Guidelines for EDGE Experts and EDGE Auditors

These guidelines are created by IFC (“we”) for an entity (“you”) who is an EDGE Expert or EDGE Auditor that wishes to use IFC’s EDGE Trademark (the “mark”) in promoting or advertising your services in marketing materials. An EDGE Expert or EDGE Auditor has been trained, passed the EDGE exam, and has been either licensed or accredited to perform their services. Any other individual who is not an accredited EDGE Expert or licensed EDGE Auditor may not use the mark without the express consent of IFC.

IFC’s EDGE trademark is a valuable asset. In using the mark in your marketing materials, you consent and agree to the following guidelines, which help us protect our valuable trademark rights and maintain the integrity of the EDGE brand.

1. Use of the EDGE Mark
a. The EDGE mark is the exclusive property of IFC. We own all right, title and interest in and to the mark, including but not limited to, copyright, trademark, service mark and other intellectual property rights in and to it, as applicable. You acknowledge that the mark is being provided and licensed as a convenience without warranty of any kind, except for any warranties that may be set forth in an agreement between you and IFC. As such, use of the mark and term must not create a sense of endorsement, sponsorship or false association with IFC, and should not be forwarded to another party.
b. As an EDGE Expert or Auditor, you are given the right by IFC to use the EDGE mark and credential of either “EDGE Expert” or “EDGE Auditor” for purposes connected with your business. The EDGE mark may be used in association with only those individuals who are accredited as EDGE Experts or EDGE Auditors.

i. EDGE Experts must first take EDGE training, pass the EDGE exam, and then read, understand and sign the EDGE Expert Participation Agreement before receiving permission to use the EDGE logo and EDGE Expert status in association with their title. For recommendations on how to promote your services as an EDGE Expert, refer to the Branding Guidelines for EDGE Experts.
ii. EDGE Auditors must first take the EDGE Auditor training, pass the EDGE exam, and receive their license from their respective certification provider before receiving permission to use the EDGE logo and EDGE Auditor status in association with their title. For recommendations on how to promote your services as an EDGE Auditor, refer to the Branding Guidelines for EDGE Auditors.
c. Companies or individuals may not manufacture, sell or give away merchandise items bearing the EDGE mark without an express written trademark license from IFC. Use of the EDGE mark for commercial purposes other than in association with your services without the prior written consent of IFC is strictly prohibited; such use, without our consent, may constitute trademark infringement and unfair competition in violation of international law.
d. By using the EDGE mark, you acknowledge that IFC is the sole owner of the mark and promise that you will not interfere with IFC’s rights to the mark, including challenging IFC’s use, registration of, or application to register such trademark, alone or in combination with other words, anywhere in the world, and that you will not harm, misuse, or bring into disrepute the EDGE mark.
e. You may not modify or alter the EDGE mark. If IFC in its sole discretion notifies you that the published use of the EDGE mark is not acceptable, you shall not use the mark in such manner until it has been modified to IFC’s reasonable satisfaction.
f. Your use of the mark, and any goodwill associated therewith, shall inure solely to the benefit of IFC.
g. You shall not use or register any trademark, domain name or other name that is confusingly similar to the EDGE mark or that is an alteration or translation thereof.
h. All use of the EDGE mark by you shall:

i. conform to IFC’s guidelines and instructions regarding use of the EDGE mark as in effect from time to time, including, without limitation, the guidelines set forth in this document, and
ii. otherwise comply with any notice or marking requirement under local or international law.
i. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless IFC and its affiliates from and against any claim, cost or liability of any kind, including for copyright and trademark infringement, arising out of your use of the mark, and waive, release, and hold harmless IFC, its affiliates, vendors or clients from any claim or liability based upon your use of the mark.
j. Except for the limited right to use the EDGE mark as expressly permitted under these guidelines, no other rights of any kind are granted hereunder, by implication, estoppel or otherwise.
2. Technical Specifications of the EDGE Mark
a. The EDGE logo is comprised of four letters.” The mark must not be modified.
b. The logo should be used in color against a white background. EDGE can be used in its black-and-white version, only if the publication is in black-and-white.
c. The logo should not be enclosed in an outlined box, but should be allowed to float. The logo should not be translated or altered in any way.
d. The EDGE mark does not need to be used in conjunction with the IFC logo unless there are specific reasons to do so. Otherwise the EDGE mark should appear as a stand-alone.
e. Textual mention of the World Bank Group is encouraged, but cannot appear without IFC first being mentioned, and cannot appear instead of IFC. The World Bank Group logo should not be used.
f. Whenever possible, accompany the mark with an acknowledgement of IFC ownership, for example: The EDGE trademark is owned by IFC and used with permission.
g. When EDGE appears as a word and not a graphic, it should not be written as upper and lowercase, but should appear entirely in capital letters.
h. EDGE should not be preceded with “the,” as in “the EDGE.”
i. In general, it is preferable not to refer to EDGE as a program or a tool, but simply as “EDGE.”
j. For clarification purposes when referring to the EDGE software, it can be stated as such (“the EDGE software” or “the EDGE software application”). It is also appropriate to refer to the “EDGE standard” (which comprises the 20% efficiency targets) and the “EDGE certification system.”
k. In textual use, it is preferable not to spell out “Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies,” and these words should never precede “EDGE,” but can follow in brackets: EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies). If the words are spelled out, care should be taken that “Efficiencies” appear in the plural, as the word refers to energy, water and embodied energy in materials. When appearing in written materials, “in” and “for” should not be capitalized (as they are in the logo).
l. You must only use electronic versions of the EDGE mark provided by IFC, which can be obtained by emailing edge@ifc.org. For online references, the EDGE mark and/or name should link to edgebuildings.com.

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