{"id":1775,"date":"2025-03-20T11:35:37","date_gmt":"2025-03-20T15:35:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/fase1.org\/?page_id=1775"},"modified":"2026-04-29T11:19:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-29T15:19:18","slug":"terms-and-conditions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/fase1.org\/en\/terms-and-conditions\/","title":{"rendered":"Terms and Conditions"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Terms and Conditions<\/h1>\n

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Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”193″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” css=”.vc_custom_1742487580581{margin-top: -4px !important;}”][vc_single_image image=”199″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center” el_class=”bg-grid-yellow-01″][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section][vc_section full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1636552034398{background-color: #00123a !important;}” el_class=”white faq-selector”][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column css=”.vc_custom_1636551870093{border-top-width: 2px !important;border-right-width: 2px !important;border-bottom-width: 2px !important;border-left-width: 2px !important;border-left-color: #e6e6e6 !important;border-left-style: dashed !important;border-right-color: #e6e6e6 !important;border-right-style: dashed !important;border-top-color: #e6e6e6 !important;border-top-style: dashed !important;border-bottom-color: #e6e6e6 !important;border-bottom-style: dashed !important;border-radius: 25px !important;}”][vc_row_inner disable_element=”yes”][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text]Gracias por visitar nuestro sitio web. Esta pol\u00edtica de privacidad le informa c\u00f3mo utilizamos la informaci\u00f3n personal recopilada en este sitio web. Lea esta pol\u00edtica de privacidad antes de utilizar el sitio web o enviar cualquier informaci\u00f3n personal. Al utilizar el sitio web, usted acepta las pr\u00e1cticas descritas en esta pol\u00edtica de privacidad y los t\u00e9rminos descritos en nuestros T\u00e9rminos de uso. Estas pr\u00e1cticas pueden cambiarse, pero cualquier cambio se publicar\u00e1 y los cambios solo se aplicar\u00e1n a las actividades y la informaci\u00f3n en el futuro, no de forma retroactiva. Le recomendamos que revise la pol\u00edtica de privacidad cada vez que visite el sitio web para asegurarse de que comprende c\u00f3mo se utilizar\u00e1 la informaci\u00f3n personal que proporcione.<\/p>\n

Nota: las pr\u00e1cticas de privacidad establecidas en esta pol\u00edtica de privacidad son solo para este sitio web. Si sigue un enlace en este sitio a otro sitio web, revise las pol\u00edticas de privacidad publicadas en esos sitios.<\/em>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1742486169885{margin-bottom: 8px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

1. Background<\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Fase1<\/span><\/a>\u00a0is a business incubation program for residents of Puerto Rico who want to transform great ideas into successful startups. Our incubator focuses on providing access to educational content in entrepreneurship and on driving new ideas through our business cycle, which includes specialized training, mentorship, and access to our startup community in a dynamic, high-impact environment.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fase1 is a program of the\u00a0<\/span>Puerto Rico Science, Technology and Research Trust (the \u201c<\/span>Trust<\/span><\/b>\u201d),<\/span><\/a>\u00a0which in turn is part of the Small Business Incubators and Accelerators Program (SBIA), funded with federal funds from the Community Development Block Grant for Disaster Recovery Program (CDBG-DR), allocated for Puerto Rico\u2019s long-term recovery following the 2017 hurricanes, and administered by the Department of Housing (Vivienda).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Trust is a nonprofit organization created in 2004 to promote participation, job creation, investment, and funding in research, development, and technology. Its mission is to invest, facilitate, and develop capabilities to continuously drive Puerto Rico\u2019s economy and the well-being of its citizens through innovation-, science-, technology-, and public health\u2013based enterprises. Its vision is for Puerto Rico to become a globally recognized innovation hub. The organization manages and hosts more than a dozen initiatives ranging from grants and technical support to events and educational resources for researchers, entrepreneurs, farmers, investors, and other groups. Fase1 is part of the Trust\u2019s entrepreneurship pillar, along with Colmena66 and parallel18, among others.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Each year, through an open call, 50 new early-stage ideas or startups are selected to participate in the Fase1 Intensive incubator, which consists of a specialized 12-week curriculum designed to help new entrepreneurs validate their ideas and develop their minimum viable products or services (MVPs) with the goal of launching them into the market in a short period of time. Throughout the curriculum, participants receive multiple workshops and technical trainings on early-stage entrepreneurship, individualized mentorship, professional services, as well as access to a coworking space, among other benefits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Fase1 also offers a virtual entrepreneurship academy called\u00a0<\/span>Fase1 Lab<\/span><\/b>, which includes short online educational modules available 24\/7 on our platform at no cost. This virtual academy serves as a preliminary step and preparation for those interested in participating in the\u00a0<\/span>Fase1 Intensive<\/span><\/b>\u00a0incubator, which opens its application once a year. Anyone in our community is welcome to apply during the open call period.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1742486279340{margin-bottom: 8px !important;}”]<\/p>\n

2. Main Objective<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text el_class=”square-lists-01″]Fase1<\/span><\/b>\u00a0exists\u00a0to transform a large number of ideas into innovative businesses and to create a strong base of successful companies in Puerto Rico. Its objective is to provide access to entrepreneurial education and to drive new ideas in a dynamic, high-impact environment so that participants can develop their minimum viable product, be trained and ready to launch it into the market, and move on to other incubation, pre-acceleration, and\/or acceleration programs such as parallel18, Ac\u00e9rcate al Grant, Bio Leap, among others, where they can access seed capital for their startup development.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Additionally, Fase1 prioritizes benefiting low- and moderate-income individuals, as established by the guidelines for the use of CDBG-DR funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), in compliance with federal objectives (National Objectives). These requirements establish that at least 51% of CDBG-DR funds must benefit this population.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As required by HUD, CDBG-DR funds allocated to the SBIA program address the urgent need to support and rebuild the Island\u2019s economy and businesses. The program aims to assist small businesses affected by the 2017 hurricanes and support the development of ideas that emerged or were shaped as a result of these events. SBIA will support the development of new businesses, create jobs, and stimulate economic growth in Puerto Rico.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Specific Objectives<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Play an active role and have a positive impact on Puerto Rico\u2019s long-term economic recovery and growth.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Guide participants from the idea generation stage to the development of their minimum viable product with a global and innovative mindset.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Turn ideas into reality and make them tangible.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Ensure participation from both the public and private sectors.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Motivate and support participants to join programs like parallel18 and its subprograms, as well as other incubation and acceleration programs in Puerto Rico.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Foster a creative and innovative environment within the community that goes beyond technology.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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    3. Expected Outcomes<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

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    1. Turning ideas into minimum viable products or prototypes, ready for market launch, by facilitating a greater level of knowledge and improved business capacity.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. Transform ideas into MVPs or prototypes ready to launch by increasing knowledge and strengthening business capabilities.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. Promote the creation of successful startups that generate jobs and contribute to local economic development.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Provide tools for participants to validate ideas with the potential to become successful startups.<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Minimize the risk of business failure by providing free and accessible education, training, and entrepreneurial resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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      4. Fase1<\/span> Intensive Participants<\/span><\/h3>\n

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      1. Participants must be available to attend the incubator for the full twelve (12) weeks (primarily Saturdays).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      2. Participants may choose to attend in a hybrid format (in-person and virtual). Some sessions will be exclusively in person and attendance will be required.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      3. If there is more than one founder, a startup leader must be designated and must attend all sessions during the program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      4. Up to two (2)\u00a0people\u00a0per startup may\u00a0participate. Additional participants may be approved at the discretion of the Fase1 team,\u00a0if justified\u00a0and reasonable.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      5. Participants must be at least eighteen (18) years old. If the founder is under 18, written parental authorization is required.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      6. Participants must be residents of Puerto Rico. If they have an established business, it must be located and registered in Puerto Rico.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      7. Participants must be U.S. citizens or resident agents.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
      8. Participants must provide all requested information and documentation required by Fase1.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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        5. Fase1<\/span><\/span> Intensive Program Activities<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

        [\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Fase1 Intensive\u00a0<\/span><\/b>takes\u00a0place over twelve (12) consecutive weeks, primarily in a hybrid format. It includes workshops led by local and international mentors covering key business topics such as customer definition, idea validation, market definition, and product development. Participants receive tools, training, and activities to support the development of their MVP or functional prototypes. Weekly topics are introduced while participants actively work on their projects.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Refer to\u00a0<\/span>Fase1<\/span><\/a>\u00a0for more details about program benefits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Required Activities:<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

        Participants must attend the following:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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        1. Virtual<\/span><\/b>\u2013 Orientation session BEFORE the Fase1 Intensive Kickoff (required for\u00a0startup leader and additional team member).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
        2. In-person<\/span><\/b>\u2013\u00a0First session or welcome event of Fase1 Intensive (Kickoff): Participation in the Fase1 Intensive Welcome activity will be required for the team leader and\u00a0the\u00a0additional team member who will take part in the program.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
        3. In-person<\/span><\/b>\u2013\u00a0Rehearsal session for Demo Day: This session will take place prior to the Demo Day event at the Fase1 Intensive facilities or at a location designated by the Fase1 team. At a minimum, the participant who will present the startup at Demo Day must attend in person.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
        4. In-person<\/span><\/b>\u2013\u00a0Fase1 Intensive Demo Day (Closing): Participation in the Fase1 Intensive Demo Day will be required for the owner or team leader who will present the startup in the form of a pitch (a short presentation of their startup) in front of an audience.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
        5. The project leader\/founder must be available during the 12 weeks (primarily Saturdays from 9:00am\u20134:00pm). Some weekday virtual sessions may occur from 6:00pm\u20138:00pm.<\/span><\/li>\n
        6. Any additional required sessions determined by the Fase1 team.<\/span><\/li>\n
        7. A maximum of two (2)<\/span>excused<\/span><\/b>absences\u00a0are\u00a0allowed with prior written notice\u00a0to the Fase1 Team.\u00a0The program may require additional information\u00a0whenever it\u00a0is\u00a0necessary.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          These absences do NOT apply to the following\u00a0(4)\u00a0mandatory events:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n