Proof Challenge is an incentivized prize competition that aims to source the best ideas – and better protect those who serve. We know there are untapped wells of creativity, innovation, and problem solving. This is our effort to find them, and ask them to help solve this problem.
“The best way to have a good idea, is to have lots of ideas”
– Linus Pauling
The challenge consists of a 10-week idea submission period followed by a 2-week blitz round for rapid refinement. Participants will compete for prizes within a $250,000 prize pot. The following prizes will be awarded:
Up to 5 small prize contest winners of up to $5,000 each*
Up to 3 runners-up winning up to $25,000 each*
Up to 3 finalists winning $50,000-$150,000*
*JPEO reserves the right to allocate fund amounts based on submission score.
For finalists who opt-in and meet further acceptability criteria, JPEO may award a Cooperative Research & Development Agreement (CRADA) assessment and/or third party testing. Eligible entries may be selected on a case-by-case basis.
Solutions may be selected to test on a case-by-case basis given the feasibility to test the solution. The Government reserves the right to not release the test data for any reason, including the data’s security classification. Data may not be made available to participants based on data security classification.
The Challenge will launch with a 10-week open submission period for participants to register and enter their ideas for solutions within five problem areas:
Upon registering, participants and/or teams will enter their idea under one of the five categories. Participants may enter more than one idea in the Challenge as long as only one idea is submitted within a single category. During the scoring and selection period, judges will only select one idea from a participant and/or team if multiple submissions have been made to the same category. Multiple awards will not be made to the same participant and/or team.
During the Ideation Period, prospective participants and teams may also engage on the Challenge’s Facebook page. This page is a channel for collaboration and team building for individuals seeking team members, particular capabilities or skill sets, or to share early-stage ideas. The Challenge Facebook page is also a channel where participants may ask technical questions (how to enter the Challenge, how to submit, eligibility criteria, how submissions will be evaluated, and intellectual property questions) and receive direction to the Challenge website.
Ideas and solutions posted within the Facebook page are not eligible for judging. Only submissions registered and entered through the Challenge website will be judged.
In order for a submission to be eligible for a prize it must meet the following criteria:
A panel of expert reviewers will evaluate ideas and may select the best ideas for further refinement and entry into the Blitz Round.
During the Challenge, up to 5 side contests will be held and announced on the Challenge website and Facebook page. Side contests will encourage creativity, collaboration and out-of-the-box thinking. Side contest winners may be awarded up to $5,000 and be selected within the following categories:
Challenge finalists and runners-up are also eligible to win side contest awards. Side contest awards will be announced and awarded during the Winners Announcement period.
Following the Ideation Period, Challenge reviewers will score all submissions. Several submissions will be selected for further refinement. These teams will be notified and invited to participate in the Blitz Round. The Blitz Round is two weeks in which teams will rapidly refine their submission based on reviewer feedback.
Blitz round selection does not predispose teams to winner selection, nor does it indicate that entries selected for refinement will move forward as semifinalists. Blitz round team members will receive aggregated reviewer feedback. Teams will re-submit their entries onto the Challenge website before the end of the Blitz Round. The Challenge submission period will close and judges will evaluate and score Blitz round entries. Winners will be selected and announced in early December.
Participants can register by clicking “Sign In” above and registering anytime during the proposal submission period stated above.
The Challenge Facebook page supplements the Challenge website by allowing the general public and prospective Challenge participants to engage online, share their ideas, ask specific questions and stay up-to-date. The Facebook page ultimately drives participants to the Challenge website to enter a submission. The Challenge Facebook page will be open during the entire duration of the Challenge and will be located at: Facebook.com/ProofChallenge