Terms & Conditions for VEMA AWARDS Services. These Terms & Conditions (“Agreement”) outline the terms and conditions governing the use of the VEMA AWARDS service (“Service”) provided by VEMA ITALIA GRUPPO (“VEMA”) to its members. By applying for the VEMA AWARDS, the applicant agrees to comply with these Terms & Conditions.
1. Requirements and Pre-requisites: The applicant must necessarily be a VEMA member prior to applying for any service, as this application is only open to VEMA members. Membership is a prerequisite and is only open to professionals and businesses active in the food and drinks industry, such as chefs, baristas, chocolatiers, etc. or restaurants, coffee shops, confectioneries, etc. and the applicant claims that they are a professional coming from such areas and holding ample skills, expertise and experience and are readily available to provide proving documentation to support their claim.
2. Privacy: VEMA will keep the information received from the applicant and treat it with utmost privacy and confidentiality. VEMA will not disclose the applicant’s information to any third parties without prior consent, except as required by law.
3. Award Fees and Other Costs: Application for each award title entails a fee (of 350 € + 22% vat). The application fee covers the administrative costs associated with processing the application, visit and assessment, report preparation, review committee, certification and registration. This fee is non-refundable even if the applicant is not found qualified to be awarded due to failure in meeting the award bestowment criteria. If the applicant is not found eligible for the requested award, they will be informed about the reasons and will be given time to remove any noncompliance mentioned in the visit report and will be given another chance for a second visit with no extra cost. Once the award is approved, it does not expire unless the awarded body violates the regulations or fails to meet the eligibility criteria. In such a case, whether due to non-compliance or inactivity, the status or the awarded body will change from “Active” to “Pending” and the member may request reactivation by submitting a new application and paying the applicable renewal fee (i.e. only administrative and re-inspection costs).
4. Award Evaluation Process: The procedure of awarding is decided by VEMA based on its own internal rules. The evaluation of the applicant will be conducted by VEMA global associates (as an assessor or inspector) available in the area of the applicant (if any) or from the closest location to the applicant and in an incognito manner. The applicant will not know when they may get visited and inspected by a VEMA auditor as there will not be a set time for this and the assessor will be disguised as a normal customer to keep impartiality in report preparation as well as to guarantee that the service or quality offered are not affected.
5. Assessment Report: The VEMA auditor will appear as a normal customer at the Award applicant’s location and will prepare an assessment report based on their experience. The report will include items such as quality, hygiene, design, atmosphere, infrastructure, tools, equipment, service provision, manners, and treatment with customers, prices, menu items, etc.
6. Award Certificate Issuance: The decision on issuing or not issuing an award certificate based on the application of the applicant remains solely at the discretion of VEMA committee and based on the visit report prepared by a VEMA approved assessor. The applicant revokes any rights to complain about the decision and ask for a review, however, the application fees will not be refunded in any way. VEMA reserves the right to announce an applicant deserves to be awarded or not according to the findings in the assessment done by a VEMA inspector in their premises. In case the applicant is not found eligible for the requested award, they will be informed about the reasons and will be given time to remove any noncompliance mentioned in the visit report and will be given another chance for a second visit
7. Disclaimer: VEMA awards are intended to provide professional networking opportunities, industry recognition, and access to relevant resources. However, it does not guarantee to satisfy any individual or business specific expectations of any kind (including but not limited to) success in immigration, job applications, customer increase, recognition by other organizations, or any other endeavors beyond the scope of VEMA’s services. Thus, the applicants of VEMA awards acknowledge and agree that receiving such awards alone does not guarantee any specific outcomes or advantages in external contexts and that the Service is provided on an “as-is” basis.
8. Waiver of Claims and Legal Disputes: By applying for an award certificate at VEMA, the applicant voluntarily waives any rights to claim anything against or sue VEMA, its directors, officers, employees, agents, or affiliates, for any damages, losses, liabilities, or disputes arising from or related to the provided service by VEMA. This waiver includes, but is not limited to, claims of negligence, breach of contract, defamation, or any other legal cause of action. VEMA, as an independent provider of certification and registration services, shall remain immune from any lawsuit, legal action, or prosecution as a result of the services it provides, including but not limited to certification, registration, awards, recognition, or any related activities. Members acknowledge and agree that VEMA cannot be held liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or exemplary damages arising from their membership or the services provided by VEMA.
9. Governing Law: This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Italy. Any disputes arising out of or in connection with this Agreement shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Italy. By applying for the VEMA AWARDS service, the applicant acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms & Conditions.
10. Modifications and Termination: VEMA reserves the right to modify, update, or terminate the terms and conditions of award bestowing procedure at any time without prior notice. Members applying for award certification will be notified of any significant changes, and their continued membership will constitute acceptance of the revised terms. In the event of cancellation of an awarded status, whether due to non-compliance, inactivity, or any other reason deemed appropriate by VEMA, the member will be notified accordingly, and any applicable fees paid will not be refunded. By proceeding with the award application, the applicant acknowledges that they have read, understood, and agree to abide by the above extended terms and conditions.