Code of conduct

The purpose of this Code of Conduct is to establish the principles and standards of conduct required of all recipients of the Mombasa Plastics Prize (‘MPP’) Incubator funding,  including, without limitation, in connection with Mombasa Plastics Prize Incubator – financed activities. 

This code forms part of our terms and conditions and must be strictly adhered to by all MPP participants.

 

1. What we expect from people involved in the MPP Incubator

We expect everyone involved in the MPP Incubator to treat each other with dignity and respect.

Nesta expects the individuals and businesses it funds to conduct themselves in a way that minimises the risk of harm to all those involved or who come into contact with it. We believe that all people involved in the MPP Incubator involved in Nesta-funded activities should be able to work in an environment where everyone is treated, and treats others, fairly and with respect. Behaviour that causes harm of any kind is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

Behaviours that cause harm

• Physical: any physical contact that results in discomfort, pain or injury.
• Sexual: coercion or force to take part in sexual acts of any kind. Unwanted verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
• Emotional/psychological: action or inaction that causes mental distress.
• Exploitation: misuse of power or control over another person for financial, social, sexual or other benefit.
• Bullying: offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour. It involves the misuse of power and can make the person being bullied feel vulnerable, upset, humiliated, undermined or threatened.
• Harassment: unwanted physical, verbal or non-verbal conduct that has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity or creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for them. It may be persistent or a single incident.
• Organisational: behaviour that allows or enables any of the types of behaviour above to continue. For example, failing to act if someone reports a concern to you.

2. Nesta’s role in any investigation

Anyone can report a concern or allegation of bullying, harassment, abuse and harm related to the MPP Incubator. 

If an allegation is made directly to a member the MPP Incubator team, we will:

• First discuss the circumstances with the informant.
• Gather information from all involved parties. 
• In exceptionally rare circumstances (where there is a risk to the safety of others), we will share their information if requested by the police or other regulatory or government authority or if otherwise required to do so by law. When this is the case, we do not need the consent of the informant to do so. 

We do not act as a mediator between parties, but where we have a legitimate interest to, we may perform an investigation. We will reserve any judgement about an allegation until the investigation is complete. We will only provide information to our staff or external advisers on a need-to-know basis. 

3. Sanctions

After reviewing the investigation, Nesta may apply our own sanctions. Sanctions may include exclusion from the current or future prizes or programmes and/or retrieval of any prize/programme funds.  The form of these sanctions are at Nesta’s discretion and will depend on the seriousness of the case and any remedial action already in place.

Where allegations of bullying, harassment, abuse or harm are upheld, we expect organisations involved in the Incubator to implement appropriate disciplinary procedures.

4. How to make a report

To make a report to Nesta or the MPP Incubator team please contact [email protected].