Submissions

MANUFACTURER’S INFORMATION: CRITERIA FOR TESTING

Terms and Conditions for Toy Submission

Organizations submitting a toy to the Canadian Toy Testing Council (CTTC) agree to abide by all of the following Terms and Conditions for Toy Submission.
For the purpose of these terms and conditions, the term “Toy” shall also include but not be restricted to: games, electronic media, active play devices, craft kits, dress up clothes, puppets and other products that are designed to stimulate various forms of play for children.

Every year the CTTC receives toys that are new and innovative to include in  its annual program and Toy Report. The CTTC Toy Selection Committee reviews thousands of toys through attendance at various Toy Fairs and the review of catalogues and promotional material.  Through this process, the CTTC Toy Selection Committee identifies toys which it wishes to assess through its testing program. At this point in the process the toy companies are invited to submit their products.  Organizations are free to submit their toys directly to the Canadian Toy Testing Council and the CTTC  will make every effort to assess all those submitted. Note however that due to capacity limitations, preference may be given to those toys specifically requested by the CTTC. We cannot guarantee that all non-solicited toys will be considered for review.  Please do not hesitate to contact the CTTC should you wish to discuss any aspect of these terms and conditions. In all cases, toys must meet the requirements contained in these Terms and Conditions.

Requirements for Submission:

  1. Only eligible toys (defined below) may be submitted to the CTTC for evaluation and award consideration.
  2. Six (6) samples of each toy submitted must be provided to the CTTC as a donation. In the case of craft kits, seven (7) samples must be provided.
    • Each sample is to be marked as “donation”.
    • All shipping costs, duties and taxes are to be covered by the submitting organisation.
    • The submitting organization shall make appropriate arrangements to ensure that toys sent from outside Canada are cleared through Canada Customs.
  3. Complete the Request for Product Form by providing the exact name of the toy, the model number, the recommended age range, the suggested retail price (in $Cdn) and date when the toy will be available to the Canadian market.
  4. Submit toys as early as possible, and in all cases before June 15th of the submitting year.  (In exceptional circumstances, the Program Manager or Executive Director may extend this date by a few days as capacity allows.  Any toy submitted after this date may be considered ineligible for inclusion in this year’s program unless expressly authorized by the CTTC.)  It is not necessary for all toys for a given company arrive together and companies are encouraged to send products separately to avoid delay.
  5. Please note that submission of a product signifies that you have read and agree to abide by the terms of Canadian Toy Testing Council Criteria for Testing.

Additional Requirements based on the Toy’s Performance:

  • If your toy receives a three-star rating, you will be asked to provide a high-quality visual image of your toy for inclusion on our website www.toy-testing.org. In addition, you will be invited to take advantage of our seal program, which allows you to put the Canadian Toy Testing Council’s three-star seal on your packaging.
  •  If your three-star toy is identified as under consideration for an award, you will be  required to demonstrate that your toy meets the condition of “available to the Canadian market” (defined below) in order for the toy to be eligible for further award consideration.
  • If your toy is selected for an award, you will be notified in advance and you will be requested to send additional samples of your product for display at the National Media Conference and for use at various other promotional or media events.  You will also be invited to send a representative as well as any other promotional material for your product or organization.
  • Please note, if your toy is selected for an award, you will be obligated to respect the imposed Embargo date for public announcement.  Failure to respect this Embargo may lead to legal action.

Eligible toys

Only eligible toys may be submitted to the CTTC for evaluation and award consideration. For a toy to be eligible for testing in the CTTC program, it must:

  • Be market ready in all respects (packaging, toy design, function, etc.). No prototypes will be accepted as part of this program.
  • Target children between the ages 0-16 yrs.
  • Be “available in Canada” (as defined below) by November 1st of the year of testing.
  • Be new (introduced during the current or previous year; may also include older toys that are new to the Canadian market).
  • Be received by the office by June 15th. Toys received after this date may be considered on the agreement of the Executive Director or Program Manager.

The following products are not tested by the CTTC and are therefore not eligible:

  • Puzzles;
  • Stuffed toys where there is no other function or form of play (for example we will test a range of baby toys or dolls that are stuffed but offer various forms of stimulation or development);
  • Nail polish unless part of a kit with other accessories/features;
  • Books (unless they are by a Canadian author or illustrator in which case they may be eligible for our literacy program);
  • Other non-toy like products that may be targeted to children such as bedding, specialty dishes, bags/suitcases, etc.

Available in Canada

To be included in the CTTC program, listed in the CTTC Toy Report and eligible for a CTTC Award, the product must be “available to the Canadian market”.  To be considered “available to the Canadian market”, a product must be nationally distributed; that is to say, easily attainable through nationwide retail outlets (boutique type specialty toy shops are acceptable, as well as large chain outlets) or through Canadian based internet sources.  Specifically, consumers across Canada must be able to purchase the product in Canadian dollars and be able to have the item delivered from a Canadian source

  • The product must be made available to the Canadian market by November 1 of the testing year.
  • Further, the submitter must be able to demonstrate by solid, clear evidence provided on or before October 15 of the testing year that the toy is available to the Canadian market, or that it will be available by November 1.

Disposal of Donated Product

The submitter understands that the donated product will not be returned to the submitter and it is agreed that the CTTC may dispose of the donated product as it sees fit including but not limited to: use during media interviews, donated to charities, or sold as gently used toys to generate revenue for ongoing evaluation programs.