Free Tier Aiven for Apache Kafka® Competition Terms
1. The Organizer
Organizer of the “Free Tier Aiven for Apache Kafka® Competition” (hereinafter referred to as the “Competition”) is Aiven Oy (Business ID: 2795743-5), Antinkatu 1, 00100 Helsinki, Finland) (hereinafter “Aiven”).
2. Duration of the Competition
The Competition begins on 10-Dec 2025 and ends on 31-Jan 2026 (“Competition Period”).
3. Eligibility and Participation
The Competition is open to any individuals above excluding employees of Aiven or its affiliates. Participants must be at least 18 years of age. Participation in the Competition is free and no purchase of Aiven services is necessary to participate.
To enter the Competition, the participant (i) must build a project or application using Aiven for Kafka Free Tier; (ii) create content showcasing their build (such as video, blog post, tutorial, or demonstration); (iii) share their content on one or more of the following social media platforms: LinkedIn, X, Reddit, Youtube, or Meta; and (iv) tag Aiven’s official social media account in the submission post, and with the hashtag #FreeTierKafka where applicable.
All submissions must be participant’s own work and made available under an open source license. Individuals may only submit once to the Competition and all submissions must be posted within the Competition Period. Any submissions entered before the opening or after closing are invalid and not considered.
By entering, participants grant Aiven permission to repost and share their submission content for Competition.
4. Selection of Winner and Award
One (1) winner will be selected based on merit and skill as evaluated by a jury of Aiven’s representatives. The winner will not be drawn by lottery. The winning criteria include:
(i) Quality of the build using Aiven for Kafka Free Tier, evaluated based on:
- Quality of the submission
- Creativity of the solution
- Usability of the solution
(ii) Social Media Activation, evaluated based on:
- Quality and creativity of the social media content produced
- Number of engagements the content received
- Overall social media reach
The decision by Aiven is final.
Aiven will select the winner within seven (7) days after the end of the Competition Period and contact the winner personally through the social media channel where the Participant’s submission was made. The winner must respond within seven (7) days of notification to claim the award and if the winner is not reached, Aiven may select an alternative winner. Aiven may also share and repost the winner’s submission on social media platforms.
The prize is a $5,000.00 (five thousand US dollars) cash award paid via bank transfer. The winner must provide all necessary information to the Organizer for claiming the award and to enable the correct tax treatment regarding the competition prize payment. The winner is also responsible for all applicable taxes and associated fees in their jurisdiction.
5. Data Privacy
Aiven will collect personal data during the competition solely for the purpose of administering the competition, selecting the winner, and for delivering the award. As a data controller, Aiven processes participant’s personal data in accordance with the Aiven's Privacy Policy. Data will be stored only for as long as necessary to administer the competition, after which it will be deleted unless longer retention is required by applicable law.
6. Other
By participating in the Competition, the participant accepts these terms. Aiven reserves the right to change these terms and suspend or discontinue the competition by giving a notice. Aiven may disqualify any entry or participant for incomplete submissions, inappropriate content or behavior, or violation of these terms and conditions.
Participants are solely responsible for any costs associated with their entry to the Competition.
The competition and these terms are governed by the laws of Finland excluding its choice of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or related to this Competition shall be resolved in the courts of Finland.
The Competition is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with the social media platform used for entry. The participant must ensure that their entry to the Competition does not violate the policies applicable to the social media platform used for the submission. By participating, the Participant releases the social media platform from any and all liability related to the Competition.