OFFICIAL REGULATIONS OF THE PROGRAM

IAȘI OPEN PRESS FELLOWSHIP

Art. 1 – Purpose of the Program

Iași Open Press Fellowship is a program designed to support the professional development of sports journalists by facilitating their participation in international tennis tournaments.

The program aims to:

• Support local and regional sports journalism;


• Facilitate journalists’ access to international tennis competitions;


• Develop participants’ professional experience;


• Promote best practices in sports journalism and sports event organization;


• Strengthen the relationship between regional sports media and international tennis.

Art. 2 – Organizer

The program is organized by Iași Open, at the initiative of Andrei Oriță, holder of the licenses for the Concord Iași Open ATP Challenger 100 and the UniCredit Iași Open WTA 250.

Art. 3 – Program Benefits

Depending on the designated tournament, the selected participant may benefit from:

• transportation;


• accommodation;


• daily allowance;


• media accreditation;


• other benefits communicated before each trip.

The tournament in which the beneficiary will participate is determined by Iași Open, depending on the possibilities for organizing the trip and access to the media accreditation procedure.

The beneficiary will be informed about the designated tournament, the travel period and the support package provided and will be required to confirm their availability to participate.

The tournament cannot be chosen or changed at the request of the selected candidate.

Art. 4 – Eligibility

The following may apply:

• journalists employed by a publication;


• regular contributors to publications or media platforms;


• independent journalists with demonstrable professional activity.

Applicants must demonstrate journalistic activity in the field of sports and provide a relevant portfolio.

Candidates must meet all legal requirements necessary for potential international travel.

Art. 5 – Application

Application to the Iași Open Press Fellowship program is made by completing the form available on the official Iași Open website.

The form will include:

• Full name;


• City of residence;


• Publication/media platform;


• Professional position/role;


• Links to 2–3 representative journalistic materials;


• A brief motivation regarding participation in the program and expectations from this experience;


• Email address;


• Phone number.

By submitting the form, the candidate confirms the accuracy of the information provided and acceptance of these regulations.

Art. 6 – Application and Selection Stages

Stage I – Local Applications

In the first stage, the program is intended for journalists who carry out their professional activity in the municipality and/or county of Iași, in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out in these regulations.

Applications for this stage are open until 22 September 2026, at 23:59.

After the application period has ended, the Iași Open team will review the applications received and verify compliance with the eligibility criteria.

A minimum of 5 (five) eligible applications is required for the selection procedure to take place.

If at least 5 eligible applications are registered by the end of this stage, applications will close and all eligible candidates will be included in the selection procedure.

Stage II – National Extension

If, at the end of Stage I, fewer than 5 (five) eligible applications have been registered, applications will be extended nationwide and will remain open until 25 September 2026, at 23:59.

During this stage, journalists who carry out their professional activity within Romania may apply, in accordance with the eligibility criteria set out in these regulations.

Applications declared eligible during Stage I will remain valid and will be included in the selection procedure.

The nationwide extension of the application period will be communicated through the official Iași Open channels.

Art. 7 – Selection of the Beneficiary

At the end of the applicable application period, if there are at least 5 (five) eligible applications, all eligible candidates will be included in the random draw.

The random draw will be conducted using the List Randomizer function of the Random.org platform.

The candidate ranked in first position on the generated list will be designated as the beneficiary of the Iași Open Press Fellowship.

The remaining candidates will form the reserve list, in the order resulting from the random draw.

The random draw process will be recorded and may be published by Iași Open for the purpose of ensuring transparency of the procedure.

The beneficiary will be informed about the tournament designated by Iași Open, the travel period and its conditions and will be required to confirm their availability to participate.

If the candidate designated in first position is unable to participate in the designated tournament, withdraws from participation, does not meet the necessary travel requirements or is unable to obtain the required accreditation, the place will be offered to the candidate in the next position on the list generated through Random.org.

This procedure will be applied successively, in the order of the reserve list, until a beneficiary is confirmed.

Travel Arrangements for This Selection

The beneficiary selected during the current session of the Iași Open Press Fellowship will participate, as part of the same trip, in:

Guangzhou Open — 26 October – 1 November 2026;

Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open — 2–8 November 2026.

The trip will have a duration of at least 6 (six) days, in addition to the days required for international flights, with the exact period to be communicated to the selected beneficiary.

Transportation between Guangzhou and Hong Kong is planned to be made by train, depending on availability and the travel conditions in place at the time of the trip.

The beneficiary will participate in both tournaments, according to the schedule and travel period established by Iași Open.

Special Circumstances

If, even after applications have been extended nationwide, fewer than 5 eligible applications have been registered, the organizer reserves the right:

• to extend the application period;


• to reschedule the selection session;


• or to cancel the fellowship for the respective tournament.

The organizer’s decision will be communicated publicly.

Art. 8 – Participants’ Rights

Selected participants have the right:

• to benefit from the support communicated for the respective tournament;


• to carry out their journalistic activity with full editorial independence;


• to use the accreditation in accordance with the rules of the tournament organizer.

Iași Open does not request or make participation conditional upon the publication of favorable materials and does not interfere with the editorial content produced by participants.

Art. 9 – Editorial Independence

Selected participants benefit from full editorial independence.

Iași Open does not request or make the provision of support conditional upon the publication of favorable materials regarding Iași Open, the program organizer, the tournament attended, players, partners or other entities involved.

The content, opinions and conclusions of the journalistic materials produced belong exclusively to the participants and/or the media institutions they represent.

Art. 10 – Participants’ Obligations

Participants undertake:

• to comply with the regulations of the tournament they attend;


• to use the accreditation exclusively for professional purposes;


• to comply with all access rules imposed by the competition organizers;


• to behave in a professional and civil manner;


• to comply with the laws of the host country;


• not to undertake any actions that could lead to the withdrawal of their accreditation;


• to inform Iași Open as soon as possible if a situation arises that prevents participation in the trip.

The following constitute serious violations of the regulations:

• unauthorized access to restricted areas;


• fraudulent use of accreditation;


• physical or verbal violence;


• discrimination or harassment;


• theft or destruction of property;


• serious violation of the tournament organizers’ regulations;


• any other behavior that may cause significant harm to the Iași Open Press Fellowship program.

Art. 11 – Termination of Support

Iași Open may withdraw the support provided if the participant:

• has provided false information;


• violates these regulations;


• loses their accreditation through their own fault;


• engages in behavior incompatible with participation in the program.

Depending on the seriousness of the situation and the expenses already incurred, the organizer may request full or partial reimbursement of the costs incurred, under the conditions communicated to the participant before the trip.

Art. 12 – Data Protection

Personal data provided through the application form will be used for the purpose of organizing and conducting the Iași Open Press Fellowship program and will be processed in accordance with applicable personal data protection legislation.

Candidates will be informed, through the application form, about how their personal data will be processed.

Art. 13 – Final Provisions

Participation in the program implies acceptance of these regulations.

Iași Open reserves the right to modify or update the regulations before each edition or selection session, with any changes to be communicated publicly before they take effect.