MERIDIAN CREDIT UNION 2026/2027 SMALL BUSINESS BIG IMPACT AWARDS OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS

NO PURCHASE OR BANKING RELATIONSHIP IS NECESSARY TO ENTER. A GRANT NOMINEE MUST HOLD AN ELIGIBLE MERIDIAN SMALL BUSINESS ACCOUNT IN ORDER TO RECEIVE PAYMENT OF A PRIZE. CONTEST IS OPEN TO ELIGIBLE ONTARIO BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS ONLY. THE CONTEST IS SUBJECT TO ALL APPLICABLE FEDERAL, PROVINCIAL AND MUNICIPAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

By entering the Contest, you confirm that you have read, understood and agree to be bound by these Official Rules and Regulations (the “Rules”).

CONTEST OVERVIEW AND KEY DATES

1.1 The Meridian Small Business Big Impact Awards contest (the “Contest”) is sponsored by Meridian Credit Union Limited (the “Sponsor” or “Meridian”).

1.2 The Contest begins on October 1, 2026, at 8:00:00 a.m. Eastern Time and ends on November 30, 2026 at 11:59:59 p.m. Eastern Time (the “Contest Period”).

1.3 Key dates are as follows:

(a) Entry Period: October 1, 2026, to November 30, 2026;

(b) Phase 1 pre-screening: December 1 to December 14, 2026

(c) Phase 2 confirmation and Supplementary Materials (where required). Grant Nominee will have [30 days] from the date of the Sponsor contacts them to provide the information requested.

(d) Phase 3 judging: December 15, 2026, to January 25, 2027;

(e) Regional Winner announcement: February 15, 2027

(f) Ontario Votes campaign: March 1 – 31, 2027

(g) Grand Prize announcement: April 15, 2027

1.4 The Sponsor may adjust any date set out above in accordance with Section 16.3. Current dates will be posted on the Contest Website.

1.5 The sole determinant of time for the purposes of the Contest is the official time-keeping device(s) used by the Sponsor.

2. DEFINITIONS

In these Rules, the following capitalized terms have the following meanings:

“Candidate” means a Grant Nominee that has been selected to advance to Phase 2 of the selection process described in Section 7.

“Contest Administrator” means Meridian Credit Union who is engaged in the development, administration or execution of the Contest.

“Contest Website” means The Meridian Small Business Big Impact Awards - Ontario Votes | Meridian.

“Entry” means a complete Submission received through the Contest Website during the Contest Period in accordance with Section 4.

“For-Profit Business” means a Grant Nominee carrying on business for profit, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion based on the entity’s legal structure and registration status.

“Good Financial Standing” means that the Grant Nominee is not bankrupt or insolvent, has not filed for or sought protection under any bankruptcy, insolvency, creditor protection or restructuring legislation, and is not subject to any receivership, liquidation or similar proceeding.

“Grand Prize” has the meaning given in Section 5.2.

“Grant Nominee” means a For-Profit Business or a Not-for-Profit Organization that is entered into the Contest and that satisfies the eligibility criteria in Section 3.

“Judges” means the judging panels comprised of employees and executives of the Sponsor described in Section 7.

“Meridian Small Business Account” means a small business deposit account held with Meridian that is eligible to receive payment of a Prize.

“Not-for-Profit Organization” means a not-for-profit corporation, registered charity or other not-for-profit entity, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion based on the entity’s legal structure and registration status.

“Ontario Votes” means the public voting campaign described in Section 8.

“Prize” means a Regional Prize or the Grand Prize, as applicable.

“Regional Community” means one of the five (5) communities described in Section 6.

“Regional Prize” has the meaning given in Section 5.1.

“Regional Winner” means a Grant Nominee confirmed by the Sponsor as a winner of a Regional Prize.

“Released Parties” means the Sponsor and its affiliates and subsidiaries, the Contest Administrator, the Sponsor’s advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, prize suppliers, and each of their respective directors, officers, employees, agents, representatives, successors and assigns.

“Rules” means these Official Rules and Regulations, as amended from time to time.

“Submission” means the information, materials and content submitted in respect of a Grant Nominee, including the description of the Grant Nominee’s business and why it should be selected to win.

“Submission Materials” means, collectively, a Submission and any Supplementary Materials.

“Supplementary Materials” means the additional information and materials required to be submitted by a Candidate under Section 7.3.

3. ELIGIBILITY

3.1 Grant Nominee Eligibility

To be eligible to participate in the Contest, a Grant Nominee must, at the time of entry and continuously until the date the applicable Prize is paid:

(a) be a For-Profit Business or a Not-for-Profit Organization that is based in Ontario and legally licensed or registered to carry on business or operate in Ontario;

(b) be in Good Financial Standing;

(d) have annual revenue, or in the case of a Not-for-Profit Organization, an annual operating budget, of less than $10,000,000 CAD;

(e) have been actively carrying on business or operations for at least twelve (12) consecutive months as at the first day of the Contest Period; and

(f) be entered into the Contest in accordance with Section 4.

3.2 Excluded Persons

A Grant Nominee is not eligible if any of its owners, founders, principal investors, directors, officers or employees is:

(a) an employee, director, officer, representative or agent of the Sponsor;

(b) an employee, director, officer, representative or agent of the Contest Administrator or of any of the Sponsor’s advertising, promotion or fulfillment agencies involved in any way in the development or execution of the Contest;

(d) a person who resides with, or is immediately related to, any person described in clauses (a) through (c).

For the purposes of this Section 3.2, two persons are “immediately related” if one is the spouse, common-law partner, child, stepchild, child-in-law, sibling, step-sibling, sibling-in-law, parent, step-parent or parent-in-law of the other.

3.3 Authority to Enter

The individual submitting an Entry represents and warrants that they are duly authorized to enter the Contest on behalf of the Grant Nominee and to bind the Grant Nominee to these Rules. Each Grant Nominee is solely responsible for determining whether any policy, contract or approval requirement applicable to it prohibits or restricts its participation in the Contest or its receipt of a Prize, and for obtaining any required internal approvals.

4. ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

4.1 To enter, a Grant Nominee must complete and submit the Contest entry form on the Contest Website during the Contest Period, including the Grant Nominee’s business information and a description of the Grant Nominee’s business and why it should be selected to win.

4.2 At the time of entry, the Grant Nominee must select the one (1) Regional Community in which it will compete, in accordance with Section 6.2. Once selected, the Regional Community may not be changed.

4.3 At the time of entry, the Grant Nominee must identify whether it is a For-Profit Business or a Not-for-Profit Organization. The Sponsor’s determination of a Grant Nominee’s classification is final and binding.

4.4 To be eligible, an Entry must be complete, must comply with these Rules and must be received during the Contest Period. Incomplete, illegible, late or non-compliant Entries are void.

4.5 There is a limit of one (1) Entry per Grant Nominee. Entries generated by script, macro, bot or other automated means are void.

4.6 Proof of transmission or attempted transmission of an Entry or any communication (including screenshots or captures) does not constitute proof of delivery to, or receipt by, the Sponsor.

5. PRIZES

5.1 Regional Prizes

There are twenty (20) Regional Prizes available to be won, each consisting of $10,000.00 CAD in cash (each, a “Regional Prize”). Four (4) Regional Prizes will be awarded in each of the five (5) Regional Communities, consisting of two (2) Regional Prizes awarded to For-Profit Businesses and two (2) Regional Prizes awarded to Not-for-Profit Organizations.

5.2 Grand Prize

There is one (1) grand prize available to be won, consisting of $50,000.00 CAD in cash (the “Grand Prize”). The Grand Prize is awarded to the Regional Winner selected through the Ontario Votes campaign described in Section 8.

5.3 Total Prize Value and Odds

The total value of all Prizes available to be won is $250,000.00 CAD. Regional Prizes are awarded on the basis of merit as determined by the Judges. The Grand Prize is awarded on the basis of public voting. The odds of winning a Regional Prize depend on the number and quality of eligible Entries received in the applicable Regional Community and category.

5.4 Prize Limit

There is a limit of one (1) Regional Prize per Grant Nominee. Businesses or organizations under common ownership or control, operating under multiple trade names, or sharing common principals are collectively eligible for a maximum of one (1) Regional Prize, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. A Regional Winner that is selected as the Grand Prize winner is eligible to receive both the Regional Prize and the Grand Prize. Businesses who have previously won the Small Business Big Impact awards are not eligible to win again this year.

5.5 No Substitution

Prizes must be accepted as awarded, are non-transferable, non-assignable and may not be substituted, exchanged or converted, except that the Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to substitute a Prize of equal or greater value.

5.6 No Obligation to Award

The Sponsor reserves the right not to award any Prize, including any Regional Prize or the Grand Prize, if: (a) an insufficient number of eligible Entries is received in a Regional Community or category; (b) eligibility requirements are not satisfied; (c) no Grant Nominee achieves a standard the Judges consider satisfactory; (d) no eligible winner can be verified or confirmed; or (e) awarding the Prize would, in the Sponsor’s opinion, be inconsistent with the spirit, intent or purpose of the Contest. Any Prize not awarded may be withheld, cancelled or otherwise dealt with by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The sponsor reserves the right to adjust the number of Regional prizes awarded to for for-profit and not-for profit Businesses.

6. REGIONAL COMMUNITIES

6.1 For the purposes of the Contest, Ontario is divided into the following five (5) Regional Communities:

(a) Northern + Eastern Ontario

Algoma District
Bruce County
Cochrane District
Dufferin County
Frontenac County
Grey County
Haliburton County
Hastings County
Kawartha Lakes
Kenora District
Lanark County
Leeds & Grenville County
Lennox & Addington County
Manitoulin District
Muskoka District
Nipissing District
Northumberland County
Ottawa
Parry Sound District
Peterborough County
Prescott & Russell
Prince Edward County
Rainy River District
Renfrew County
Simcoe County
Stormont, Dundas & Glengarry
Sudbury District
Thunder Bay District
Timiskaming District

(b) Southern Ontario

County of Brant
Chatham-Kent
Elgin County
Essex County
Haldimand County
Huron County
Lambton County
Middlesex County
Norfolk County
Oxford County
Perth County
Waterloo Region
Wellington County

Durham Region
Halton Region
Peel Region
Toronto
York Region

(d) Niagara / Hamilton

Hamilton
Niagara Region

(e) Indigenous

This Community is designated for Indigenous-Owned Businesses located anywhere in Ontario, regardless of county or district. To be considered Indigenous-owned, the business must be majority-owned by Indigenous people (at least 51%). The owners must identify as First Nations, Métis, or Inuit, or be registered under the Indian Act. The business must be controlled by Indigenous individuals, groups, or organizations.

6.2 Selection of Regional Community

Each Grant Nominee must select one (1) Regional Community at the time of entry and may enter the Contest in that Regional Community only.

Where a Grant Nominee carries on business in only one Regional Community, it must select that Regional Community.

Where a Grant Nominee carries on business in more than one geographic Regional Community, it must select a single Regional Community in which it carries on business.

Where a Grant Nominee qualifies as an Indigenous-Owned Business, it must elect to enter either the Indigenous Regional Community or the geographic Regional Community in which it carries on business. A Grant Nominee may not enter, be considered in, or compete for Regional Prizes in both the Indigenous Regional Community and a geographic Regional Community. Any Grant Nominee that submits an Entry, or is otherwise entered, in more than one Regional Community may be disqualified, or the Sponsor may in its sole discretion determine which single Entry will be considered and void the remainder.

Once a Regional Community is selected, that selection is final and may not be changed. The Grant Nominee is eligible to compete only for the Regional Prizes allocated to the selected Regional Community.

6.3 Any Ontario county, district or municipality not expressly listed in Section 6.1 will be assigned to a Regional Community by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.

6.4 The Sponsor reserves the right to verify Indigenous ownership and any Grant Nominee's business location, and to reassign an Entry to a different Regional Community, void an Entry, or disqualify a Grant Nominee where the Sponsor determines that the Regional Community selected is inaccurate or that the Grant Nominee has entered in more than one Regional Community.

7. REGIONAL PRIZE SELECTION PROCESS

7.1 Regional Winners are selected through a three-phase process. All judging is conducted by Judges comprised of employees and executives of the Sponsor.

7.2 Judging Criteria

At each of Phase 1, Phase 2 and Phase 3, Submission Materials are evaluated on the following weighted criteria (the “Judging Criteria”):

(a) Quality of Content – 15%;

(b) Business Model and Values – 60%; and

7.3 Phase 1 – Pre-Screening and Confirmation

(a) All Entries will be pre-screened and evaluated by the Sponsor against the Judging Criteria.

(b) At least eight (8) Entries in each Regional Community will advance to Phase 2, provided that a sufficient number of eligible Entries is received. Where fewer than eight (8) eligible Entries are received in a Regional Community, all eligible Entries will advance.

(c) A Grant Nominee will be eliminated if its Submission is incomplete, does not follow the requested theme, or is inconsistent with the values or reputation of the Sponsor, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.

(d) In the event of a tie, the pre-screening panel will re-evaluate the tied Submissions in accordance with Section 16.5.

7.4 Phase 2 – Confirmation and Supplementary Materials

(a) The Contest Administrator will contact each Candidate to confirm its interest, participation and advancement in the Contest, in accordance with the contact procedure in Section 10.2.

(b) Each Candidate may be required to submit Supplementary Materials within the timeframe specified by the Sponsor, which may include: (i) additional information about the business, including the number of employees, financial information and a declaration of eligibility; and (ii) a short video or interview addressing what the Candidate would like the Judges to know about the business and how the Prize funds would be used.

(c) Submissions and Supplementary Materials will be evaluated by the Sponsor against the Judging Criteria. A Candidate will be eliminated if its Submission Materials are incomplete, do not follow the requested theme, or are inconsistent with the values or reputation of the Sponsor, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion.

(d) A Candidate that fails to respond, fails to submit Supplementary Materials requested within the timeframe specified, or fails to confirm its participation may be disqualified in accordance with Section 12.

7.5 Phase 3 – Final Judging

(a) The Contest Administrator will consolidate the Phase 2 evaluations and present them to the final judging panel.

(b) The Phase 3 judging period is December 15, 2026 to January 25, 2027.

(c) The Judges will score each Candidate against the Judging Criteria. In each Regional Community, the two (2) For-Profit Businesses with the highest overall scores and the two (2) Not-for-Profit Organizations with the highest overall scores will be selected as potential Regional Winners.

(d) If a potential Regional Winner cannot be contacted, is disqualified or forfeits, the Candidate with the next highest score in the same Regional Community and category may be selected in its place.

8. GRAND PRIZE – ONTARIO VOTES

8.1 One (1) Regional Winner from each of the five (5) Regional Communities will be selected by the Judges to participate in the public Ontario Votes campaign.

8.2 The Ontario Votes campaign will take place in March 2027 on the dates set out in Section 1.3(f). During the campaign, members of the public may vote for their preferred participant [through the dedicated contest website. Only one vote is allowed per person.

8.3 The participant receiving the greatest number of valid and unique votes will be selected as the potential Grand Prize winner, subject to verification and confirmation under Sections 9 and 10.

8.4 Voting is subject to the voting rules published on the Contest Website, including any limits on the number of votes per person or per device.

8.5 Voting Integrity

The Sponsor reserves the right to monitor, review, audit and verify all votes. Votes generated by script, macro, bot, artificial intelligence tools, automated devices, vote exchanges, purchased votes, fraudulent or duplicate accounts, deceptive practices or any other means intended to manipulate the voting process are prohibited and may be removed or disqualified by the Sponsor in its sole discretion. The Sponsor may invalidate votes, disqualify participants or take any other action it deems appropriate where it reasonably believes the integrity of the voting process has been compromised. The Sponsor’s determination regarding the validity of votes is final and binding.

9. VERIFICATION AND DUE DILIGENCE

9.1 All Entries, Submission Materials, Grant Nominees, Candidates, declarations, votes and information provided in connection with the Contest are subject to verification at any time and for any reason.

9.2 The Sponsor may, in its sole and absolute discretion, require proof of identity, authority, eligibility, ownership and business status in a form acceptable to the Sponsor, including without limitation:

(a) proof of the identity and authority of the individual submitting the Entry or acting on behalf of the Grant Nominee;

(b) proof that the Grant Nominee is a legitimate and active business or organization operating in accordance with applicable laws;

(c) proof of the Grant Nominee’s legal structure, including whether it operates as a sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, not-for-profit corporation, registered charity or other form of organization;

(d) proof of ownership, control, partnership interests, principal investors, directors, officers, signing authorities or other individuals associated with the Grant Nominee;

(e) proof of the Grant Nominee’s operations, address, revenues or operating budget, employee count, licences, registrations and permits;

(f) proof of Indigenous ownership, where the Indigenous Regional Community has been selected;

(g) proof that the Grant Nominee satisfies all eligibility requirements set out in these Rules; and

(h) any other information or documentation the Sponsor reasonably requires to administer the Contest and verify compliance with these Rules.

9.3 Acceptable documentation may include government-issued identification, business registration records, articles of incorporation, partnership agreements, charitable registration numbers, business licences, tax records, corporate profile reports, shareholder registers, beneficial ownership information, financial statements and banking records.

9.4 Due Diligence and Background Checks

The Sponsor reserves the right, at any time and in its sole discretion, to conduct such investigations, due diligence reviews, reference checks, litigation and court record searches, corporate and registry searches, regulatory compliance reviews, credit and financial reviews, sanctions and anti-money laundering screening, and media and public record reviews as it considers necessary to verify eligibility, confirm compliance with these Rules and protect the integrity and reputation of the Contest. Participation in the Contest constitutes the Grant Nominee’s consent to such reviews. Failure to cooperate with any such review may result in disqualification.

9.5 The Sponsor’s determination regarding the authenticity, validity and sufficiency of any information or documentation provided is final and binding.

10. WINNER NOTIFICATION AND CONFIRMATION

10.1 Selection as a potential winner does not make a Grant Nominee a winner. No Grant Nominee is a winner unless and until the Sponsor has completed its verification process and officially confirmed the Grant Nominee as a winner in accordance with these Rules, even if the Grant Nominee has been announced as a winner or potential winner.

10.2 The Sponsor or its designated representative will attempt to contact each potential winner using the contact information provided in the Entry. The Sponsor will make a minimum of three (3) contact attempts within five (5) business days following selection. If a potential winner cannot be contacted, fails to respond within the timeframe specified by the Sponsor, or if any notification is returned as undeliverable, the potential winner may be disqualified in accordance with Section 12.

10.3 As a condition of being confirmed as a winner, a potential winner may be required to:

(a) confirm compliance with these Rules;

(b) provide proof of identity, authority and eligibility and any other information or documentation requested under Section 9;

(d) execute and return the Sponsor’s form of declaration and release, together with any consents or other documents required by the Sponsor, within the timeframe specified; and

(e) accept the Prize as awarded.

10.4 By accepting a Prize, a confirmed winner:

(a) confirms compliance with these Rules;

(b) accepts the Prize as awarded;

(c) reaffirms the licence granted to the Sponsor under Section 13 and consents to the publicity uses described in Section 15;

(d) waives, to the extent permitted by law, all moral rights in the Submission Materials in favour of the Sponsor; and

(e) releases and holds harmless the Released Parties from any and all liability in connection with the Contest, its participation in the Contest, and the awarding, acceptance, use or misuse of the Prize.

11. PRIZE PAYMENT, ACCOUNT REQUIREMENT AND TAXES

11.1 Each Prize will be paid by transfer of funds into an eligible Meridian Small Business Account held in the name of, or for the benefit of, the confirmed winning Grant Nominee. Prizes will not be paid by cheque, cash or to any third-party account.

11.2 If a confirmed winner does not already maintain an eligible Meridian Small Business Account, it must open and activate such an account, and satisfy all applicable identification, verification, legal, regulatory and compliance requirements, within six (6) months of being notified that it has been selected as a potential winner, or such other period as the Sponsor may specify in its sole discretion. The Sponsor may extend this period in its sole discretion.

11.3 Nothing in these Rules obliges Meridian to open or maintain an account or banking relationship with any person. Meridian may decline to open or maintain an account where permitted by applicable law and its internal policies, in which case the Prize will be forfeited and the Released Parties will have no further liability.

11.4 The Sponsor may withhold, delay or refuse payment of a Prize pending completion of its verification and compliance processes.

11.5 Taxes

All federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and other taxes, duties, levies, fees, assessments and reporting obligations arising from the receipt, possession or use of a Prize are the sole responsibility of the winning Grant Nominee. The Sponsor makes no representation regarding the tax treatment or tax consequences of any Prize and recommends that each winner obtain independent tax advice.

12. DISQUALIFICATION AND FORFEITURE

12.1 The Sponsor may, in its sole and absolute discretion, disqualify a Grant Nominee, Candidate, potential winner or confirmed winner, and declare any Prize forfeited without compensation or substitution, where the Grant Nominee:

(a) fails to satisfy any eligibility requirement at any time from entry until payment of the Prize;

(b) cannot be contacted in accordance with Section 10.2, or fails to respond within any timeframe specified by the Sponsor;

(c) fails to provide requested information or documentation, or provides information that is incomplete, inaccurate, misleading or false;

(d) fails to open, activate or maintain a Meridian Small Business Account within the period required under Section 11;

(e) fails to execute and return any required Contest documents within the specified time;

(f) cannot accept, or is unwilling to accept, the Prize as awarded for any reason;

(g) breaches or is determined by the Sponsor to be in violation of these Rules, or tampers with or attempts to tamper with the entry process, the Contest Website or the voting process; or

(h) is subject to Section 12.2.

12.2 Integrity of Contest

The Sponsor may disqualify any Grant Nominee, Candidate, potential winner or confirmed winner whose conduct, business practices, public statements, regulatory history, litigation history, criminal record, reputation, or association with any person or entity may, in the Sponsor’s opinion, expose the Sponsor, the Contest, the Contest Administrator or the Prize program to reputational, legal, regulatory or business risk, or is otherwise inconsistent with the values of the Sponsor. The Sponsor may also disqualify any Grant Nominee where an actual or perceived conflict of interest exists.

12.3 Where a Prize is forfeited, the Sponsor reserves the right, time permitting, to select an alternate potential winner in accordance with Section 7.5(d) or Section 8, to whom these Rules apply in the same manner.

13. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS, LICENCE AND INDEMNITY

13.1 By entering the Contest, each Grant Nominee and Candidate represents and warrants that its Submission Materials:

(a) are truthful, accurate and complete;

(b) are original to the Grant Nominee, or that the Grant Nominee has obtained all necessary rights, licences, consents and permissions to submit them and to permit their use in connection with the Contest;

(c) do not violate any applicable law or regulation, and do not infringe, misappropriate or otherwise violate the intellectual property, privacy, publicity or other rights of any person or entity;

(d) do not contain confidential, proprietary or personal information of a third party unless all necessary consents have been obtained;

(e) do not contain false, misleading, defamatory, obscene, discriminatory, hateful, offensive or unlawful content;

(f) do not promote illegal activity, unsafe conduct, violence, discrimination, or any product, service or activity that may harm the reputation of the Sponsor; and

(g) comply with these Rules and all requirements communicated by the Sponsor.

13.2 The Sponsor and the Contest Administrator may review all Submission Materials and may, in their sole discretion, reject, remove, disqualify or refuse to consider any Submission Materials that do not comply with these Rules or that the Sponsor considers objectionable, inappropriate or inconsistent with the spirit of the Contest.

13.3 Licence

By submitting Submission Materials, each Grant Nominee grants to the Sponsor, its affiliates and agents a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive licence to use, reproduce, publish, display, distribute, modify, adapt, edit and otherwise exploit the Submission Materials, in whole or in part, in any media now known or later developed, for the administration, promotion and publicity of the Contest, the Sponsor’s grant programs, and the Sponsor’s business and marketing purposes, without further notice, compensation, approval or review, except where prohibited by law.

13.4 Each Grant Nominee represents and warrants that it has obtained all necessary consents and permissions from every individual appearing in or contributing to the Submission Materials to permit the uses contemplated by these Rules.

13.5 Indemnity

Each Grant Nominee agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Released Parties from and against any and all claims, demands, losses, damages, liabilities, costs and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or relating to the Submission Materials or the Grant Nominee’s participation in the Contest, including any allegation that the Submission Materials infringe the rights of a third party or otherwise breach these Rules.

14. PRIVACY

14.1 By participating in the Contest, each Grant Nominee, Candidate and winner consents to the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal information and business information by the Sponsor, the Contest Administrator and their respective service providers for the purposes of administering the Contest, verifying eligibility, conducting due diligence, communicating with participants, awarding and administering Prizes, promoting the Contest and publicizing winners, and as otherwise permitted or required by law.

14.2 Personal information collected in connection with the Contest will be handled in accordance with Meridian’s privacy policy, available at Privacy Statement | Meridian and applicable privacy legislation.

14.3 Participants acknowledge that Submission Materials may be reviewed by the Sponsor, the Judges, the Contest Administrator and their respective representatives for purposes related to the Contest.

15. PUBLICITY

As a condition of participating in the Contest and receiving a Prize, each Grant Nominee, Candidate and winner agrees that the Sponsor, the Contest Administrator and their respective affiliates may use, publish, reproduce, display, broadcast, distribute and otherwise exploit the Grant Nominee’s business name, trade name, logo, location, photographs, video recordings, statements about the Contest, Submission Materials and information relating to the Prize awarded, in whole or in part, in any media now known or later developed, for advertising, promotional, publicity or other business purposes, without further notice, permission, compensation or review, except where prohibited by law.

16. GENERAL CONDITIONS

16.1 Release and Limitation of Liability

The Released Parties are not responsible for, and accept no liability whatsoever arising from:

(a) lost, late, incomplete, illegible, corrupted, misdirected or delayed Entries, Submission Materials, votes, notifications or other communications, all of which are void;

(b) technical failures of any kind, including hardware, software, browsers, servers, networks, telecommunications systems or websites;

(d) unauthorized access to, or alteration of, Entries, votes or Contest materials;

(e) errors in the administration of the Contest, including clerical, typographical, printing or programming errors;

(f) any inability of a winner to receive a Prize due to failure to satisfy account-opening, verification, eligibility, legal, regulatory or compliance requirements, inaccurate account information, or any other circumstance beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor; and

(g) any injury, loss, damage or expense arising from participation in the Contest or the awarding, acceptance, use or misuse of a Prize.

Except as expressly provided in these Rules, all Prizes are awarded on an “as is” basis without representation, warranty or condition of any kind, express or implied. To the fullest extent permitted by law, each confirmed winner waives all recourse against the Released Parties if a Prize does not prove satisfactory, in whole or in part.

16.2 Sponsor and Judges’ Decisions

All decisions of the Sponsor, the Contest Administrator and the Judges relating to the Contest, including eligibility, verification, scoring, voting, interpretation of these Rules, winner selection, Prize awards and disqualification, are final and binding and are not subject to appeal.

16.3 Right to Modify, Suspend or Terminate

The Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, suspend, cancel, terminate or amend the Contest, any phase of the Contest, the Ontario Votes campaign, any Prize, or these Rules, in whole or in part, at any time and without prior notice, where any factor beyond the reasonable control of the Sponsor interferes with the proper administration, security, fairness, integrity or operation of the Contest, including any technical failure, fraud, cyber incident, voting irregularity, legal or regulatory requirement, pandemic, labour disruption or other event. In such circumstances the Sponsor may select winners from among eligible Entries received prior to the event giving rise to the modification, suspension or termination, or take such other action as it deems appropriate.

16.4 Compliance with Laws

The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations, and is void where prohibited by law.

16.5 Ties

In the event of a tie at any stage of the Contest, including during the Regional Prize selection process or the Ontario Votes campaign, the Sponsor may apply additional evaluation criteria, conduct additional judging, request additional information from tied participants, or use such other tie-breaking process as the Sponsor determines appropriate in its sole discretion.

16.6 Intellectual Property

All intellectual property associated with the Contest, including trademarks, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source code, images, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations, is owned by Meridian. All rights reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any of Meridian’s intellectual property without Meridian’s express written consent is strictly prohibited.

16.7 Governing Law

The Contest and these Rules are governed exclusively by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein. Each participant irrevocably attorns the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Toronto in respect of all matters arising out of or relating to the Contest and these Rules.

16.8 Severability

If any provision of these Rules is determined to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision will be severed and the remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

16.9 Entire Agreement

These Rules constitute the entire agreement between the Sponsor and each participant in respect of the Contest and supersede all prior communications, advertisements and representations. In the event of any inconsistency between these Rules and any advertising, promotional or other Contest materials, these Rules govern.

16.10 Language

These Rules are published in English only.

16.11 Contest Organizer and Contact

The Contest is organized by Meridian Credit Union Limited, 3280 Bloor Street West, Centre Tower, 7th Floor, Toronto, Ontario M8X 2X3. For questions regarding the Contest, please contact 1-866-592-2226.

A list of confirmed winners may be obtained by written request to the Sponsor at the address above.

Published: October 1, 2026