Legal notices

Conditions of participation

UBS Switzerland AG (hereinafter referred to as “UBS”) operates the “UBS Helpetica” website, www.ubs-helpetica.ch (hereinafter referred to as the “website”).

1    Brief description

a    Aim

UBS Helpetica supports Switzerland and its residents in helping to achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, hereinafter referred to as SDGs. The aim is to use existing sustainability projects and new sustainability ideas from both non-profit organizations and the general public to preserve our quality of life in Switzerland. Through UBS Helpetica, UBS provides a central website for these projects and ideas and gives them maximum media exposure and feasibility. Projects and ideas that meet the selection criteria and are chosen by experts can be published on the website. UBS reserves the right to refuse to publish project ideas without giving a reason or to remove an ongoing project from the platform. There is no entitlement for projects on the website to be activated.

Volunteers are free to decide whether to register to take part in the implementation of these project ideas and to play an active role in their implementation in conjunction with the implementation partner.

b    Ideas submitted by private persons

Idea generators are private individuals who reside in Switzerland who are over the age of 18 or organizations (for duties see point 4) that want to implement or submit a sustainable idea or a specific project, taking into account the 17 SDGs or four areas of the environment, society, education and entrepreneurship in Switzerland (see point 2 – Requirements for projects/ideas).

c    Implementation partners

If a project idea from a private person meets all approval criteria, it will be given the go-ahead by UBS for it to be published on the website if a suitable and experienced implementation partner (non-profit organization) is found that is willing and able to implement the idea. In this respect, as in the case of the implementation of their own projects, the implementation partner assumes responsibility for the organization and implementation of the project, including compliance with the legal framework and any licensing regulations.

d    Volunteers

As soon as a project is published on the website, volunteers may register to take part in its implementation. Special requirements are defined per project by the implementation partner and accepted by volunteers when they register.

e    Corporate volunteering for companies

Non-profit organizations can incur costs for corporate volunteering projects.
Any costs on the part of non-profit organizations are borne by the participating company itself and paid directly to the partner (NGO, association, etc.). UBS Helpetica is not involved in this process.
The partner bills the company directly.
The participating company must be domiciled in Switzerland and must ensure that the company and its employees have the necessary insurance coverage.

2    Requirements for project ideas

  • A project or project idea must either be implemented in Switzerland or benefit people living in Switzerland and be in the interests of the common good.
  • The project or project idea meets a concrete need and has a practical use that directly works toward the common good in Switzerland.
  • Experts assess the project ideas with regard to the need, benefit and impact for the target group or the environment.
  • The project idea must support (at least) one of the 17 SDGs.
  • The project or project idea can be allocated to one of the following areas: society, environment, education and entrepreneurship.
  • The project idea can be implemented with an established charitable organization that has the necessary experience and expertise (implementation partner).
  • The project or project idea involves tasks that can be carried out by laypersons and do not represent an increased security risk for volunteers. If specific technical knowledge is required, volunteers need to be selected by the organization. Whom to consider is left to the discretion of the organization. Volunteer work should not normally clash with the work of qualified professionals.
  • The focus of the project or project idea is volunteer work with direct contact and not the raising of financial resources (e.g., fundraising, advertising).
  • The project idea can be implemented with manageable effort (logistics, materials, personnel).

3    Exclusion criteria for projects/ideas

Projects/project ideas will not be pursued that

  • have a purely commercial purpose,
  • primarily support individual people and are therefore not in the interests of the common good,
  • mainly serve political, military or discriminatory purposes and may potentially result in reputational damage for UBS or Switzerland,
  • take place outside of Switzerland,
  • are geared towards leisure activity, entertainment, fundraising or crowdsourcing.

4    Regulations for idea generators

The idea generator assures UBS that they have the full power to act. If the idea generator is a legal entity (e.g., association/organization) or a partnership, the registered user that records the project idea on the website is the “representative” of the idea generator.

Generators or representatives of ideas are contacted by UBS whenever a project idea is submitted and are asked to identify themselves accordingly. UBS is entitled, but not obligated, to check the correctness of the details given and to ask for more information.

By entering the content, the idea generator grants UBS a non-exclusive global, permanent and free usage right to the project information.

The idea generator grants UBS the right to save, publish and pass on to third parties for publication the project information that they submit (texts, images, videos), and the name of the idea generator as well as the last and first names of the representatives of the idea generator if, by passing it on, it is used to promote the project, the idea generator, website or for any other distribution or marketing purposes. As such, UBS is entitled to use or pass on the project information, either in full or in amended form, solely or in combination with its own content.

5    Regulations for volunteers

Volunteers must have the power to act, feel healthy enough to carry out a corresponding assignment and have adequate accident insurance coverage. In addition, volunteers residing abroad who wish to get involved must ensure that they have an appropriate permit to work in Switzerland. Young people aged 16 and over with limited capacity to act may undertake assignments either under the direction of their training program or with the consent of their legal representative. These young people must also be provided with appropriate accident insurance cover. The Swiss Labor Act and associated laws and ordinances, in particular regulations on the protection of young people at work contained therein, must be complied with. Assignments are carried out at the individual risk of the volunteers. UBS does not accept any liability for any damage or loss incurred by volunteers or third parties in connection with the execution of a volunteering assignment. Volunteers agree that the personal data they have provided may be passed on to the corresponding implementation partner for the purposes of project development and implementation. Volunteers may be contacted by the implementation partner directly or through the UBS website in connection with the implementation of a project for which they have registered. The volunteer provides assurance that he/she has read and understood all project information before registering to take part in a project.


Conditions of use of the website

The website can be used by four categories of user: idea generators (private individuals or organizations), implementation partners (organizations), volunteers (“users”) and companies (as part of corporate volunteering).

UBS reserves the right to amend these terms at any time. In order to continue using the website, the amended General Terms and Conditions are deemed to be expressly accepted by the users.

UBS allows all users to use the website at no cost. This usage right does not apply to any service that would be chargeable. Registration does not mean entitlement to access the website. Furthermore, UBS does not undertake to provide any other services. In particular, UBS does not provide any recommendation to support projects on the website. UBS reserves the right to refuse to publish project ideas without giving any reason or to remove an ongoing project from the platform.

Users take full responsibility for their use of the website. Users undertake to indemnify UBS against any type of cost, lawsuit, damage, misuse, loss or any other claims that could arise through their registration and/or use of the website and its services.

Furthermore, users undertake not to misuse UBS’s services, in particular:

  • not to distribute any material or information that is defamatory, offensive or otherwise illegal or immoral. This includes in particular pornographic, racist, degrading or discriminatory content.
  • not to introduce data onto the website that may damage UBS hardware or software (computer virus, infected software).
  • not to publish any data or content that violates third-party rights (e.g., intellectual property rights or personality rights).

Generators of ideas

The generator of projects/ideas must provide the following details in order to use the website:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Phone no.
  • Password
  • Date of birth
  • Number of volunteers expected to be needed

The following additional information will be needed for the purposes of further clarification:

  • Street
  • Phone no.
  • Postcode
  • City
  • Website (if organization)

The generators of ideas are solely responsible for the content of this registration and for the information provided. Generators of ideas warrant that the information provided is truthful.

If false information is given in the profile, UBS reserves the right to take legal steps and to enforce exclusion from the website.

UBS reserves the right to seek additional information from volunteers at any time for the purposes of project implementation.

Registration by volunteers

In order to use the website, users must open a legally valid profile by completing all mandatory fields. Mandatory information:

  • First name
  • Last name
  • Email address
  • Password
  • Date of birth

The volunteers are solely responsible for the content of this registration and for the information provided. They warrant that the information provided is truthful.

Volunteers must feel healthy enough to carry out a corresponding assignment and have accident insurance cover for the respective assignment. Volunteers agree that the personal data they have provided may be passed on to the corresponding implementation partner for the purposes of project development and implementation.

If false information is given in the profile, UBS reserves the right to take legal action and to enforce exclusion from the website.

UBS reserves the rights to seek additional information from volunteers at any time for the purposes of project implementation.

Registration by companies

For the use of the website by companies in the context of corporate volunteering, first the registration of an individual is required, then the registration of the company.
The company itself is responsible for the content of this registration and for the information provided. It warrants that this information is truthful. If false information is given in the profile, UBS reserves the right to take legal action and to enforce exclusion from the website. UBS reserves the right to obtain additional information from the company at any time and not to allow the company to use the website without giving reasons.


General provisions

Intellectual property rights

UBS is entitled to the copyright of all content created on the “www.ubs-helpetica.ch” website. The reproduction or use of any form of content is only permissible with UBS’s prior written consent. UBS has protected “UBS Helpetica” as a trademark.

Use of visual material

Users shall ensure that images they load onto the website do not violate third-party rights, copyrights or personality rights, do not demonstrate any offensive, discriminatory, violent or hateful content and that the images are suitable to help describe the idea.

Liability

UBS’s liability is limited to direct damage caused by UBS either willfully or through gross negligence. Any liability on the part of UBS is excluded for indirect damage, consequential losses and lost profit or claims from third parties against UBS, provided this is legally permissible. UBS accepts no responsibility or liability for the up-to-dateness, correctness, completeness or quality of the information provided and for any misuse of information.

UBS makes every effort to ensure that the website is operational, but cannot guarantee uninterrupted availability. Liability for service interruptions of any kind is excluded.

UBS is not liable for the misuse of personal user data by third parties.

Any liability for economic, physical or intellectual damage arising from the use of the website is expressly excluded.

Hyperlinks to third-party websites may be activated on the website. UBS is not responsible for the correctness, quality, up-to-dateness, completeness and legality of the content of third-party websites. Liability for damage arising from access to third-party websites is excluded. Access to third-party websites is at the user’s own risk. Should UBS become aware of reference being made to a website with illegal content, it shall take all reasonable measures to remove such reference immediately.

Termination, closure, restriction or blocking of approval to use the website

UBS reserves the right to amend at any time parts or all of the website’s services or to cancel at any time the publication of projects on the website temporarily or permanently. UBS may at any time restrict, block or terminate a user’s access to the website without a notice period (and without giving a reason). Projects that are still ongoing at that time will be ended immediately. There is no entitlement to the continuation of the project or to compensation for any damage arising therefrom. UBS may at any time assign its rights and obligations to third parties in connection with operation of the website.

Applicable law and place of jurisdiction

The legal relationships between the users and UBS are governed solely by Swiss law. If permitted by legal provisions, the registered office of UBS is the ordinary place of jurisdiction and place of execution. UBS reserves the right to refer any claim against the user to the competent court for its registered office/place of residence, or to any other competent court.

Users confirm that they have read and understood these General Terms and Conditions, and expressly declare that they agree with the application of these General Terms of Conditions.