If your idea concerns a new business opportunity that you believe Unilever should partner in you are referred to Unilever Business Ventures. Please see www.unileverventures.com for a separate submissions policy.

If you are a company with technology of potential interest to Unilever that requires early stage investment you are referred to Unilever Technology Ventures. Please see www.unilevertechnologyventures.com for a separate submissions policy.

In addition, Unilever welcomes proposals from third parties as regards ‘late-stage’ technologies, which may be of benefit to the concern and to its consumers. In common with other large companies we have a policy and a mechanism for dealing with these proposals.

In order to preserve Unilever's rights upon receipt of outside ideas and to eliminate the risk of jeopardizing on-going research programs, projects, and developing concepts within Unilever, it is Unilever's policy to not accept confidential material and to only accept material on a NON-CONFIDENTIAL basis only AFTER the Submission Release and Confidentiality Waiver Acknowledgement (see Submission Proceedure) has been signed by the submitter and provided to Unilever.

Upon receipt of a signed Waiver Acknowledgement, we will assign you a password and a submission reference number, which will enable you to proceed with the submission. Any information supplied by you prior to our receipt of the Waiver Acknowledgement, will not be read or considered. Please include the Submission Reference Number with your submission. Any information received from you by Unilever after the submission reference number has been issued to you will be presumed to be within the scope of the Waiver Acknowledgement signed by you.

Proposals can only be accepted from adults (over age 18). In addition, any ideas relating to product names, advertising, contests, promotions and trademark ideas are not acceptable. We encourage you, before submitting your idea, to consult your attorney and to take all steps to protect your legal rights. Ordinarily, inventors should not disclose any information prior to filing a patent application.

We cannot return any material you submitted to us, nor are we obligated to provide you with any explanation for whatever decision Unilever reaches with regard to your submission.

If it becomes necessary later in the review process to enter into a written confidentiality agreement in order to proceed with our due diligence in connection with additional information and material not included in the submission, we may be willing to do so at that time. To the extent any such confidentiality agreement is entered into, the express terms of such agreement shall govern the obligations of Unilever with respect to information deemed confidential thereunder. However, unless and until any such written confidentiality agreement is signed, any and all materials submitted or otherwise provided to Unilever prior to such confidentiality agreement or otherwise not covered by such confidentiality agreement shall be treated as non confidential and be subject to the Submission Release and Confidentiality Waiver Acknowledgement.