted unless required for legal, safety, or operational reasons.

SAD Entertainment is not obligated to select a winner in any category and may choose to withhold awarding any or all grants in a given cycle. All timelines are estimates only and may be adjusted at  any time based on operational needs, application volume, or other reasonable factors.

13. Dispute Resolution

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13.1 Informal Resolution

In the event of any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these terms, the grant program, or any services delivered hereunder, the parties agree to first attempt to resolve the matter informally. The party raising the dispute must provide written notice to the other party describing the nature and basis of the claim. The parties will then have 30 calendar days from the date of such notice to attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith before proceeding to the next stage.

13.2 Mediation

If informal resolution fails, the parties agree to submit the dispute to non-binding mediation administered by a recognized mediator in Calgary, Alberta, agreed upon by both parties. If the parties cannot agree on a mediator within 15 calendar days of the conclusion of the informal resolution period, either party may request that a mediator be appointed through ADR Institute of Canada or a comparable Alberta- based dispute resolution organization. Each party shall bear its own costs of mediation. Mediation must be initiated within 60 calendar days following the conclusion of the informal resolution period.

13.3 Binding Arbitration

If mediation fails to resolve the dispute within 60 calendar days of the commencement of mediation proceedings, or if either party declines to participate in mediation in good faith, the dispute shall be resolved by binding arbitration in Calgary, Alberta, administered in accordance with the Arbitration Act (Alberta) and the rules of ADR Institute of Canada or such other arbitral body as the parties may agree. The arbitration shall be conducted before a single arbitrator. The arbitrator's decision shall be final and binding and may be enforced as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction. Each party shall bear its own costs of arbitration unless the arbitrator determines otherwise. Nothing in this section prevents SAD Entertainment from seeking urgent injunctive or equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction where necessary to protect its rights pending resolution of the dispute.

13.4 No Class Proceedings

All disputes must be brought and resolved on an individual basis. No applicant or recipient may participate in any class action, collective proceeding, or representative action in connection with the grant program. Any damages shall be limited to direct damages only. Applicants expressly waive any claim to punitive or exemplary damages, and agree that SAD Entertainment shall not be responsible for any legal costs incurred by the applicant, except where required by applicable law.

14. General Legal Provisions

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14.1 Governing Law

These terms and any related agreements are governed by the laws of the Province of Alberta and the laws of Canada applicable therein. Subject to the dispute resolution process in Section 13, any disputes not resolved through that process shall be resolved exclusively within the Province of Alberta.

14.2 Tax Responsibility

Recipients acknowledge that participation may have tax implications. SAD Entertainment makes no representations regarding tax treatment. Recipients are solely responsible for any taxes, filings, or reporting obligations arising from participation.

14.3 No Employment or Partnership

Participation in the grant program does not create any employment, contractor, partnership, joint venture, agency, or compensation relationship between SAD Entertainment and any applicant, recipient, or volunteer.

14.4 Force Majeure

SAD Entertainment shall not be liable for any delay, interruption, or failure to perform services due to causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to equipment failure, illness, acts of God, labor disruptions, or government action.

14.5 Severability

If any provision of these terms is found to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

14.6 No Reliance

Applicants and recipients acknowledge that participation is voluntary and that they have not relied on any representations, guarantees, or expectations outside of those expressly stated in these terms.

14.7 Public Statements

Applicants and recipients agree not to knowingly make false, misleading, or defamatory statements regarding SAD Entertainment, its team, volunteers, or the grant program. Nothing in this section restricts the right to express honest opinions or lawful commentary.

14.8 Standard of Discretion

Any discretion exercised by SAD Entertainment shall be exercised reasonably, in good faith, and in a manner consistent with the purpose and integrity of the grant program. All references to "sole discretion" in these terms shall be interpreted in accordance with this standard and shall not be exercised arbitrarily or capriciously. SAD Entertainment reserves the right to clarify or reasonably interpret these terms to address unforeseen situations while maintaining fairness and program integrity.

14.9 Entire Agreement

These terms constitute the entire agreement between SAD Entertainment and applicants or recipients with respect to the grant program. No statements, representations, or agreements outside of these terms, whether written or verbal, shall have any force or effect. 

15. Applicant Acknowledgment

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By submitting an application, the applicant confirms the following:

• I have read and understood these Terms and Conditions in full.

• All information I have provided is accurate, complete, and not misleading.

• My music-related income does not meet or exceed $50,000 CAD annually as defined in Section 2.2.

• My category selection is made honestly and in good faith.

• All submitted materials are original or properly attributed and do not infringe the rights of any third party.

• I agree to be bound by these terms and any decisions made by SAD Entertainment in accordance with them.

• I understand that any disputes are subject to the resolution process set out in Section 13.