Defi Inter-Alliances – Terms and Conditions

Le Défi Inter-Alliances 2025, c’est parti !

Alliance Française, the biggest cultural network in the World

ARTICLE 1 – Organisers

The “DEFI Inter-Alliances” competition is organised by the participating Alliances Françaises in Southern Africa, which are non-profit organisations, in collaboration with the Fondation des Alliances Françaises, headquartered in Paris.

ARTICLE 2 – Competition Overview

Participants will take part in a general knowledge quiz in French, hosted on the Kahoot digital platform.

The competition unfolds in four stages:

  • A local selection round, organised by each participating Alliance (see Article 1),
  • A national selection round (or regional final if multiple countries are involved),
  • A semi-final by geographical zone,
  • An international final.

Participating Alliances are free to conduct their selection rounds either in-person or online.

  • Each participating Alliance will organise its local selection round between 20 March and 20 May 2025 (the specific period should be determined by each AF network).
  • The national final will be held virtually on (date and time to be specified) and organised by the designated Alliance Française or coordinating body.
  • The semi-final will take place online on Saturday, 24 May (exact times per region to be confirmed).
  • The international final will be held in-person at the Alliance Française of Nice, during the week of 21 July 2025.

ARTICLE 3 – Participation Requirements

Participation in the competition is completely free of charge.

The competition is open to all students currently enrolled in French courses at participating Alliances Françaises, provided they meet the following criteria:

  • Must be at least 18 years old by 15 July 2025.
  • Must have a French proficiency level (or be in the process of learning) A2, B1, B2, C1, or C2.
  • Must not be a staff member or a board member of an Alliance Française.
  • Must not be a native French speaker.

Students who do not meet these requirements will not be eligible to participate.

Note: The definition of an eligible student may vary based on local rules.

A student of an Alliance Française is considered as any person enrolled in a group French course, either online or in-person, as of (insert applicable date). (The organising committee recommends a minimum of 35 hours of coursework, but this can be adjusted.)

By entering the competition, participants fully agree to abide by these official rules. Any failure to comply with the competition’s participation criteria will result in disqualification.

The first three selection phases – local, national, and semi-final rounds – will be conducted via a general knowledge quiz in French on the Kahoot platform. (If a different platform is used or if the local stage is in-person, this should be specified.)

Participants must use two digital devices during the competition: one device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) to access Zoom for the virtual event, and a smartphone to answer the Kahoot quiz. We highly recommend informing participants of these requirements before they register.

The international final will be held in person, also using Kahoot. Finalists will answer the quiz using their smartphones, while questions will be displayed on a screen, with internet connectivity provided by the organisers.

The entire competition will be conducted exclusively in French, and all general knowledge questions will be written only in French.

Quiz scores will determine rankings at every stage:

  • The two highest-scoring participants in each local selection round will advance to the national selection round.
  • The two highest-scoring participants in the national selection round will represent their country in the semi-final by geographical zone.
  • The top-ranking participant in each geographical semi-final will qualify for the international final in Nice, with transportation and accommodation covered by the organisers. The geographical zones follow the structure established by the Fondation des Alliances Françaises, which oversees the competition.
  • The participant with the highest score in the international final will be crowned the competition winner.

Special Condition:

Participants who have already won an international final in previous editions (2021, 2022, 2023, or 2024) are not eligible to compete in DEFI Inter-Alliances 2025.

ARTICLE 4 – Prizes

For local competitions, each participating Alliance is responsible for defining the prizes awarded to the top two winners beyond their qualification for the national selection. These prizes should be mentioned in the pre-competition communication.

For the national selection, the top two winners, in addition to progressing to the semi-final, will receive (indicate any applicable prizes). This should also be included in the pre-competition communication.

For the semi-final by geographical zone, the winners (one per zone) will be awarded a trip to Nice during the week of 21-27 July 2025, to participate in the International Final. (Dates may be subject to slight adjustments within the same period.)

The prize includes:

  • Accommodation,
  • Round-trip transport from the closest airport to the winner’s residence to Nice. Local transport (bus, metro, RER, etc.) is not covered.
  • A stipend of €400.

All other expenses (insurance, extra baggage, etc.) will be the winner’s responsibility. If a visa is required for travel to France, it is the winner’s duty to complete the necessary formalities. Winners must ensure they meet the travel requirements for France.

If a visa is denied or if the winner cannot travel, the runner-up from the semi-final will be invited to participate in the Final instead.

4.1. Prize Validity

Winners of the semi-finals must be available to attend the International Final in Nice in person during the week of 21 July 2025. If unavailable, they will forfeit their prize, and the runner-up will take their place.

Regional final winners cannot transfer their prize to another person.

ARTICLE 5 – Image Rights

The competition’s local, national, semi-final, and final rounds may be streamed live or recorded and later shared on the websites and social media of the participating Alliances, organisers, and partners.

By entering the competition, participants authorise the organisers to use their name, surname, and city/country of residence in promotional materials, on organiser and partner websites and social media, and in any affiliated media, without entitlement to compensation beyond the competition prize.

Participation also grants the organisers permission to use the winners’ images (local, national, regional, and international) for promotional purposes, including online and offline media (websites, social media, press, events, etc.), within a year of the event. This will not entitle participants to any additional compensation.

Participants acknowledge that the use of their image is not obligatory for the organisers and that they have no control over which photos are used. Therefore, they cannot oppose their image being shared, as outlined in these rules.

ARTICLE 6 – Responsibilities

6.1 Responsibilities of the Organisers

The organisers are not responsible if unforeseen circumstances (force majeure or otherwise) result in the competition being postponed, shortened, or cancelled. They reserve the right to extend, limit, postpone, or modify the competition’s conditions without liability. Any amendments or additions to these regulations will be treated as appendices.

The organisers are not responsible for technical malfunctions related to the Internet, unauthorised intrusions, fraud, or any other factors beyond their control that may affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or execution of the competition. They are also not responsible for network congestion, the quality of participants’ equipment, or the speed of their internet connection, which may impact response times or access to the competition platform.

As such, participants will not be entitled to any compensation for disruptions, modifications, or cancellation of the competition.

6.2 Responsibilities of Participants

Participants are solely responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the information they provide when registering, including their contact details, and for ensuring that they meet all participation requirements.

Participants selected for the national round, semi-final, or International Final must confirm their availability for the scheduled dates. If they are unable to participate, for any reason, they will be disqualified.

Participants must take appropriate measures to protect their personal data and devices from potential risks. Participation in the competition is entirely at their own risk.

The competition requires a fair and respectful attitude. The organisers reserve the right to disqualify, without prior notice, any participant who violates the rules.

Furthermore, the organisers may revoke participation if a participant’s behaviour is deemed inappropriate.

By registering, participants automatically accept these rules and authorise the participating and organising Alliances Françaises to publish their name and relevant details.