Proposal Submission Rules

Proposals that are submitted to Ford Motor Company may have been previously considered or already developed by us, or we may be developing an idea that is similar to your proposal. This can cause confusion about the origin of the idea. We must be able to prove that our idea was developed independently of your proposal.

Determining who developed what aspects of a proposal can be a complex and time-consuming process involving hundreds of people. There is considerably less risk if we develop ideas from the people we employ.

In order to review your proposal, we developed the following rules and terms & conditions. If you would like us to review your proposal, you must agree to them.

Please read the rules and terms & conditions carefully and contact your attorney before submitting proposals to the Company.

Qualifications for review

In order to be considered, submissions must relate to products that are used by Ford and its companies. Also, you must agree to Proposal Submission Terms & Conditions.

Submissions that will not be reviewed

Examples of proposals that will not be considered are:

  1. Confidential information of any type
  2. Product styling or design
  3. Product names, slogans or logos
  4. Ways of conducting some part of the business

Non-Confidentiality

Please do not submit confidential information. Ford will not keep your proposal confidential, as your proposal will be copied and distributed to many people at Ford for evaluation. We do not wish to make your proposal public, but there are a large number of Ford specialists that will review the proposal, so it may be discussed with individuals outside of the company. If you would like to keep your materials confidential, do NOT send them to us. WE WILL NOT REVIEW CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.

Please note that if you have preliminary discussions with Ford employees or specialists, they are not authorized to accept information on a confidential or restricted basis.

You are free to submit your proposal to other companies without informing us; however, we request that you do not disclose that Ford is considering your proposal.

Ford Motor Company Obligations

Ford agrees to review your proposal when properly submitted via this website, according to the Proposal Submission Rules and under the Proposal Submission Terms & Conditions. We have no obligation to use your proposal.

In return for your acceptance of the Proposal Submission Terms & Conditions, Ford Motor Company offers a non-confidential, preliminary evaluation of your submitted materials. Following the preliminary evaluation, if we are interested in pursuing your project, you will be notified.

Consulting

Ford Motor Company does not act in a consulting capacity. We are not obligated to provide you with an explanation for any decision the Company reaches. This applies to the original disclosure as well as to anything you later disclose, orally or in writing. We assume no obligation to tell you something we already knew or have discovered since you submitted your proposal.

Ownership

You must own the proposal you are submitting. You cannot submit the proposal of another person or party. The proposal must be the original creation of the individual who signs the disclosure form and the signor must have the exclusive right to submit the proposal to the company. Further, the signor must have the legal right to negotiate the proposal with us and the power and authority to grant any and all rights in the material. This does not mean that you are granting any rights under a patent, which you already have or may obtain in the future, during this preliminary review.

Often, employers will require an employee to sign an employment contract. Some conditions of this contract may be that the company will own proposals related to their business. Please determine whether your employer owns the proposal you are submitting. Ford cannot accept proposals that are in violation of an agreement or understanding with another party, such as your current or former employer.

Age

You must be at least 18 years old.

Language

As a global company, we prefer correspondences in English. We recognize that our business is conducted in several languages around the world, but our primary language for business transactions is English and this website is solely concerned with opportunities in the United States.