Participant Eligibility

Purpose

Ms. Corporate America welcomes accomplished women who demonstrate professional achievement, leadership capacity, integrity, and a commitment to community impact.

For purposes of this Policy, “Queen” means any woman selected as a Ms. Corporate America State or National Titleholder. “Participant” collectively refers to an applicant, accepted contestant, State Titleholder, or National Titleholder, as applicable to her stage of participation.

This Policy applies from the date an applicant affirmatively accepts it and continues throughout the application and selection process, contestant participation, advancement, and, if selected, the individual’s entire reign as a State or National Titleholder. The requirements of this Policy remain applicable regardless of whether a separate titleholder agreement is subsequently executed, unless a later written agreement expressly supersedes a specific provision of this Policy.

General Eligibility Requirements

To apply for the Ms. Corporate America Competition Experience, an applicant must:

• Be a natural-born female between 25 and 65 years of age, inclusive, as of January 1 of the applicable competition year.
• Reside within the United States or a United States territory or otherwise maintain lawful United States residency status.
• Demonstrate a meaningful connection to the State or United States Territory in which she is applying through residence, employment, business ownership, education, prior residency, community involvement, or another substantial connection approved by Ms. Corporate America and the applicable licensed State organization.
• Be an established professional or entrepreneur with at least five years of verifiable career or business experience.
• Demonstrate professional achievement, leadership capacity, integrity, and sound judgment.
• Demonstrate a commitment to community service, leadership development, or women’s empowerment. At least two years of involvement is preferred.
• Be willing to fulfill and able to perform the fundamental participation requirements of the Competition Experience and, if selected, the responsibilities of a State or National Titleholder, with reasonable modifications, auxiliary aids and services, or other accommodations as required by applicable law.
• Provide complete, accurate, current, and verifiable application information.
• Agree to comply with all applicable contestant, titleholder, conduct, branding, media, social media, appearance, financial, and participation requirements.
• Maintain conduct and professional relationships that are reasonably consistent with the mission, values, reputation, and brand standards of Ms. Corporate America.

State and Territory Connection

Applicants must compete through an independently licensed State organization and must establish a meaningful connection to the State or United States Territory they seek to represent.

A qualifying connection may include:

• Current residence.
• Current or prior employment.
• Business ownership or substantial business activity.
• Current or prior education.
• Prior residency.
• Community, civic, philanthropic, or professional involvement.
• Family, military, or another substantial connection approved by MCA.

Ms. Corporate America and the applicable licensed State organization maintain authority to determine whether an applicant’s connection is sufficient.

Professional and Entrepreneurial Experience

Applicants must possess at least five consecutive or cumulative years of verifiable professional, career, business, entrepreneurial, military, educational leadership, public service, or comparable experience.

MCA may consider:

• Employment history.
• Business ownership.
• Professional licenses or credentials.
• Leadership responsibilities.

Character and Conduct Standards

Applicants, contestants, and titleholders must demonstrate integrity, professionalism, respect, and sound judgment.

An applicant must affirm that she:

• Does not currently engage in unlawful conduct, including the illegal use of controlled substances.
• Does not engage in conduct that would materially impair her ability to participate or fulfill the responsibilities of a contestant or titleholder.
• Does not maintain current employment or contractual relationships in industries whose primary business involves producing or distributing explicit adult content when that relationship would materially conflict with MCA’s mission, values, responsibilities, or brand standards.
• Has not knowingly provided false, misleading, incomplete, altered, or unverifiable information to MCA or a licensed State organization.
• Will conduct herself professionally in public, private, online, and in connection with MCA activities.
• Will not engage in harassment, threats, discrimination, fraud, defamation, exploitation, or other conduct that creates a reasonable safety, reputational, operational, or integrity concern.

MCA may evaluate conduct individually based on its nature, seriousness, timing, relevance, and effect on the organization or the individual’s ability to fulfill contestant or titleholder responsibilities.

Application and Verification

Applicants must complete the application process established by the applicable licensed State organization.

MCA or the licensed State organization may request information or documentation necessary to verify:

• Identity and date of birth.
• Residency or lawful United States residency status.
• Connection to the State or Territory.
• Professional or entrepreneurial experience.
• Education, employment, business ownership, licenses, or credentials.
• Community service or leadership experience.
• Information relevant to conduct, eligibility, or continued participation.

Submitting an application, paying a fee, participating in an interview, or receiving preliminary approval does not guarantee acceptance as a contestant.

False, misleading, incomplete, altered, or unverifiable information may result in denial, suspension, dismissal, disqualification, or title revocation.

Relationship With Licensed State Organizations

All contestants must compete through an independently licensed State organization.

Contestant agreements, State participation requirements, financial obligations, payment schedules, and related commitments are entered into with the applicable licensed State organization unless a written document expressly identifies Ms. Corporate America as the contracting party.

Licensed State organizations administer their authorized State Competition Experiences subject to MCA’s national rules, policies, eligibility standards, brand standards, and governing authority. A licensed State organization may not waive or modify a national eligibility requirement without prior written authorization from Ms. Corporate America.

Contestant Participation Requirements

Acceptance into the Competition Experience constitutes a commitment to actively participate throughout the applicable competition year.

Contestants must:

• Complete required agreements, forms, releases, orientations, interviews, rehearsals, appearances, and Competition Experience activities.
• Meet all applicable deadlines.
• Satisfy all applicable financial obligations.
• Maintain communication with the licensed State organization.
• Participate professionally and respectfully.
• Follow MCA and State organization rules, policies, schedules, and instructions.
• Maintain good standing with the licensed State organization and Ms. Corporate America.
• Notify the licensed State organization promptly of any change that could affect eligibility, availability, or participation.

Failure to fulfill these obligations may result in disciplinary action, forfeiture of benefits, loss of advancement eligibility, dismissal from the Competition Experience, or another action authorized under the applicable agreements and policies.

Financial Obligations

Contestants must satisfy all applicable competition fees and financial obligations by the deadlines established in their agreements, invoices, application materials, or official communications.

A State Titleholder advancing to the National Competition Experience may be required to pay a National Advancement Fee unless the fee is paid or waived by the licensed State organization or Ms. Corporate America. The National Advancement Fee is established by Ms. Corporate America and may change from year to year.

Failure to satisfy required financial obligations may affect a contestant’s eligibility to participate, advance, receive benefits, or retain a title, subject to applicable agreements, cancellation policies, transfer policies, and law.

Withdrawal, Resignation, and Transfer

Acceptance as a contestant represents a commitment to participate throughout the competition year.

A contestant who voluntarily withdraws or resigns after acceptance may forfeit fees, benefits, awards, coaching, access, and future eligibility, except as otherwise provided by:

• The applicable three-day cancellation policy.
• The official competition transfer policy.
• A controlling written agreement.
• Applicable law.
• Written approval from Ms. Corporate America or the licensed State organization.

Titleholder Eligibility and Responsibilities

A State or National Titleholder must continue meeting all eligibility requirements throughout her reign.

Titleholders must:

• Faithfully fulfill the duties and responsibilities assigned to their titles.
• Uphold the mission, values, professional standards, and brand requirements of Ms. Corporate America.
• Represent MCA with integrity in public, private, professional, community, media, and online settings.
• Attend required appearances, events, meetings, training sessions, and national activities.
• Maintain good standing with MCA and the applicable licensed State organization.
• Protect confidential and nonpublic organizational information.
• Use MCA titles, crowns, sashes, logos, materials, and intellectual property only as authorized.
• Avoid making unauthorized promises, contracts, guarantees, financial commitments, or public statements on behalf of MCA.
• Comply with all titleholder, appearance, branding, media, social media, conduct, and participation policies.

Failure to fulfill titleholder responsibilities may result in corrective action, suspension, forfeiture of benefits, or title revocation.

Titleholder Exclusivity

This restriction is intended to protect scheduling commitments, title responsibilities, sponsor relationships, brand standards, and the integrity of the MCA title.

Authorization must be received before the titleholder applies, registers, announces participation, accepts another title, or makes a public commitment.

Releases and Media Authorization

As a condition of participation, applicants, contestants, and titleholders may be required to execute applicable participation agreements, liability releases, media releases, publicity authorizations, confidentiality agreements, and other program documents.

These documents may authorize Ms. Corporate America, its affiliated and related entities, licensed State organizations, officers, directors, partners, employees, contractors, agents, licensees, sponsors, promotional partners, successors, and assigns to use an individual’s approved:

• Name.
• Likeness.
• Voice.
• Image.
• Photographs and recordings.
• Biography.
• Professional information.
• City, State, Territory, and approved title.
• Submitted content.

Authorized materials may be used for Competition Experience administration, websites, social media, programs, broadcasts, advertising, marketing, publicity, promotion, and historical archives as described in the applicable agreement or release.

Applicants may also be required to release claims associated with participation to the extent stated in the applicable agreement and permitted by law. Nothing in this policy requires the waiver of a right that cannot lawfully be waived.

Prizes, Awards, and Benefits

Prizes, awards, scholarships, benefits, appearances, promotional opportunities, and package components are subject to availability.

Ms. Corporate America may modify, replace, substitute, postpone, or cancel an advertised prize, award, benefit, appearance, or experience when reasonably necessary. When reasonably possible, MCA will seek to provide a substitute of equal or greater value.

No particular prize, benefit, appearance, sponsor relationship, media opportunity, or promotional result is guaranteed unless expressly stated in a controlling written agreement.

Continuing Good Standing

Applicants, contestants, and titleholders must remain in good standing with the licensed State organization and Ms. Corporate America.

Good standing includes:

• Continued compliance with eligibility requirements.
• Timely completion of required obligations.
• Satisfaction of applicable financial commitments.
• Professional and respectful conduct.
• Compliance with MCA and State organization policies.
• Proper use of MCA titles and branding.
• Fulfillment of contestant or titleholder responsibilities.
• Cooperation with reasonable eligibility or compliance reviews.

Failure to maintain good standing may result in disciplinary action, suspension, removal from the Competition Experience, forfeiture of benefits, loss of advancement eligibility, or title revocation.

Suspension, Removal, and Title Revocation

Ms. Corporate America and the applicable licensed State organization reserve the right, subject to controlling agreements and applicable law, to discipline, suspend, remove, disqualify, or revoke the title of a contestant or titleholder for reasons including:

• Failure to meet or maintain eligibility.
• False, misleading, incomplete, or unverifiable information.
• Failure to satisfy required obligations or deadlines.
• Failure to maintain good standing.
• Unauthorized use of MCA branding, titles, crowns, sashes, materials, or intellectual property.
• Misrepresentation of MCA authority, status, benefits, or relationships.
• Conduct inconsistent with MCA policies, standards, mission, or best interests.
• Conduct that creates a reasonable safety, reputational, operational, or integrity concern.
• Failure to fulfill contestant or titleholder responsibilities.
• Violation of an applicable agreement, policy, rule, or code of conduct.

Reapplication Following Denial

An exception may be granted only through written authorization from Ms. Corporate America.

Attempting to avoid a denial by applying through another State or Territory organization may result in an extension of the restriction or additional action.

Policies and Amendments

Applicants, contestants, and titleholders must comply with applicable MCA and licensed State organization policies, including policies adopted or reasonably amended during the competition year.

MCA may revise its policies to address changes in programs, operations, safety requirements, brand standards, legal obligations, or organizational needs.

Reasonable notice of material changes will be provided when practicable. Continued participation after notice may constitute acceptance of the revised requirements, subject to applicable agreements and law.

Final Eligibility Authority

Ms. Corporate America is the national governing body of the Competition Experience and maintains sole and final authority to:

• Interpret and administer national eligibility requirements.
• Determine eligibility and continued compliance.
• Approve or deny exceptions.
• Resolve questions concerning State or Territory connections.
• Establish national participation and titleholder standards.
• Review compliance matters.
• Make final decisions concerning national eligibility, participation, advancement, discipline, and titles.

Decisions remain subject to applicable law and any controlling written agreement.