Information on submitting a technical solution

What you need to do

When submitting a technical solution, you will be taken to Unilever’s Open Innovation submission portal. From there the formal submission process begins and you will be asked to complete a submission form which includes a certain amount of non-confidential information about your company/idea. This will help us assess your solution in greater detail. So if you believe that your innovation could help us make a difference, this could be the beginning of an exciting journey for both of us.

Is there a reward for submitting my technical solution?

There will be no reward for submissions on technical challenges in the initial stages. However, if Unilever decides to pursue a submission we will proceed with a mutually agreed contract and related commercial terms on a case by case basis. This could include, but is not limited to, product supply, license, Joint Venture, technology acquisition, and patent acquisition.

Who decides if my submission is of interest to Unilever?

Your submission will be reviewed by the relevant team for strategic fit with Unilever’s priorities, and you will be contacted via email to inform you of the status of your submission.

What information does my submission need to include?

Contact information is essential. The submission must also provide a good non-confidential overview of the proposed solution. Please focus on what it can do, the level of development and information that is available and how it is better than currently available solutions.

Is only non-confidential information required?

We ask for only non-confidential information throughout the submission process. You only need to send us an outline of your innovation at this stage describing how it works in a general technical sense and what the benefits to the consumer would be. Of course, the more information that you are able to provide the better. If you have a published or granted patent then that will normally be a sufficient description and you can simply provide us with the details of the published patent/application.

As clearly stated in the submission conditions, it is a strict condition of your use of the site that Unilever will not be obliged to keep confidential anything you send us at this stage of the discussions. If we would like you to disclose confidential information to us at a later stage, we will agree a separate Confidential Disclosure Agreement before that information is shared.

How long will it take for my submission to be reviewed & what are the stages in the process?

You should expect a response by email within 30 days of your submission. If the Unilever teams have a potential interest in your proposed solution, this response will be a first step towards a potential collaboration, and a member of the team will be in touch directly to discuss further details and advise on the next steps in the process. If the proposed solution doesn’t meet our criteria, this will be made clear in the email and that will be the end of the process.

Do I have to be 18 years or older to submit a technical solution?

Yes, this is the legal accepted age for agreeing to terms and conditions for this activity.

Do I have to accept the terms & conditions?

Yes, these are created to protect you and your rights, and Unilever's ongoing research programs, projects and developing concepts.

If I have more than one submission, will I have to sign a waiver for each submission?

Yes you will need to sign a waiver for each submission.

Do I have to have Intellectual Property protection? (Patents applied for or filed)

Ideally your solution will be protected by granted or applied-for patents. However we can discuss early-stage innovations before a patent filing has been made, or before it has been published. You should not disclose any information that jeopardises your rights to file patents, and if you have any concerns about that we advise you to contact an Intellectual Property lawyer prior to submission.