Terms & Conditions

1. Definitions

• “Organiser” or “EUC” means EUC INOVAÇÃO PORTUGAL, UNIPESSOAL, LDA.
• “Programme” means OPEN STAGE - Digital Health Talent Programme, a flexible mentored research programme.
• “Participant” means a person aged 18 or over who accepts an Admission Offer and, when paid enrolment is open, pays the applicable Programme Fee.
• “Digital pathway” means the remote-first programme priced at EUR 490, subject to the final tax treatment shown at checkout.
• “Porto pathway” means the full programme priced at EUR 980, consisting of the Digital pathway plus the Porto Immersion Week, subject to the final tax treatment shown at checkout.
• “Porto Immersion Week” means the scheduled intensive week in Porto, normally Sunday arrival to Saturday departure, with participant hospitality and programme activities as stated in the Admission Offer.
• “Campus” means the H2M2H Digital Twin Campus, Rua Direita do Viso, n.º 53/57, Ramalde, 4250-198 Porto, Portugal.
• “Tutor” means the person assigned by EUC to supervise or mentor the participant’s project.
• “Project Output” means the participant’s research/project work, including text, figures, code, data, presentation or other agreed materials.
• “Admission Offer” means EUC’s written offer setting out pathway, fee, track, proposed project, tutor or tutor-pool, timing and, where applicable, a Porto Week.
• “Programme Fee” means the amount payable for the pathway stated in the Admission Offer.

2. Organiser

OPEN STAGE is organised by EUC INOVAÇÃO PORTUGAL, UNIPESSOAL, LDA, VAT/NIF PT 513474480, registered office Avenida da França, n.º 256, 8.º, 4050-276 Porto, Portugal, telephone +351 223 164 512, email info@eucinovacaoportugal.com, website www.eucinovacaoportugal.com.

3. Nature of the service

OPEN STAGE is a paid mentored research programme. It is not a curricular internship, professional traineeship, employment relationship or scholarship. Participation does not entitle the Participant to salary, employment benefits, university credits, professional accreditation or formal academic recognition unless a separate written agreement with a competent institution expressly provides otherwise.

The Programme is designed around an applied or mentored research project, remote mentoring, live and recorded learning inputs, finalisation activities and, for eligible outputs, an internal publication pathway.

4. Eligibility and participant responsibilities

• minimum age: 18
• sufficient English proficiency to work on the project and participate in programme activities
• access to a suitable computer, internet connection and software reasonably required for the Digital pathway
• responsibility for passports, visas, health insurance, travel insurance and any personal travel requirements
• responsibility for complying with project data, confidentiality, research-integrity and Campus rules

5. Application, admission and contract formation

Submitting an expression of interest or application does not guarantee admission. EUC may decline an application based on fit, tutor capacity, project feasibility, timing, conduct or other legitimate programme considerations.

When paid enrolment opens, a binding contract is intended to arise only when: (a) EUC issues an Admission Offer; (b) the applicant accepts the applicable Terms, Privacy Notice, Refund Policy and Publication & IP Policy; and (c) EUC receives the required payment or first instalment. The confirmation email will identify the contractual version accepted.

Porto residential capacity is not guaranteed by an expression of interest. A Porto place is confirmed only in the Admission Offer or a subsequent written upgrade confirmation.

6. Programme content

6.1 Digital pathway - EUR 490

• profile assessment and admission process
• thematic track and individual project brief
• assigned tutor or tutor team
• remote mentoring and project clinics
• selected live expert sessions
• access to relevant recorded learning resources
• research/methodology guidance
• online participation in the finalisation phase
• final project presentation
• publication-preparation support
• OPEN STAGE completion certificate where programme requirements are met

6.2 Porto pathway - EUR 980

The Porto pathway includes the Digital pathway plus the Porto Immersion Week. Subject to the Admission Offer and final Campus plan, the Porto component is intended to include:

• six nights of participant hospitality, normally Sunday to Saturday
• meals identified in the Porto Week schedule
• use of designated Campus working areas
• face-to-face tutoring, workshops and Research & Publication Lab activities
• final presentation and publication-finalisation activities

Transport to and from Porto is booked by the Participant and is not sold or booked by EUC. Where a mobility contribution is offered, the amount, eligibility rules, evidence requirements and cap will be stated separately in the Admission Offer or Porto Mobility Scheme. Personal expenses, visas, insurance and any travel cost above an offered contribution remain the Participant’s responsibility.

Campus hospitality is ancillary to participation in the Programme and is not offered for standalone booking through OPEN STAGE.

7. Scheduling and programme changes

The normal project-development period is approximately 8-12 weeks, but timing may vary according to the project. EUC may reasonably substitute a tutor, reschedule a live session, adjust speakers, revise a project brief or move a Porto Week where operationally necessary, provided the overall value and core learning/research purpose are preserved. Remedies for material changes are set out in the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

8. Fees, payment and invoicing

Working public prices are EUR 490 for the Digital pathway and EUR 980 for the Porto pathway. The final checkout must show the total price payable, including the applicable VAT treatment or lawful exemption, before payment is requested. EUC will issue the appropriate invoice or receipt under Portuguese law.

A Digital participant may request a Porto upgrade for EUR 490, subject to residential capacity and written confirmation. No Porto upgrade fee is charged unless the place is confirmed.

9. Statutory right of withdrawal for distance contracts

Where the Participant is a consumer and the contract is concluded at distance, Portuguese law generally provides a 14-day withdrawal period from the date the service contract is concluded. The Participant does not need to give a reason.

If the Participant expressly requests that programme services begin during the withdrawal period and later withdraws before the service has been fully performed, EUC may be entitled to retain an amount proportionate to the services already supplied, to the extent permitted by law. If the service is fully performed within the withdrawal period after the legally required express request and acknowledgement, the right of withdrawal may cease in accordance with applicable law.

A model withdrawal form appears in Annex 1. Contractual cancellation rights after the statutory period are governed by the Cancellation & Refund Policy.

10. Participant conduct and research integrity

• participate in good faith and respect agreed project milestones
• treat tutors, staff, other participants and Campus users respectfully
• do not harass, discriminate against, threaten or endanger others
• do not fabricate data, results or references
• use only data and materials that may lawfully be used
• respect confidentiality, intellectual property and partner restrictions
• comply with reasonable Campus safety and house rules during the Porto Week

Serious misconduct may result in suspension or exclusion following a proportionate review. The refund consequences are governed by the Refund Policy and mandatory consumer law.

11. Intellectual property, authorship and publication

The Publication & IP Policy forms part of the contractual framework and governs ownership, licences, authorship, AI use, quality review and publication. OPEN STAGE does not guarantee publication, peer review, journal acceptance, employment or academic/professional outcomes.

12. Personal data

Personal data are handled in accordance with the OPEN STAGE Privacy Notice and applicable data-protection law.

13. Liability

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits liability that cannot lawfully be excluded or limited, including mandatory consumer rights and liability arising from wilful misconduct or gross negligence where applicable. Subject to those mandatory rules, EUC is not responsible for independent travel bookings, visa decisions, third-party transport disruption, personal property, or losses caused by a Participant’s own equipment, internet connection or breach of instructions.

Any proposed contractual cap on liability must be reviewed by Portuguese legal counsel before paid enrolment opens and will apply only to the extent valid under mandatory consumer law.

14. Cancellation by EUC, force majeure and insufficient operational capacity

If EUC cancels the Programme or a Porto Week, materially changes the date beyond the tolerance stated in the Refund Policy, or cannot deliver the confirmed pathway because required operational capacity is unavailable, the Participant will be offered the remedies stated in the Refund Policy, which may include rescheduling, conversion to another pathway or refund of the affected fee component.

EUC may postpone activities for events outside its reasonable control, including serious public-health events, natural disasters, transport disruption affecting the programme, utility or technology failures, government restrictions or sudden unavailability of essential facilities. EUC will act reasonably to minimise disruption and will not remove statutory rights.

15. Complaints and consumer dispute resolution

Participants should first contact EUC at info@eucinovacaoportugal.com so that the issue can be addressed directly. Consumers may also use the Portuguese Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico and, where applicable, an authorised consumer Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR/RAL) entity.

Livro de Reclamações Eletrónico: www.livroreclamacoes.pt

For disputes within its territorial competence, the Centro de Informação de Consumo e Arbitragem do Porto (CICAP) is an authorised consumer ADR body. For online or cross-border disputes, the territorially competent body may depend on the consumer’s residence and applicable jurisdiction. EUC will provide or link to the current competent ADR information required by Portuguese Law no. 144/2015.

CICAP: www.cicap.pt

The former European Commission Online Dispute Resolution (ODR) platform has been discontinued and is therefore not relied upon in these Terms.

16. Governing law and jurisdiction

These Terms are governed by Portuguese law. This choice does not deprive a consumer residing in another country of mandatory consumer protections that cannot lawfully be waived. Courts and dispute-resolution bodies with mandatory jurisdiction remain available; any reference to Porto courts applies only where legally valid.

17. Changes and version control

The contractual version accepted by a Participant will remain archived by EUC. Later amendments do not retrospectively alter an existing contract unless the Participant agrees or the change is required by law and may lawfully apply. Material changes to price, capacity, pathway structure or refunds will trigger a new version.

Annex 1 - Model withdrawal form

To: EUC INOVAÇÃO PORTUGAL, UNIPESSOAL, LDA, Avenida da França, n.º 256, 8.º, 4050-276 Porto, Portugal; info@eucinovacaoportugal.com.

I hereby give notice that I withdraw from my contract for the provision of the OPEN STAGE service described below:

• Participant name: ______________________________
• Address: ______________________________________
• Programme/pathway: ____________________________
• Contract / payment date: ________________________
• Signature (only if submitted on paper): ___________
• Date: _________________________________________

Legal framework referenced

Portuguese Decreto-Lei no. 24/2014 (distance contracts and consumer withdrawal), Lei no. 24/96 (consumer protection), Decreto-Lei no. 7/2004 (electronic commerce), Lei no. 144/2015 (consumer ADR) and other mandatory Portuguese/EU consumer rules as applicable. The former EU ODR platform was discontinued in 2025 and is not included as a redress channel.