Product EndorsEmEnt Program requirements For EndorsEmEnt Product Evaluation criteria and ProcEdurEs

P

roduct

E

ndorsEmEnt

P

rogram

The American Rose Society Endorsement Seal is awarded to products that have been developed for use by rose growers, after thorough testing and evaluation according to established criteria, and on approval by the ARS Product Evaluation Team and the Board of Directors.

r

F

E

Products and/or services should be related to rose growing or rose promotion.

•

Products and product claims must be tested and evaluated by the ARS Product Evaluation Committee.

•

Products and/or services must be generally available throughout the United States.

•

Products should be available in reasonably sized packages for home gardeners.

•

A home gardener should not be required to use an applicator’s license in order to use the product.

•

Endorsements will be approved by the ARS Product Evaluation Committee and Board of Directors at

•

regularly scheduled meetings.

P

E

c

P

Proposed approximate date for release of product (as “endorsed by ARS”) shall be furnished to ARS at

•

application, or at least prior to final ARS approval.

Product supplier must pay a Commitment fee in the amount of $500. This is fee is not transferrable.

•

The ARS Product Evaluation Committee will determine the time necessary to evaluate these products, prior

•

to the start of evaluation process.

Products such as insecticides, herbicides and fertilizers, etc. will be evaluated over a time period not to

•

exceed one full growing season. A “growing season” is generally referred to as the beginning of early spring and continuing through late summer.

Non-chemical product evaluations may be evaluated in a shorter time frame at the discretion of the ARS

•

Product Evaluation Committee.

The product supplier must provide a copy of the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS), the selling/product

•

information sheet and the product label before any pesticide testing can be administered.

Product supplier must ship quantities of the product to be evaluated to the individual garden evaluators for

•

the purpose of product evaluation during the growing season. Mailing list for all evaluators will be provided by ARS.

Products that require an EPA labeling of “Danger” will not be evaluated by the ARS Product Evaluation

•

Committee unless the ARS Board of Directors gives prior approval for the evaluation of the product. All product testing will be administered as directed by the product label.

•

All endorsed products should perform as advertised.

•

The product supplier will be notified of endorsement approval by ARS headquarters. •

a

r

s

P

E

P

t

E

Endorsement can be renewed for additional five year terms. •

If a product is physically or chemically changed, or if the product claims are changed,

•

and if the ARS Product Evaluation Committee determines the change(s) is (are)

significant, the product must be re-tested and re-evaluated by the ARS Product Evaluation

Committee and re-approved by the ARS Board of Directors, whether during the endorsement period or at time of renewal.

If minor changes are made in a product, an amendment to the endorsement may be

•

recommended by the ARS Product Evaluation Committee without full-scale testing, and shall be approved by the ARS Board of Directors.

If there is no change in a product or service, formal re-testing is not necessary by the ARS

•

Product Evaluation Committee for renewal of the endorsement.

Application for renewal of endorsement should be made one year prior to the end of each

•

endorsement term, so that continuity of the endorsement can be maintained.

r

ars

i

E

P

Commitment fee in the amount of $500.

•

Five Year Endorsement fee is $5,000, payable when endorsement is awarded. The

•

Commitment fee is not transferrable and will not be applied towards the Five Year Endorsement fee of $5,000.

Product supplier must purchase four full-page color advertisements featuring the

•

Endorsed Product in American Rose or American Rose Annual per year, or place equivalent advertising.

r

t

Endorsement is eligible for renewal at the end of the initial year and all subsequent terms.

•

Endorsement renewal fee is $5,000 for a five year renewal term. •

ARS Headquarters will notify the product supplier one year prior to the end of the

•

endorsement period, so that continuity of the endorsement can be maintained.

c

r

E

Physical or chemical change in product or change in product claims without submission

•

to the ARS Product Evaluation Committee.

Failure to place required advertising in American Rose or the American Rose Annual.

•

If a product becomes generally unavailable or is banned by the U. S. Government.

•

m

, l

u

c

s

On the awarding of the ARS Rose Product Endorsement, the Product Supplier will be granted the following:

ARS Endorsement Logo is available for use on endorsed product packaging, and in

•

company advertisements. ARS Endorsement Logo must be removed from store shelves and from advertising copy within one month of the end of the endorsement term or renewal thereof.

Product supplier will be granted Gold Corporate Partner status ($10,000 value) during the

•

a

r

s

P

E

P

As a Gold Corporate Partner, the product supplier will receive the following:

10 Free Garden Admission Passes

•

Gift Memberships at a reduced rate

•

5 Free Admission Tickets to Christmas in Roseland

•

ARS Member Benefits Program Discounts •

Certificate of Corporate Membership •

Discount on all ARS Gift Shop purchases (10%, in-store, phone, email)

•

Invitation to the Annual Corporate Partners Breakfast

•

Discount on facility rental (15% up to $1,500 value)

•

One Free Weekday Meeting Space (Subject to Availability)

•

Corporate Family Day

•

Acknowledgement on the Garden’s Corporate Partners web page

•

Acknowledgement in Annual Report and Donor Wall

•

Corporate subscription to American Rose magazine (5 bi-monthly issues)

•

Corporate subscription to American Rose Annual

•

Corporate subscription to Handbook for Selecting Rose Annual

•

Monthly recognition in the American Rose magazine

•

Sponsorship Opportunities

•

Volunteer Opportunities for staff

•

Use of ARS Corporate Partnership Logo in advertising/marketing applications

•

Free full page, four color advertisement in American Rose (Must be camera ready)

•

Free exhibit table for 2 days during bi-annual ARS National Conventions

•

Company literature displayed for visitors of the American Rose Center

P

roduct

E

ndorsEmEnt

P

rogram

Under the requirements for an official American Rose Society (ARS) endorsement, this agreement represents

a commitment by the undersigned Product Supplier to enter the ARS Product Evaluation Program, to be administered by members of the ARS Product Evaluation Committee, with a goal of receiving ARS endorsement of the subject product.

ARS agrees to fairly and promptly test and evaluate the product under the supervision of the ARS Product Evaluation Committee. After the testing period, the Product Evaluation Committee will submit its results to the applicable ARS authorizing body to seek full endorsement of the product.

The product supplier agrees to provide ample test product and any reasonable related applicators or devices that are specially used for the products to all members of the Product Evaluation Committee, the mailing list to be supplied by ARS. Products shall be evaluated during the “growing season,” the term of which shall be determined by the Product Evaluation Committee Chairman.

As per the ARS Product Endorsement Program, a Commitment Fee shall be due on submission of this signed Commitment Agreement in the amount of $500. The Commitment fee is not transferrable and will not be applied towards the Five Year Endorsement fee of $5,000.

The period for official endorsement shall be for five (5) years; all requirements and terms under the ARS

Product Endorsement Program shall apply.

Approximate, anticipated date of release of product (as “endorsed by ARS”)

P

roduct

E

ndorsEmEnt

P

rogram

Agreement Date: ____________________________________________________________________________ Signed, American Rose Society: ________________________________________________________________

Jeffrey Ware, American Rose Society Executive Director

Signed, Rose Product Supplier: ________________________________________________________________

Authorizing Representative

q _{Enclosed is the amount of $500 Commitment Fee. I acknowledge Commitment fee is not transferrable and}

will not be applied towards the Five Year Endorsement fee of $5,000.

Product Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Product Company: __________________________________________________________________________ Approximate Product Release Date: _____________________________________________________________

Term of Commitment Officer for Product Supplier: _________________________________________________

P

s

c

i

Contact Person: _____________________________________________________________________________ Title: _____________________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________________________________________________________________ E-mail: ____________________________________________________________________________________