The Challenge is in two stages.

In Stage 1 – You could be a finalist. We will choose up to fifteen Finalists who will receive $5,000 each and automatically advance to Stage 2 of the Challenge for a chance to win more money. The judging will be selected based on fulfilling submission instructions and judging criteria.
In Stage 2 – You could be a prize winner. We will choose the Prize Winners based on fulfilling submission requirements, Stage 1 and Stage 2 judging criteria, and “Use Case” applicability. The “Use Cases” are in four categories. You can apply for one or more. Make sure you explain how your proposed solution will be used by First Responders, for Personal Use, by a Household, and in Indoor/outdoor venues accessible to homeless or displaced populations in public settings.
Prize Winners:

• One Grand Prize Winner: $50,000
• One Runner-up Winner: $20,000
• Up to Four “Use Case” Winners: $10,000
• Up to Two Honorable Mentions: $5,000

Payment of Prizes: Prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid by DHS and cash prizes must be received via electronic funds transfer. All Federal, State, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the Finalists and Prize Winners. DHS will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.

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Eligibility Requirements: This Challenge is open to all individuals (non-felons) over the age of 18, U.S. Citizens or legal permanent residents at the time of submission, and to all legal U.S. entities whose primary place of business is in the U.S. eligibility is subject to verification by DHS before cash prizes are awarded.

Officers, directors, advisory board members, employees, and support contractors of the DHS and Challenge judges are ineligible to compete in this Challenge. Likewise, members of their immediate family (spouses, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, parents, step-parents), and persons living in the same household, whether or not related, are not eligible to participate in any portion of this Challenge. Note: The members of an individual’s household include any other person who shares the same residence as such individual for at least three months out of the year. See the Challenge.gov public notice for full set of exclusions and eligibility requirements.

You are not eligible to receive any cash prize award in the Challenge if you are a resident designated by the United States Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

To be eligible to win a cash prize award under this Challenge, an individual or entity (“Contestant”):

1. Shall have applied to participate in this Challenge under the rules promulgated by DHS in accordance with the description provided and comply with all of the requirements in this announcement.
2. Pursuant to the America COMPETES Act, cash prize awards for this Challenge may only be given to an individual that is a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident of the United States, or an entity that is incorporated in and whose primary place of business is in the United States, subject to verification by DHS before prizes are awarded. An individual or entity must enter the Challenge directly by following the instructions in “How to Enter a Submission” and send the submission to prizeauthority@hq.dhs.gov in this announcement in order to be eligible to win a cash prize award.
3. Entities selected as a Finalists and Prize Winners must register or be previously registered in the System for Awards Management in order to receive a cash prize award. Registration in the System for Awards Management is not a prerequisite for submitting a submission to this Challenge. Failure to register in the System for Awards Management within thirty (30) days of notification by DHS will result in a disqualification of the winning submission. A Contestant (individual or entity) that is determined to be on the GSA Excluded Parties List is ineligible to receive a cash prize award and will not be selected as a cash prize Finalist or Prize Winner.
4. Contestants (individuals and entities), otherwise eligible to win a prize, may form and submit a team submission; however, each eligible individual or entity must first register as an individual (Contestant) for the Challenge before they form a team. Failure to follow this procedure as outlined on the Challenge website will disqualify the Challenge submission. Team winnings, as determined by DHS, will be distributed to the team submission.
5. Contestants to this Challenge must agree to be bound by the rules of the Challenge, agree that the decision of the judges for this Challenge are final and binding, and acknowledge that their submission may be the subject of a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and that they are responsible for identifying and marking all business confidential and proprietary information in their submission.
6. Individuals and individual team members selected as a Challenge cash prize Finalists or Prize Winners must submit all required taxpayer identification and bank account information required to complete an electronic payment of a cash prize award. Failure to provide DHS required documents for electronic payment within thirty (30) days of notification by DHS will result in a disqualification of any winning submission.
7. Contestants in this Challenge must agree, as a condition for winning a cash prize, must agree to complete and submit all required Finalists and Prize Winners verification documents to DHS within thirty (30) days of notification.
8. Contestants to this Challenge must agree and consent, as a condition for receiving a cash prize award, to the use of their name, entity, city and State, likeness or image, comments, and a short synopsis of their Final or Prize-Winning solution as a part of DHS’s promotion of this Challenge.
9. As a condition of participation, all Contestants must agree to indemnify the federal government against third-party claims for damages arising from or related to challenge activities. Contestants are not required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in the Challenge. By entering the Challenge, Contestants agree to hold DHS harmless from all legal and administrative claims to include associated expenses that may arise from any claims related to their Challenge solutions or its use.
10. Contestants must own or have access to a computer, an internet connection, and any other electronic devices, documentation, software, or other items that Contestants may deem necessary to create and enter a submission. The government will not reimburse Contestant’s time and expense to enter the Challenge.
11. The following Contestants (including any individuals participating as part of a team or entity) are not eligible regardless of whether they meet the criteria set forth above:
    1. Any Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of his or her employment or otherwise be prohibited by Federal law (employees should consult their agency ethics officials). Note: Federal ethical conduct rules may restrict or prohibit federal employees from engaging in certain outside activities; any federal employee not excluded under the prior paragraph seeking to participate in this Challenge outside the scope of employment should consult his/her agency’s ethics official prior to developing a submission.
    2. Any Contestant that used DHS federal facilities or relied upon significant consultation with DHS federal employees to develop a submission, unless the facilities and employees were made available to all Contestants or participants in this Challenge on an equal basis.
    3. Any Contestant that used federal funds to develop a submission, unless such use is consistent with the grant award, or other applicable federal funds awarding document. If a grantee using federal funds enters and wins this Challenge, the cash prize award must be treated as program income for purposes of the original grant in accordance with applicable Office of Management and Budget Circulars. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop a submission for this Challenge.
12. Per 15 U.S.C. 3719(h), a Contestant shall not be deemed ineligible under these eligibility rules because the individual or entity used federal facilities or consulted with Federal employees during a Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all individuals and entities participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.
13. Use of Marks: Except as expressly set forth in the Challenge rules, Contestants shall not use the names, trademarks, service marks, logos, insignias, trade dress, or any other designation of source or origin subject to legal protection, copyrighted material or similar intellectual property (“Marks”) of the organizers or other Challenge partners, sponsors, or collaborators in any way without such party’s prior written permission in each instance, which such party may grant or withhold at its sole and absolute discretion.
14. An individual or entity that is determined to be on the GSA Excluded Parties List is ineligible to receive a cash prize award and will not be selected as a Finalist or Prize Winner.
15. Nothing in this announcement, registering as a Contestant or being designated as a Finalist or Prize Winner shall act as an endorsement by DHS. Contestants, including Finalists and Prize Winners, shall refrain from any activity that through word or deed act as or function as an apparent endorsement of a Contestant, Finalist, or Prize Winner. Contestants are prohibited from using the logo or official seal of DHS or other government logos or official seals and must not otherwise give an appearance of U.S. government endorsement.

The submission to this Challenge does not guarantee acceptance, a cash prize or non-monetary award, or further use or consideration by DHS.

Prize awards are subject to verification of eligibility and compliance with the Challenge rules. All decisions of the Prize Challenge Sponsor and judges are final and binding on all matters relating to this Challenge. The Prize Challenge Sponsor reserves the right to examine the submission and any associated code or documentation for compliance with these Challenge Rules, Terms, and Conditions. In the event that the submission demonstrates a breach of these Challenge Rules, Terms, and Conditions, the Prize Challenge Sponsor may, at its discretion, take either of the following actions:

• Disqualify a Submission(s)
• Require remediation within one week of all issues identified in your Submission(s) (including, without limitation, the resolution of license conflicts, the fulfillment of all obligations required by software licenses, and the removal of any software that violates the software restrictions).

Intellectual Property: Contestants retains ownership of existing Intellectual Property (IP) submitted under this Challenge, and agree that their submissions are the original work of the Contestant named in the submission (e.g., individual, team, entity) on whose behalf it is being submitted; Contestants have authority, warrant, and have sufficient rights to submit the submission on behalf of the identified an individual or entity. Use of the submission for this Challenge does not trigger any financial liability for the government or Challenge Sponsor. In the event of being designated a winner, as the Contestant have the authority and sufficient right to execute a License on behalf of the individual or entity identified in the submission. The Government, including its partners and/or entities working in its behalf, reserves the right to enter into good faith negotiations for license rights associated with Challenge submissions to pursue operationalization of innovative approaches, using appropriate federal authorities as may be required, at any time during or after the Challenge. While Contestants retain ownership of their existing IP, any IP that they develop in connection therewith is subject to the license granted to the government to use. Contestants agree to promptly execute, prior to receiving any prize award, any documents required by Challenge Sponsor under this provision. Contestants shall indemnify and hold harmless the government for any claim arising out its duties as required by the Challenge Sponsor and occasioned by a breach of any of the representations in this section. Contestants

Privacy: Information provided by Contestants through the submission will be used to contact selected Finalists and Prize Winners. Information is not collected for commercial marketing. Finalists and Prize Winners are permitted to cite that they won this Challenge after it has been officially announced by DHS subject to the provisions of item 15 listed above in the Rules, Terms, and Conditions. The names, cities, and States of selected Finalists and Prize Winners will be made available in promotional materials and at recognition events.

QUESTIONS: Questions regarding this Challenge may be directed to prizeauthority@hq.dhs.gov. DHS will share questions and answers with all registered Contestants by email during the Challenge, and also post questions and answers received on the DHS Prize Competition website.