COMPETITION - TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Eligibility

1. These terms and conditions include all instructions for restaurants on how to take part in the FT Weekend Business Lunch Awards Competition (“Competition”). By participating in the Competition, entrants agree to these terms and conditions and acknowledge that failure to comply with them may result in disqualification. No purchase is necessary to enter.

2. The Competition is to open to restaurants located in Greater London, except for the Best Out-of-Town category which only recognises venues within the UK that can reasonably be reached on a day trip from London, only (“Restaurants”).  Directors, employees and immediate family members of employees of The Financial Times Limited (“FT”) its associated companies and agencies are not eligible to take part in the Competition.  

3. The Competition shall be void where prohibited by local laws or regulations, including where in FT’s reasonable opinion we cannot accept an entry or provide a prize due to sanctions laws or banking restrictions. It is the responsibility of entrant sto ensure that they are able to participate in the Competition in compliance with local laws and regulations. To the fullest extent permitted by law, FT is not liable where an entrant has breached local laws and/or regulations in connection with the Competition.

Entries

4. The Competition commences on 5 September 2025 at 23:59 BST and closes on 24 October 2025 at 23:59 BST.

5. To enter the Competition, Restaurants must be nominated by entrants of the  FT Weekend Business Lunch Awards  Prize Draw via https://businesslunchawards.live.ft.com/. FT is not responsible for late or incomplete entries, or for entries not received. There is no fee payable by Restaurants in order to be entered into the Competition.

6. Entries will be judged by a panel of judges. The names of the judging panel will be made available on request. The judging panel will judge all valid entries submitted against the criteria set out in the competition copy, shortlisted Restaurants (each a “Shortlisted Restaurant”) and 1 winner (each a “Winner”) will be selected in each of the 5 categories.

Prize

7. All Shortlisted Restaurants and Winners will be invited to attend an Awards lunch (at a date and time to be communicated by the FT) and will receive both a digital and physical decal identifying them as an FT Weekend Business Lunch Awards 2025 restaurant (as a Shortlisted Restaurant or a Winner, as applicable), the decal will (where applicable) also be displayed on OpenTable booking pages (the “Prize”). 

8. Travel to and from the lunch Prize and any other costs incurred in connection with the Prize are not included and are the responsibility of  the Winner.

9. The result of the Competition is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The Prize is non-transferable, non-refundable and any non-cash elements of the Prize have no cash value if not used.

Notification of Winner

11. Shortlisted Restaurants will be notified on 31 October 2025  by email, the Winners will be announced on 1 November 2025 and FT will provide details of how to claim the Prize. The Shortlisted Restaurants and Winners will receive the Prize within 15 days of the closing date of the Competition. If the Prize is declined or unclaimed by the Winner, or if the Winner cannot be contacted from the details supplied within 3 business days of notification, a replacement winner may be chosen at the FT’s discretion and will be notified by the FT. The original entry that was chosen will then be forfeited. The Winner is responsible for confirming valid delivery details. FT will not be liable for any failure, delay or inability to contact the Winner.

12. The surname and county of the Winner will be available from  1 November 2025 upon receipt by the Financial Times of a self-addressed envelope at the following address: The Financial Times, The Financial Times Ltd, Bracken House, 1 Friday Street, London EC4M 9BT unless the Winner notified FT at the time of entry it objected to such information being made available.

13. Winners may be required to complete and return an eligibility form stating their age and residency details. 

General

14. FT reserves the right to cancel, suspend or amend the Competition, or any part of it (including these Terms and Conditions) or change the Prize (to one of equivalent or greater value) as required by the circumstances in FT’s sole discretion. FT reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who has not complied with the letter or the spirit of these Terms and Conditions. Any failure by FT to enforce any provision in these Terms and Conditions shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

15. FT cannot accept responsibility for or liability arising from entrants taking part in the Competition or for taking up the Prize. FT gives no warranty or guarantee in relation to the Prize and accepts no responsibility or liability for the Prize being amended by FT. To the fullest extent permitted by law, FT excludes liability for all loss, damage or claim arising as a result of the entrant’s entry into the Competition or use of the Prize (save in the case of death or personal injury caused by the negligence of FT).

16. Any personal data which may be submitted in an entry will be processed by FT in accordance with any applicable data protection legislation and the FT Privacy Policy, available at: http://help.ft.com/legal/financial-times-privacy-policy. As set out in the FT Privacy Policy, we may share your personal data with our service providers including, for example, with any third party supplier of the Prize.

17. Unless agreed otherwise, entrants retain ownership over their entry to the Competition. By submitting an entry, entrants grant FT a worldwide, non-exclusive, sub-licensable, irrevocable and royalty-free licence to use, display, publish, transmit, copy and edit the entry, in whole or in part, in any way and in any media, whether now known or invented in the future. Entrants warrant that their entry does not breach any applicable laws or regulations or infringe any third intellectual property or privacy rights, and is not in any way libellous, defamatory, obscene, indecent, harassing or threatening. 

18. By entering the Competition, entrants agree to hold FT harmless for liability, damages or claims for injury or loss to any person or property, relating to, directly or indirectly, participation in this Competition, or claims based on publicity rights, third party intellectual property rights, defamation or invasion of privacy.

19. These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with English law. Disputes arising in connection with this Competition shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

20. The promoter is The Financial Times Ltd, Bracken House, 1 Friday Street, London EC4M 9BT.

If you have any questions, please contact us at ftlive@ft.com

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