Network Engineering Grant Program Terms & Conditions

Last updated: August 6, 2026

These Terms and Conditions (these “Terms”) govern your application to, and if you are selected, your participation in, the Meter Network Engineering Grant Program (the “Program”), through which Meter awards discretionary, merit-based grants to individuals who are learning network engineering (each, a “Grant”). In these Terms, “you” means the individual applying to or participating in the Program; an individual who applies is an “Applicant,” and an Applicant who is selected is a “Recipient.” By applying to the Program, you expressly accept and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, please do not apply.

The Program is a discretionary, merit-based grant program. It is not a sweepstakes, lottery, raffle, contest, or game of chance. No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary or permitted to apply, and no consideration is required to apply or to receive a Grant. Grants are awarded solely on Meter’s evaluation of merit, as described in Section 3.

1. Overview and how the Program works

Under the Program, Meter may provide Grants up to $2,000 USD to individuals who are learning to build and operate networks, with the Grant being applied toward specific certifications, courses, study materials, or lab equipment identified in the Applicant’s line-item budget. To apply, you must submit an application and, if your application advances, participate in a brief interview with Meter. Meter reviews applications periodically and selects Recipients in its sole discretion.

In no event will any individual be eligible to receive, or will Meter pay, Grants (or any other cash award under the Program) totaling more than $2,000 USD in any rolling twelve (12)-month period.

2. Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, you must, both when you apply and through the end of the Program:

(a)

be an individual applying on your own behalf, and not a company, an organization, or a person applying for someone else;

(b)

be at least 18 and at least the age of majority in your state, province, or territory of residence (for example, 19 in Alabama and Nebraska, and 21 in Mississippi);

(c)

have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms;

(d)

not be a government official, an employee or officer of any government or agency, an employee of a state-owned or state-controlled entity, a political party or candidate, or a person acting for any of them;

(e)

not be located, resident, or organized in any country or territory that is the target of comprehensive sanctions or embargoes (see Section 13); and

(f)

not be a Meter employee, officer, director, or contractor, or an immediate family or household member of any of them.

Meter may add, modify, or waive eligibility criteria at any time in its sole discretion, and may require documentation to verify that you meet them.

3. Discretionary, merit-based selection

Meter selects Recipients in its sole discretion, based on its own evaluation of merit and any factors it considers relevant, including the quality and specificity of the line-item budget, evidence of self-directed learning, clarity of direction, and genuine need. Meeting the eligibility criteria entitles you to nothing, whether a Grant, an interview, or further consideration. Meter may decline any application for any reason or none, fund some, all, or none of the applications in a cycle, and award less than requested. Its decisions are final and not subject to appeal, challenge, or dispute, and Meter need not provide feedback or reasons.

Meter makes selection decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

4. Application and accuracy

You may submit one application per Program cycle. Your application and everything in it must be your own original work, true, accurate, and complete, and not submitted through automated means or impersonating anyone. You represent that all information you give Meter, at every stage, is and remains true, accurate, and complete. False, misleading, incomplete, or fraudulent information, or using multiple identities or accounts, is grounds for immediate disqualification and, if a Grant was approved or paid, for the remedies in Section 15. Meter may verify any information and require reasonable proof; failure to provide it on request is also grounds for disqualification.

5. Privacy and your information

You provide all information voluntarily and consent to Meter’s collection and use of it as described in these Terms and in the Meter Privacy Policy at meter.com/privacy-policy, incorporated by reference.

Meter collects (a) your identity and contact information (name, email, and city and country of residence); (b) any background you choose to share, such as a GitHub, blog, LinkedIn, or community handle; (c) your application responses, including your line-item budget and screening answers; (d) if your application advances, interview information, which Meter may record with your consent; and (e) if you are selected, the information needed to pay you and meet Meter’s legal obligations, including your date of birth, government-issued ID, mailing address, bank account details with verification that you own the account, and a tax form (such as an IRS Form W-9 or W-8BEN).

Meter uses this information only to operate the Program, including to evaluate applications, conduct interviews, verify eligibility and identity, screen against sanctions and other legal requirements, make and document payments, meet tax and record-keeping obligations, and communicate with you.

Meter limits access to those who need it to run the Program and shares it only with service providers that help operate it. Because Meter operates in the United States, your information may be processed there even if you are located in a different country.

Meter keeps your information only as long as needed to operate the Program and to meet its legal, tax, and compliance obligations. You may ask Meter to delete your information by emailing privacy@meter.com, and Meter will do so in accordance with applicable law, except that Meter may retain information it is required to keep by law (including tax, accounting, and anti-money-laundering records) or that it needs to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

6. Electronic communications

You consent to receive communications from Meter electronically, including by email and through the application platform, and you agree that these Terms and all notices, disclosures, and other communications Meter provides electronically satisfy any legal requirement that they be in writing. You may withdraw this consent by discontinuing your participation, but doing so may prevent Meter from processing your application or Grant.

7. Intellectual property

Meter does not claim ownership of your application or the materials you submit. You grant Meter a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, and store your application and submitted materials for the purpose of operating, evaluating, and administering the Program. Any feedback, ideas, or suggestions you provide to Meter about the Program or about Meter’s products or services may be used by Meter without restriction or obligation to you. Publicity and marketing use of your name, likeness, or story is addressed separately in Section 16.

8. No reliance

In applying to the Program or spending anything on your learning, you rely only on these Terms, not on any other statement, marketing material, post, video, or communication about the Program from Meter or anyone else. Applying creates no promise of an interview, a Grant, any amount, or any benefit, and Meter is not liable for any cost, effort, or lost opportunity you incur in connection with the Program.

9. Changes, suspension, and termination

Meter may modify, suspend, or terminate the Program, or change any aspect of it (including Grant amounts, eligibility and qualification criteria, review cycles, selection criteria, and these Terms), at any time and with or without notice, in its sole discretion. Continued participation after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the change. Meter is not liable for any reliance, expenditure, lost opportunity, or lost expectancy arising from any change to, or suspension or termination of, the Program.

10. Grant acceptance

If Meter selects you for a Grant, Meter will notify you by email at the address in your application. To claim your Grant, you must respond and complete Meter’s acceptance and verification steps within the time Meter specifies. If you do not respond in time, cannot be verified, are found ineligible, or otherwise decline, you forfeit the Grant. By accepting a Grant, you re-confirm, as of the date of acceptance and again as of the date of payment, that every representation and warranty in these Terms remains true.

11. Identity verification

Before paying any Grant, Meter may require you to verify your identity to its satisfaction, including by providing a government-issued ID, your date of birth, and other information Meter or its verification vendor reasonably requests. You represent that you are who you claim to be and that the identity and contact information you provide is your own, current, and accurate. Meter may withhold or decline payment if it cannot verify your identity.

12. Payment and bank verification

Grants are paid in U.S. dollars through the channel Meter designates, which may be a third-party payment provider whose terms you must accept. Before any payment, you must provide accurate bank account information, verify your ownership of that account through the method Meter or its provider specifies, and submit a completed tax form (Form W-9 or W-8BEN, as applicable) and any other documentation Meter requires. Meter pays only to an account you own, never to a third party’s, and only against information accurately recorded in its systems. Meter may withhold payment until all verifications are complete and is not responsible for payments delayed or misdirected because of inaccurate or incomplete information you provide.

13. Sanctions, OFAC, and anti-money-laundering

Meter can pay Grants only in compliance with applicable sanctions, anti-money-laundering, and trade laws. You represent, warrant, and covenant that, when you apply, at payment, and at all times in between:

(a)

you are not, and are not controlled by or acting for, any person that is the target of sanctions or appears on any restricted, denied, or blocked party list of the U.S. government (including OFAC’s Specially Designated Nationals and Consolidated Sanctions lists, the Commerce Department’s Denied Persons and Entity Lists, and the State Department’s lists) or of the United Nations, European Union, United Kingdom, or Canada;

(b)

you are not a citizen or resident of or located in any country or territory subject to comprehensive sanctions or embargoes, including Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, the Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine, Russia, Belarus, Venezuela, and Afghanistan, and any other jurisdiction that later becomes comprehensively sanctioned (each, a “Sanctioned Jurisdiction”);

(c)

you will not use, transfer, or direct any Grant funds to or for the benefit of any sanctioned person or Sanctioned Jurisdiction, or in any way that would cause Meter to violate applicable law;

(d)

the funds and activities associated with your application and Grant are not derived from, and will not be used for, money laundering, terrorist financing, or any other illegal activity; and

(e)

you are not a government official, and your receipt of a Grant will not violate any law, policy, or obligation applicable to you.

Meter may screen you against sanctions and other lists at any time and may refuse, delay, withhold, revoke, or seek to recover any Grant, or decline any application, if it determines in its sole discretion that paying you could implicate any of the above or any applicable law. You will provide any information Meter requests to confirm compliance with this Section.

14. Taxes

A Grant is taxable income to you. You are solely responsible for determining and paying any taxes owed on a Grant and for any related reporting, and you should consult your own tax advisor. Meter pays Grants on a gross basis and does not withhold or remit taxes on your behalf except where required by law. Where required by law, Meter will report the Grant and issue the applicable tax form (for example, an IRS Form 1099-MISC).

15. Use of funds and documentation

If Meter selects you for a Grant, you will use your Grant only for the items in your application’s line-item budget, or a substantially similar use Meter approves, and will provide reasonable documentation of use on request (such as a receipt, passed-exam confirmation, or completed-course record). If you do not, or Meter determines you used the Grant for a materially different purpose or misrepresented your plan or use, Meter may, in its sole discretion, decline further payment, revoke any undisbursed portion, and treat you as ineligible going forward. Where a Grant was obtained through fraud or material misrepresentation, Meter may require repayment, and you agree to repay promptly on request.

16. Publicity and marketing

If Meter selects you for a Grant, Meter may identify you as a Recipient of a Grant. By accepting a Grant, you agree that Meter may publish and use your name and the general nature of what your Grant supported (for example, “Recipient, City - funded a CCNA exam and study materials”) in connection with operating and announcing the Program.

Any additional publicity, including use of your photograph, image, likeness, voice, statements, interview recording, or a more detailed story about you is optional and will be used only if you separately opt in through a publicity release that Meter provides. You may decline additional publicity without affecting your Grant.

17. Disclaimers; release; limitation of liability

THE PROGRAM AND ANY GRANT ARE PROVIDED “AS IS.” METER DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT A GRANT, MENTORSHIP, OR ANY OTHER BENEFIT WILL RESULT IN A CERTIFICATION, A COURSE COMPLETION, A JOB, AN ADMISSION, INCOME, OR ANY OTHER OUTCOME, AND METER MAKES NO WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN CONNECTION WITH THE PROGRAM.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU RELEASE METER AND ITS AFFILIATES, AND THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS (THE “METER PARTIES”), FROM ANY AND ALL CLAIMS, DAMAGES, LIABILITIES, COSTS, AND EXPENSES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO YOUR APPLICATION TO OR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROGRAM, YOUR RECEIPT OR USE OF ANY GRANT, FUNDS, EQUIPMENT, OR BENEFIT, AND ANY INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE METER PARTIES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY LOST PROFITS OR LOST OPPORTUNITY. THE METER PARTIES’ TOTAL LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THE PROGRAM AND THESE TERMS WILL NOT EXCEED $2,000 USD.

18. Governing law, disputes, and arbitration

These Terms, and any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Program, are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules.

Before starting an arbitration, you agree to contact Meter at legal@meter.com and give Meter at least thirty (30) days to try to resolve the matter informally.

Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Program that is not resolved informally will be resolved exclusively by final and binding arbitration administered by JAMS under its then-current applicable rules, before a single arbitrator, seated in San Francisco, California. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in the state or federal courts located in San Francisco, California to protect its intellectual property or confidential information, and each party submits to the exclusive jurisdiction of those courts for that limited purpose.

All disputes will be resolved only on an individual basis. You and Meter each waive any right to bring or participate in any class, collective, consolidated, or representative action, and the arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person’s claims or preside over any form of class or representative proceeding. You and Meter also waive any right to a trial by jury.

19. Miscellaneous

Nothing in the Program or these Terms, including applying, interviewing, or receiving a Grant, mentorship, or any other benefit, creates any employment, agency, partnership, joint venture, or contractor relationship with Meter or any offer or promise of employment. These Terms, together with the Meter Privacy Policy and any Program rules or instructions Meter provides, are the entire agreement between you and Meter regarding the Program and supersede any prior understanding. If any provision of these Terms is held unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full effect, and the unenforceable provision will be enforced to the maximum extent permitted. Meter’s failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of it. Meter may assign these Terms; you may not assign or transfer these Terms or any Grant, and any Grant is personal to you and non-transferable. Meter is not liable for any delay or failure to perform due to causes beyond its reasonable control. These Terms are between you and Meter and create no rights in any third party. Provisions that by their nature should survive, including those on privacy, no reliance, disputes, taxes, revocation and recovery, no employment, publicity, and disclaimers and liability, survive termination of the Program or of your participation. Questions about the Program or these Terms, and privacy or deletion requests, may be directed to Meter, Inc., 2700 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110, privacy@meter.com.

By applying to the Program, and again by accepting any Grant, you confirm that you have read and understood these Terms, agree to be bound by them, and represent that everything you have told Meter is true.

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