Official Rules
OFFICIAL RULES. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.
NOTICE REGARDING HEAVY EQUIPMENT GRAND PRIZE:
The Grand Prize offered in this Contest consists of a piece of heavy construction equipment (an excavator). By entering, Entrants and their corresponding Businesses acknowledge that the Grand Prize is intended for commercial use by trained and qualified individuals only, and that operation of such machinery involves inherent risks of injury, death, and property damage. The Grand Prize-winning Business will be solely responsible for the safe transportation, licensing, maintenance, and operation of the Grand Prize, as well as compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws. Sponsor does not provide training, certification, or insurance related to the use of the Grand Prize and disclaims all responsibility for any injury or damage arising from its storage, transportation, operation and usage.
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Entry and Voting Periods: The entry phase of the John Deere “Building America” Contest (the “Contest”) begins at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (“CT”) on March 3, 2026 and ends at 11:59 p.m. CT on April 30, 2026 (the “Entry Period”). Public voting will be part of the process to determine the Grand Prize winner (see paragraph 7 below) from among the Finalists. Public voting will begin at 9:00 a.m. CT on August 17, 2026, and end at 11:59 p.m. CT on August 31, 2026 (the “Finalist Voting Period”).
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Eligibility: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are 18 years of age or older at time of Entry, who own or are employed by an eligible Business (as defined below) that owns at least one (1) excavator (which does not need to be a John Deere branded excavator) as of March 2, 2026. For purposes of the Contest and these Official Rules, the person submitting the Entry (as defined below) is considered the “Entrant” for the Business. The Grand Prize will be awarded to the Business and not the individual Entrant. John Deere Construction & Forestry Company (“Sponsor”), Don Jagoda Associates, Inc. (“Administrator”), Sponsor’s Dealers and suppliers and their respective affiliates, parents, subsidiaries, divisions, employees and advertising, promotional and judging agencies (collectively “Sponsor and its Administrators”), influencers contracted by Sponsor, influencers for Sponsor’s competitors, those who have contracts with Sponsor, Sponsor’s competitors’ dealers, and each of their respective employees, shareholders, directors, officers, members and agents and their immediate family members, including spouses, parents, children, and siblings and their spouses and/or those living in the same household of each are not eligible to participate or win. Void where prohibited by law and subject to all federal, state, and local laws.
Eligible Business: For the purposes of this Contest, an eligible business (“Business”) is defined as a Business that:
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• Is duly organized and in good standing in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia;
• Is engaged in the construction, roadbuilding or aggregates industry;
• Owns at least one (1) excavator (which does not need to be a John Deere branded excavator) as of March 2, 2026; and
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How To Enter: If Entrant is not the Business owner, all permissions required from the owner(s)/operator(s) to enter the Business into this Contest must be obtained by Entrant prior to submitting an Entry. To enter, visit JohnDeereExcavatorContest.com (the “Site”) and follow the onscreen instructions to complete the registration form, including uploading a video no longer than 60 seconds sharing about your Business (including its history), how your Business uses construction equipment today to build America, and how your Business will use a New Generation mid-size John Deere excavator to build America tomorrow (collectively, “Submission”) to receive one (1) entry (the “Entry”). There is a limit of one (1) Entry per Entrant/Business for the entire Entry Period. All Submissions will be judged to determine Finalists, as described below. Submissions must be in English. Normal data/Internet access and usage charges imposed by Entrants’ online/phone service will apply.
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Entry Guidelines: All Entries shall, in the sole discretion of Sponsor, adhere to the following Entry Guidelines and these Official Rules of the Contest. Any Submission that does not adhere to these Entry Guidelines or the requirements set forth in these Official Rules may be disqualified, in the sole discretion of Sponsor:
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• If the Entrant is not the Business owner, the Entrant shall obtain all necessary permissions from the owner(s)/operator(s) before submitting the Entry for the Business into this Contest.
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• Submission should not contain, as determined by Sponsor, in its sole discretion:
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o Content that includes phrases, trademarked material (other than Business’ name and other marks owned by Business) or other third-party materials.
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o The names, likenesses, voices, or other indicia identifying any person, including, without limitation, celebrities and/or other public or private figures, living or dead, without permission; or look-alikes of celebrities or other public or private figures, living or dead;
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o Content that promotes any illegal activity; promotes any activities that may appear unsafe or dangerous; promotes any particular political agenda or message; is obscene or offensive; or endorses any form of hate or hate group;
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o Personal identification, such as license plate numbers, e-mail addresses or street addresses or other identifying information of any person or entity other than you and the Business.
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o Material that is inappropriate, indecent, sexually explicit or suggestive; unnecessarily violent, profane, obscene, hateful, tortuous, derogatory of any ethnic, racial, gender, religious, professional or age group, (including using words or symbols that are widely considered offensive to individuals of a certain race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic group).
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o Content which violates any law, statute, ordinance or regulation (including, but not limited to, those governing export control, consumer protection, unfair competition, anti-discrimination, and false advertising).
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o Content that promotes violence or engages in, encourages, advocates, discusses with the intent to commit, or provides instructions for conduct that would constitute a criminal or civil offense or would otherwise violate any federal, state, local or international law or rule.
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o Material or content for which you were compensated or granted any consideration by any other third party.
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o Material or content that is, or may reasonably be considered to be, hate speech, whether directed at an individual or group, and whether based upon the race, sex, creed, national origin, religious affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or language of such individual or group or that is otherwise unlawfully threatening or unlawfully harassing to any individual, partnership, corporation, or political body.
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o Content that disparages, slanders or libels persons or organizations associated with Sponsor or any other brands, companies, or individuals.
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o Content or materials in which you impersonate another person or entity.
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• Submission may not have been submitted previously in a contest, program or competition of any kind or previously exhibited or displayed publicly (i.e., disclosed beyond your immediate circle of friends, business colleagues and family) through any means.
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• Submission must be consistent with Sponsor's image
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• Submission may not contain information known by you to be false, inaccurate or misleading.
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• Submission must be your own original, unpublished work and shall not contain, incorporate or reference any content that is owned by any third party or entity (except Sponsor’s), would require the consent of any third party or entity in any jurisdiction, or which infringes any third party’s copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, right of publicity, right of privacy, moral rights, and/or any other applicable personal or proprietary rights.
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Finalist Judging and Notification: All Submissions will be judged by Sponsor-selected judges (“Judges”) on or about May 22, 2026, based on the following criteria: Most Compelling/Inspirational (30%); Most Deserving (30%); Originality/Creativity (20%); and Brand Knowledge/Enthusiasm (20%) to determine up to three (3) finalist Submissions. The criteria outlined above will be collectively known as the “Judging Criteria.” Any tied Finalist Submissions will be re-judged by the judges based 100% on Most Compelling/Inspirational. Judges’ decisions are final with respect to all matters relating to the judging. By participating, Entrants and Businesses agree to the Official Rules and the decisions of the Judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
The Potential Entrant associated with a finalist Submission (“Finalist Entrant”) and an authorized representative associated with their corresponding Business (collectively, “Finalist”) will both be required to execute a Declaration of Eligibility, a Liability Release, and (where imposing such condition is legal) a Publicity Release and Assignment of Rights, as applicable (collectively, “Declaration”). If a potential Finalist Entrant/Finalist fails or refuses to sign and return the complete Declaration within three (3) days, that Finalist Entrant/Finalist may be disqualified and an alternate Finalist Entrant may be determined. Return of either Declaration as undeliverable, if all or any portion of the Declaration is not received within the required time period or if a potential Finalist Entrant/Finalist is/are deemed ineligible, said potential Finalist Entrant/Finalist will be disqualified and an alternate will be determined (as outlined above).
Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to perform a background check, on Finalist Entrant/Finalist Business and any employee of the Business who may be featured in the Finalist Video (defined below). Finalist Entrants/Finalist Businesses/Business employees must provide any verification or authorizations necessary to enable Sponsor or its designee to conduct such background check. Sponsor will have the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any Finalist Entrants/Finalist Businesses if it does not provide verification or authorizations to enable Sponsor or its designee to conduct a background check, or if any such background check reveals conduct, information or history that, in Sponsor’s determination, may be harmful to Sponsor or Sponsor’s image or reputation or with which Sponsor does not wish to be associated. Further, each potential Finalist Entrant’s/Finalist Business’/Business employee’s social media profile(s) must be in keeping with the Sponsor’s image or they may be disqualified, in Sponsor’s sole discretion.
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Filming of Finalist Videos: Once the Finalists have been determined and verified as eligible (as described above), Sponsor (or its authorized representatives) will arrange to travel to each Finalist’s Business location to film and produce a short promotional video about the Business (each, a “Finalist Video”). Finalist Video will be filmed on a date/time determined by Sponsor. Finalists and all those depicted in the Finalist Video must agree to the filming of the Finalist Video or their Business’ Submission will be disqualified and an alternate potential Finalist Entrant will be determined. The Finalist Video may include footage or interviews featuring the Finalist Entrant, the Business’ owner/operator, employees, premises, products, and related business operations, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.
Each Finalist agrees to: (a) grant Sponsor and its agents reasonable access to their business premises for filming and production purposes; (b) cooperate in good faith with Sponsor’s filming schedule and creative direction; and (c) understand and accept that although Sponsor will be making the video, all details are in Sponsor’s sole discretion and Finalist will have no input in the Finalist Video and will not dispute any winner determination based on the Finalist Video. Sponsor will obtain all necessary written publicity releases acceptable to Sponsor, in its sole discretion, from any individuals featured or otherwise depicted in the Finalist Video, and all such individuals will be required to sign a release form provided by Sponsor at the time of filming as a condition of participation in the Finalist Video. By appearing in or contributing to the Finalist Video, each individual irrevocably releases and holds harmless the Sponsor and its Administrators from any and all claims, demands, or causes of action arising out of or in connection with the use of the Finalist Video or their likeness, name, or other identifying characteristics, including without limitation claims for defamation, invasion of privacy, or right of publicity and they consent and authorize a background check to be performed on them.
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Finalist Voting Period/Grand Prize Winner Determination: During the Finalist Voting Period, each Finalist Video will be posted on the Site (JohnDeereExcavatorContest.com) for purposes of public voting and helping to determine the Grand Prize winner. The Voters (as defined below) will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite Finalist Video during the Finalist Voting Period. Finalist Voting Period dates are subject to change at the sole discretion of the Sponsor. Voters may vote by clicking on the Finalist Video of Voter’s choice on the Site (“Vote”). Voters must be legal residents of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia, and be 18 years of age or older (“Voters”). Limit one (1) Vote per Voter. At the conclusion of the Finalist Voting Period, one (1) Grand Prize-winning Business will be determined based 70% on Finalist Voting and 30% on the Judging Criteria. The Finalist with the highest overall score will be determined the Grand Prize winner, subject to verification of Votes, successful completion of the background check and compliance with these Official Rules. In the event of a tie when determining the Grand Prize winner, the Sponsor will judge any tied Finalists based solely on the Judging Criteria to determine the Grand Prize winner. NOTE: Finalists are prohibited from obtaining or soliciting Votes by offering prizes, payments, or inducements for Votes, or engaging in other conduct that is not considered fair play, as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion and Sponsor may void all Votes and disqualify any Finalist’s Submission or all associated Votes or Voters associated with such conduct. By participating, Finalists/Voters agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor/Judges, which shall be final and binding in all respects.
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Grand Prize and Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”): Grand Prize (1): Grand Prize winner (defined below) will be awarded the Grand Prize, which consists of:
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a) The Grand Prize winner’s choice of a New Generation John Deere 210 P-Tier, John Deere 230 P-Tier, or John Deere 260 P-Tier excavator (each, an “Excavator”). ARV for each model of Excavator will vary depending on build specifications (Basic or High) selected by Business.
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a. ARV for 210 P-Tier excavator with Basic Specifications: $241,202.
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b. ARV for 210 P-Tier excavator with High Specifications: $307,229.00.
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c. ARV for 230 P-Tier excavator with Basic Specifications: $ 257,361.43.
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d. ARV for 230 P-Tier excavator with High Specifications: $323,773.00.
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e. ARV for 260 P-Tier excavator with Basic Specifications: $277,977.00.
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f. ARV for 260 P-Tier excavator with High Specifications: $348,208.00.
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b) Grand Prize-Winning Business will also be awarded a John Deere “All In” Services Bundle for the Excavator of their choosing that includes:
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a. PowerGard™ - Powertrain & Hydraulics Protection Plan — 36 month / 3,000hour;
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b. PowerGard™ - Technology Basic — 36 month/3000 hour Technology Protection Plan;
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c. John Deere Protect OEM Core Maintenance Plan — 36 month / 3,000 hour Maintenance Plan; and
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d. John Deere Operations Center™ PRO Service Individual Machine 1-year license.
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i. ARV of “All In” Services Bundle for 210 P-Tier excavator: $12,062.00.
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ii. ARV of “All In” Services Bundle for 230 P-Tier excavator: $12,079.00.
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iii. ARV of “All In” Services Bundle for 260 P-Tier excavator: $12,512.00.
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c) Grand Prize winner will also be awarded a $20,000 check made payable to the Business to be used to help offset taxes (ARV: $20,000).
The total aggregate ARV of the Grand Prize being awarded in this Contest will range from $253,264.00 to $360,720.00, depending on Excavator model and build specifications chosen (Basic or High), plus the applicable “All In” services bundle, and the $20,000 check.
Grand Prize will be awarded to the winning Business only (“Grand Prize winner”). No prizes will be awarded to individual Entrants or non-winning Finalist Businesses. All federal, state and local taxes are the sole responsibility of Business that receives the Grand Prize. By accepting the Grand Prize, an authorized representative of the Business (“Grand Prize Authorized Representative”) agrees: (i) that their Business is responsible for all federal, state, and local tax liability on the prize received and all other obligations and expenses that are associated with receipt and use of the prize regardless of the value; and (ii) to release and hold harmless Sponsor and affiliates from and against any and all disputes, claims, or causes of action, including, but not limited to, personal injury, death, or damage to or loss of property, arising out of participation in the Contest or receipt or use or misuse of Grand Prize. Sponsor will issue an IRS Form 1099-MISC (or equivalent) to the Business that receives the Grand Prize reflecting the ARV of the Grand Prize selected in the year in which the Business receives the Grand Prize. No substitution or transfer of prize permitted except at the sole discretion of the Sponsor.
All applicable taxes, insurance, licensing, registration, title fees and pick-up costs (as applicable) are the responsibility of the Grand Prize-winning Business. The Excavator will be delivered to a mutually agreed upon location between the Sponsor and the Grand Prize winner on a date/time determined by Sponsor. Sponsor will pay for delivery and Grand Prize winner shall bear all risk of loss during delivery. Excavator delivery (if applicable) is conditional upon Grand Prize-winning Business fulfilling all requirements set forth herein. Once the Grand Prize is awarded, Sponsor is not responsible for any loss, damage, or theft. Grand Prize-winning Business will be solely responsible for any additional equipment, insurance, fuel, maintenance and all other fees and expenses associated with the receipt and use of the Excavator. To accept the Excavator, the Grand Prize Authorized Representative must sign any documents required by these Official Rules and/or by law and associated with transportation or usage of the Excavator. Grand Prize Authorized Representative understands and agrees that Excavator may differ from images of same in Contest advertising and releases the Sponsor and its Administrators from any and all liability in conjunction therewith. In accepting Excavator, Grand Prize Authorized Representative acknowledges and agrees that operation of an Excavator poses certain inherent risks of injury and harm to property. Except as stated in the manufacturer’s limited warranty for the Excavator, the Sponsor and its Administrators have not made nor are in any manner responsible or liable for any warranty, representation, or guarantee, statutory, express or implied (including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, title, and fitness for a particular purpose), in fact or in law, relative to the Contest. Any and all guarantees and warranties for the Excavator are subject to the terms and conditions of the Excavator manufacturer’s limited warranty, and Grand Prize Authorized Representative agrees to look solely to such manufacturer for any such warranty or guarantee claim. Excavator cannot be assigned or transferred to a third party. The Grand Prize is a piece of heavy construction equipment intended for use by trained and qualified individuals. Grand Prize Authorized Representative is solely responsible for ensuring that any person operating the Excavator is at least 18 years old and has the necessary knowledge, skill, and, if applicable, training, certification, or license required under federal, state, or local laws or regulations. Sponsor does not provide training, certification, or instruction in the operation of the Excavator and makes no representation or warranty that any specific credential is or is not required for lawful use.
Grand Prize Authorized Representative acknowledges that improper operation of the Excavator may result in serious injury, death, or property damage. Grand Prize Authorized Representative agrees that those operating the Excavator will operate, or permit operation of, the Excavator only in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, all applicable safety regulations, and all applicable laws. Sponsor shall have no liability for, and Grand Prize Authorized Representative agrees to indemnify and hold Sponsor harmless from, any injury, death, loss, or damage resulting from use or misuse of the Excavator.
Grand Prize Authorized Representative agrees that Sponsor or its agents may photograph, videotape or record any aspects of Grand Prize award (“Grand Prize Footage”) and authorizes Sponsor’s use of that Grand Prize Footage or excerpts of that Grand Prize Footage in any way Sponsor sees fit for all promotional or other use in perpetuity. Sponsor will obtain all necessary written publicity releases from any individuals featured in the Grand Prize Footage, and all such individuals will be required to sign a release form provided by Sponsor as a condition of participation in Grand Prize Footage.
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General Rules: As a condition of entry into the Contest and/or winning the Grand Prize, Grand Prize Authorized Representative, Finalists, Entrants and Businesses, release Sponsor and its Administrators, each of their respective agencies, parents, subsidiaries, affiliated companies and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, members, employees, agents, assigns, and all others associated with the development, administration and execution of this Contest (collectively the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, death, damages, or losses to persons or property which may be sustained in connection with creation of or submitting a Submission or being part of a Finalist Video or otherwise participating in any aspect of the Contest, the receipt, ownership or use of Grand Prize awarded (if applicable) or any typographical or other error in these Official Rules or the announcement or offering of the prize. Entrants, Finalist Entrants, Finalists, Grand Prize winners, the Grand Prize Authorized Representatives, grant and authorize Sponsor all rights to use the names, likenesses, Finalist Videos, Grand Prize Footage (if applicable), Submissions, and votes (as applicable) for promotional purposes (including any possible public relations opportunities) without further compensation except where prohibited by law. By participating in the Contest, Entrants and corresponding Businesses agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Judges/Sponsor. The Sponsor and its agencies are not responsible for technical, hardware, software or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Contest or by any human error which may occur in the processing of the Submissions in the Contest or for any liability for damage to any computer system resulting from participation in, accessing or downloading information in connection with the Contest. The Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual that tampers or attempts to tamper with the Entry or Voting or Grand Prize winner determination process, or the operation of the Contest; violates the Official Rules; or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Contest may be a violation of criminal and/or civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor's failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. In the event of a dispute as to the identity of an Entrant, the authorized account holder of the email address used to enter will be deemed to be the Entrant. “Authorized account holder” of an email address is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an Internet Access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of the Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Contest, then the Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel the Contest and, based on which portions are cancelled, may follow some of the procedures above to determine Finalists and the Grand Prize winner from among all eligible Submissions/votes (as applicable) received prior to cancellation and based on the Judging Criteria listed above. These Official Rules cannot be modified or amended in any way except in a written document issued in accordance with law by a duly authorized representative of Sponsor. Entrant and Business hereby represent and warrant that they have read these Official Rules and are fully familiar with its contents. Submissions generated by artificial intelligence, script or bot are not eligible. Votes made by artificial intelligence, script or bot are not valid.
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Conditions: All Entrants, Businesses, all those depicted in Finalist Videos and the Grand Prize Authorized Representative (“Participants”) acknowledge and agree that Sponsor has the right to edit, adapt, modify, reproduce, promote and otherwise use the Submission and/or Finalist Video in any way it sees fit in connection with advertising in any medium, throughout the world, in perpetuity without remuneration of any kind to such Participants. Participants shall have no right to review or approve edits, alterations or modifications, to any such advertising and the Participants waive the benefit of any provision of law known as “moral rights.” No information regarding Submissions, judging, or voting will be disclosed to any third party not involved in the conduct of the Contest. By submitting a Submission, Participants represent: (a) that the Submission is your own original work that has not previously been published or publicly shown or won a prize or award; and (b) any and all rights to the Submission belong to Participant and the Submission does not infringe, misappropriate or violate the rights of any third party and that no artificial intelligence, script or bot was used to create the Submission. Further, any Submissions that Sponsor, in its sole discretion, deems to be inappropriate for publication will not be considered.
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Governing Law, Jurisdiction and Venue: SPONSOR IS REGISTERED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES WITH HEADQUARTERS IN ILLINOIS. THE ILLINOIS COURTS (STATE & FEDERAL) SHALL HAVE SOLE JURISDICTION OF ANY CONTROVERSIES REGARDING THE SWEEPSTAKES AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, WITHOUT REGARD TO ILLINOIS’ CONFLICT OF LAWS RULES, SHALL GOVERN THE SAME. EACH ENTRANT AND BUSINESS WAIVES ANY AND ALL OBJECTIONS TO JURISDICTION AND HEREBY IRREVOCABLY SUBMITS TO THE VENUE OF THOSE COURTS WITHIN ILLINOIS.
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Privacy: Information collected from Entrants and Businesses is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy, located at https://www.deere.com/en/privacy-and-data/.
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Winner: To request the name of the Grand Prize-winning Business (“Winner”), send a stamped, self-addressed envelope after September 15, 2026 and no later than October 15, 2026, to: John Deere “Building America” Contest – Winner, PO Box 7760 (Dept. AA), Melville, NY 11775-7760.
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Sponsor/Administrator: The Sponsor of the Contest is John Deere Construction & Forestry Company, One John Deere Place, Moline, IL 61265. The Administrator of the Contest is Don Jagoda Associates, Inc., 100 Marcus Drive, Melville, NY 11747.