FAQs

 

What is the Stepan Innovation Connection™?

The Stepan Innovation Connection is a forum in which Stepan Company posts innovation challenges, inviting creative thinkers and scientists to submit solutions to specific challenges for the possibility of receiving a cash reward.

 

Who can participate?

Anyone who is not a current employee of Stepan Company, affiliate, or affiliate of any joint venture can participate. Stepan Company employees and their families are excluded from participating.

 

How can I participate?

To review Innovation Connection challenges and submit solutions, you must register with the Stepan Innovation Connection website. Registration is easy to do and free of charge. However, all participants must read and agree to an electronic confidentiality agreement in order to submit solutions to challenges and thus be eligible to win the reward. You should not submit solutions that are confidential information belonging to any other entity. If your submitted solution is novel and patentable, and if you win a challenge, your solution becomes the property of Stepan Company, while you win a cash reward. Stepan Company receives an exclusive license to use any of the submissions that are submitted by participants.

 

What is the purpose of the challenges?

We believe that the answers to some of our company’s tough technical problems lie in the minds of creative, intelligent people around the world. The Stepan Innovation Connection is our way of expanding our connections, our network, and our opportunity to reward people for helping us to innovate more effectively.

 

What constitutes a winning solution?

Solutions to challenges that will be considered for receiving a cash reward are those that:

1. meet all of the challenge requirements,
2. are the most economically feasible,
3. best match our existing manufacturing assets,
4. have the most potential for being patent-protected, and
5. have the best potential for satisfying our customers.

How can I be sure that these challenges and rewards are legitimate?

Stepan Company is a global manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in consumer products and industrial applications. We have over 1500 employees, and have been in business for more than 76 years. In 2007, we generated $1.33 billion in revenues. We stand firmly behind our commitments.

 

Why do you have a closing date?

Stepan Company sets a closing date for receiving solutions from participants to encourage rapid submission of solutions, to accelerate our own innovation processes and to avoid delay in awarding winning solutions. We give preference when granting rewards to the best solutions first, and then to the best and earliest solutions submitted, if all of the challenge requirements are satisfactorily met.

 

What if I have questions about a challenge?

You may send questions to us using the email link provided in the “Innovation Connection” section of the website.

 

Who are the judges for the best solution?

Your solution will first be evaluated by technical and manufacturing experts within our company. The best solutions that pass this screen will be sent to our business experts for evaluation versus the best fit with our company. Ultimately, our business experts will act as the final judges of solutions that are best suited for reward, since the purpose behind the Innovation Connection is to create value for our customers.

 

How do I transfer my intellectual property rights for the solution to Stepan Company?

By electronically reading and agreeing to the confidentiality agreement, you are stating that you are the owner of the intellectual property and have the ability to transfer these rights to Stepan Company. If the intellectual property is public domain information, you can still win the challenge, but you must acknowledge this fact with supporting references at the time you submit your solution.

 

If I work at a university, can I submit solutions to Stepan Innovation Connection challenges?

Most universities regulate the use of their laboratories and assets and the ownership of intellectual property created during the use of their facilities. You should inquire about any such regulations that might be related in any way to the submission of a solution if you are employed by the university or are a student at a university using university property. In order to win a challenge, you must be able to transfer all rights for your work to Stepan Company.

 

Why do I need to provide my full name and contact information and agree to the electronic confidentiality agreement before I can read the entire Stepan Innovation challenges and requirements?

When you read the entire challenge information and requirements, you will be viewing confidential information from Stepan Company. We require all participants who are serious about submitting solutions to agree to the electronic confidentiality agreement.

 

If I'm employed by a company that does work in the area of a Stepan Innovation Connection challenge, can I submit solutions to the challenge?

You may, so long as it does not violate your employer/employee agreements, divulge employer information or make use of company assets.

 

What do I do if I forget my username or password?

Please go to: http://www.Stepan.com, choose Log In>Help with this Page and follow the instructions.

 

How much time will it take for me to receive feedback on my solution?

You will normally receive a notice by email that your solution has been received by us within 24 hours of your submission. We will attempt to let you know as soon as possible (usually within a few weeks of receipt) that we are evaluating your submission. If your idea does not pass the technical or manufacturing expert screening, we will inform you within a month or so of your submission. If your idea passes this first screening, it may be 3-6 months before we can conduct all of the initial discussions and evaluations needed to determine that your submission best meets the requirements and merits a reward. Stepan screens each solution based on the criteria posted in the challenge. We encourage you to visit the website again to submit solutions to other challenges!