TERMS AND CONDITIONS By submitting an entry to participate in the Olio Nuovo Days Northern Hemisphere Olive Oil Competitions (OND NH), each contestant agrees to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. Each contestant should read these Terms and Conditions carefully. A contestant’s application will not be accepted and processed unless and until the contestant checks the box below, indicating that the contestant has read, understands, and agrees to these Terms and Conditions.
ELIGIBILITY – Individual olive oil producers, olive oil producers’ associations, and authorized olive oil distributors are eligible to participate as contestants in OND NH. Extra Virgin Olive Oils and Olive Oil Products such as flavoured or pressed olive oils produced in the Northern Hemisphere (harvest 2025/26) may be entered into the 2026 OND NH. By entering an olive oil in the OND NH, the contestant represents and warrants that it has full ownership of the olive oil and all intellectual property associated therewith, including the brand name, packaging, and any and all other intellectual property rights associated with such olive oil.
CATEGORIES – The competition includes the participation in 2 categories: QUALITY & DESIGN .
ONLINE REGISTRATION – All contestants must complete and submit an online entry form to the OND NH. Upon submitting the entry form and paying the entire entry fee, each contestant will receive an email containing an entry confirmation and a packing instructions to be included with the contestant’s shipment of oil samples to the OND NH.
ENTRY FEE – The entry fee are €360 for the first product registered, €210 for N°2 €180 for N°3 & 4, €150 for N°5,6 and from N°7 €90. Registration ends February 10th 2026 but it can close at any time without notice. All payments must be made by bank transfer or Paypal on request (wiring transfer cost not included). Entry fees are not refundable under any circumstances.
SAMPLES – Each contestant to our 2 competitions must provide OND NH with 4 (4) separate samples of each olive oil that such contestant enters into the OND NH as follows:
- 2 of the samples must be submitted in their normal retail packaging and with their normal brand label.
- 2 of samples must be submitted in 250 ML (preferred size, note that 500 ML is accepted).
Once received by the OND NH, samples will be assigned a random code so as to ensure anonymity during judging.
This rule applies to all entries.
DEADLINE – Samples must be received by the OND NH before March 5th 2026. Samples received by the OND NH after March 5th 2026 will not be eligible for judging in the OND NH 2026. Samples that are not timely received will not be returned to the contestant.
BROKEN SAMPLES – Contestants are responsible for packing their samples in such a way as to prevent breakage during transit. If the OND NH receives a sample that is broken, the OND NH will use reasonable efforts to promptly notify contestant of the broken sample. Contestant will be required to re-send any broken sample (or samples) at its own expense. The above-described deadlines will be applicable to any re-sent samples as though the initial, broken sample had never been received by the OND NH. The OND NH will not be liable for any failure to timely notify a contestant of a broken sample.
The OND NH will not be liable to any contestant for any loss or damage to any sample, whether or not such damage occurs while such sample is in the OND NH’s possession, and irrespective of whether such damage or loss occurs prior to, during, or after the OND NH. In the event that a sample is lost or damaged for any reason, the contestant will be required to submit a replacement sample at its own expense.
SHIPPING AND RECEIVING – The OND NH will not be responsible for any customs charges or ensuring compliance with any laws, rules, or regulations related to shipping goods in international commerce. Contestants will bear the risk of loss of any samples in transit, and contestants shall be solely responsible for ensuring that samples are received by the OND NH. Shipping costs will not be refunded by the OND NH under any circumstances. The OND NH will use reasonable efforts to confirm receipt of samples from contestants.
JUDGES’ DECISIONS ARE FINAL – The decisions of the judging panel and the OND NH 2026 are final. Contestants are not required to be in attendance at the OND NH to win. Judges are not affiliated with the OND NH and are comprised of independent industry-recognized experts in their particular discipline. At the discretion of the OND NH, any particular contestant may receive a summary of the judges’ assessment of its olive oil entry beyond whether it won or did not win. The OND NH does not provide consultations to contestants to improve the quality of their products.
PUBLICATION OF RESULTS – The results will be announced and certified only by the President of the OND NH. The winners may mention their accomplishment only on labels of extra virgin olive oil bottled from the same batch as the winning sample. The OND NH will use reasonable efforts to avoid disclosing the scores of non-winning samples, but the OND NH makes no guaranty that such scores will remain confidential. All results are final.
PUBLICITY AND EDUCATION – By submitting an entry to the OND NH, each contestant hereby grants a perpetual, royalty free license to the OND NH, Olio Nuovo Days, MASTER CLASSES, and each of their affiliates, to use winners’ names, likenesses, recordings (whether audio or visual), and other information submitted to the OND NH, as well as images and information related to such contestant’s olive oil entry(ies), for advertising, promotional and educational purposes without compensation to the contestant.
OWNERSHIP OF ENTRIES – Each contestant hereby assigns ownership of all samples submitted to the OND NH and the associated right to publicize such samples, with the understanding that all such entries will remain the property of the OND NH before, during, and after the competition. For clarity, the OND NH does not purport to own the intellectual property in the samples submitted to it by contestants. Contestants shall be solely liable for any claims arising out of or relating to any samples submitted to the OND NH.
RETURN OF SAMPLES – Submitted samples will not be returned to contestants before, during, or after the competition for any reason, except in the OND NH’s sole discretion.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY – The OND NH will not be responsible for lost, interrupted, or unavailable communications, network servers, or other connections, or failed telephone communications, computer transmissions, or other errors of any kind, whether human, mechanical or electronic.
The OND NH assumes no responsibility for any error, defect, delay, theft or unauthorized access to or alteration of entries.
Subject to applicable law, if for any reason, including, but not limited to, by reason of acts of wars, acts of terrorism, revolution, civil commotion, acts of public enemy, embargo, acts of government in its sovereign capacity, labor difficulties, or any other circumstances beyond the reasonable control of the OND NH , the OND NH is not capable of operating the competition as planned, the OND NH reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition, and the OND NH shall not be liable for any losses, causes of action, claims, or damages arising from any such cancelation, termination, modification, or suspension.
EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY – The OND NH makes no representations or warranties as to the quality, suitability, or merchantability of any of the goods or services offered as awards or submitted to the OND NH.
Except as prohibited by law, the OND NH shall not be liable for any loss or damage suffered or sustained by any contestant or any third party for any reason (including, but not limited to, consequential loss, loss of revenue, loss of profit or economic loss), including for personal injury or property damage suffered or sustained, as a result of participation in the competition, the use of any award, or the failure to win or receive an award for any reason.
Each contestant agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the OND NH from and against any and all liability, cost, loss, damages, or expense, including, but not limited to, for personal injury or damage to property arising out of or relating to such contestant’s participation in the OND NH or acceptance of any prize or award, and whether such liability, cost, loss, damage, or expense is direct, indirect, consequential, foreseeable, due to some act or omission of the OND NH, or otherwise.
Each contestant (and any employee or agent of any contestant) may be required to sign and return any liability release provided by the OND NH or its contractors as a condition of participating in the OND NH. Failure to return any signed release will result in a disqualification of contestant from the competition.
The OND NH may disqualify any contestant from participating in the competition at any time and for any reason, and each contestant agrees and acknowledges that the OND NH will not be liable for any loss, cost, damages, or expenses incurred by any such disqualified contestant under any circumstances.
AWARD LABELS – Winners will be permitted to print the Award stickers provided by the organization. Winning contestants will be permitted to affix the award logo labels only to bottles containing the same oil (same harvest, olive varieties and production batch) and in the same packaging as the winning sample. Any other use of the OND NH award logos or other OND NH intellectual property is strictly prohibited.
TROPHIES/AWARDS – Award trophies are not included in the entry fee. Trophies may be ordered by verified winners on request : north@olio.nuovo.com immediately following the competition for a period of ninety (90) days. Contestants are responsible for all costs associated with obtaining, publicizing, or using any trophy or award, including any taxes or other fees as may be charged to any contestant in relation to such trophy or award.
CONTACT – If a contestant has any questions regarding the OND NH, please contact
north@olio-nuovo.com 
Olio Nuovo Days