Submission requirements
Phase 1: Ideation – Concept & Initial Design – 30 Prize Winners
Teams will submit whitepapers describing their proposed technology solution, their team qualifications, and their public safety partnership. Teams’ whitepapers should prove they are actively working toward a solution that will effectively fill the competition goals. Up to 30 teams will win prizes and funding after Phase 1.
Due: March 21, 2022
Phase 2: Ideation – Early Demonstration – 30 Prize Winners
As with Phase 1, teams’ submissions must prove that they are working toward a solution that fulfills the requirements in the evaluation criteria table, along with meeting benchmark requirements. Judges will determine whether teams have made adequate progress in developing a solution that will meet target benchmarks, which will be released before or concurrent with the announcement of Phase 1 winners.
Due: May 16, 2022
Phase 3: Proof of Concept – Refined Prototype Demonstration – 10 Prize Winners
Teams will provide a complete system design, provide benchmark data of performance including sensor data, and provide a video demonstration of the system working. Teams may make their submissions in whichever format(s) they choose, but their materials must be easily accessible to judges. After Phase 3, 10 finalists will earn prize money and be invited to the MUTC facility for live field testing.
Due: October 3, 2022
Phase 4: Live Field Testing – MUTC Facility – 6 Prize Winners
Judges will determine which teams are deemed Phase 4 winners based on how well their designs fulfill the evaluation criteria. Teams’ results from live trials, along with the feedback from SMEs using and observing the technology will be taken into consideration. Further funding will be awarded to each team based on their performance.
Due: March 27-31, 2023
Phase 5: Advanced Live Field Testing – MUTC Facility – 6 Prize Winners
Judges will determine which teams are deemed Phase 5 winners based on how well their designs fulfill the overall criteria. Teams’ results from live trials, along with the feedback from SMEs using and observing the technology will be taken into consideration. After Phase 5, the largest cash prizes will be distributed to teams based on their technology’s performance.
Due: October 23-27, 2023
Team Eligibility
A participant (whether an individual, private entity, or team (“participant” herein) must have registered to participate and complied with all of the requirements under Section 105 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. No. 111-358), as amended by Section 401 of the American Innovation and Competitiveness Act of 2016 (Pub. L. No. 114-329) and codified in 15 U.S.C. §3719 (hereinafter “America COMPETES Act” or “15 U.S.C. §3719”) as contained herein.
A participant who registers or submits an entry (whether an individual, private entity, or team or anyone acting on behalf of a private entity or team) to participate in this Challenge represents that they have read, understood, and agree to all terms and conditions of the Official Rules.
To be eligible to win a cash prize, a participant must register as an individual, private entity, or team as defined below:
- Individual: a person age 18 or older at time of entry and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident of the United States or its territories.
- Private Entity: a company, institution, or other organization that is incorporated in and maintains a primary place of business in the United States or its territories.
Team: a group of individuals or a group of private entities, with at least one member of the team meeting the definition for either Individual or Private Entity. Note that while team members may not necessarily fulfill the eligibility requirements, the individual or private entity designated as the team leader must meet the U.S. requirements listed above.
For all participants, general eligibility requirements include:
- Participant may not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment.
- Participant may not be a NIST employee.
- Non-NIST federal employees acting in their personal capacities should consult with their respective agency ethics officials to determine whether their participation in this challenge is permissible. A participant shall not be deemed ineligible because the individual or entity used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during this challenge if the federal employees and facilities are made available to all participants on an equitable basis.
- Participant may not be a NIST contractor or associate, or private entity providing services to NIST acting within the scope of their contract, employment, or funding or acquisition agreement with NIST which would involve the use of NIST funding to support a participant’s participation in the challenge.
- Participants may not be individuals or private entities which provide program support services to NIST including strategic planning, project / program management, communications, reporting, program evaluation, or other similar services to NIST.
- Individuals who are former NIST federal employees or NIST associates are not eligible to enter as an individual or member of a team for 365 days from their last date of paid employment or association with NIST with the exception of individuals in a student internship, experiential learning, or similar temporary employment status.
- Any individuals (including an individual’s parent, spouse, or child) or private entities involved with the design, production, execution, distribution or evaluation of the challenge are not eligible to enter as an individual or member of a team.
- Employees of any official co-sponsoring entities are not eligible to enter.
- A participant (whether participating as an individual, private entity, or member of a team) must not have been convicted of a felony criminal violation under any federal law within the preceding 24 months and must not have any unpaid federal tax liability that has been assessed, for which all judicial and administrative remedies have been exhausted or have lapsed, and that is not being paid in a timely manner pursuant to an agreement with the authority responsible for collecting the tax liability.
Participants must not be suspended, debarred, or otherwise excluded from doing business with the federal government.