Incentives
| Incentive | Description | DESIGN Contest | BUILD Contest | SPLASH Contest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cash Awards | In the DESIGN, BUILD, and SPLASH contests, cash awards will be given to successful contestant teams based on performance in each contest. The awards provided after the DESIGN and BUILD contests are intended to be used to help offset the costs of the prototype build and testing in subsequent contests. | Seven awards totaling $400,000 | Up to five awards totaling $500,000 | Up to three awards totaling $1.5 million |
| Testing and Validation | The BUILD Contest will conclude with prototype testing and validation in a controlled environment. Testing will provide contestants with free access to state-of-the-art facilities, equipment, and subject matter experts to validate their prototypes. The SPLASH Contest will conclude with testing at sea. | Test tank facility | At sea | |
| Blue Economy Business Webinars | Contestants will have exclusive access to a series of webinars, to be provided by a third-party organization with expertise in entrepreneurship, on lessons learned in commercializing technologies in the blue economy, and how to build a business. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Mentoring and Coaching | Contestants will gain access to a diverse panel of subject matter experts who will serve as mentors to teams to help guide technology development, connect teams with other experts, or more generally help knock down barriers slowing the team’s progress. | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Investor Pitch Event | Through this competition, contestants will be given an opportunity to pitch their novel technologies to investors and industry leaders and receive invaluable feedback on their design and business case. | ✔ | ||
| Partnerships | The DEVELOP Competition will provide a forum for contestants to form relationships with a diverse community of stakeholders across the federal government, academia, and broader innovation ecosystem, including investors, ocean scientists, roboticists, and more. | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
Solutions that help shape the future
Are you a thinker, entrepreneur, facility or potential partner? Anyone with an innovative idea can help promote transformation by participating in the American-Made Challenges.
Follow the DEVELOP Competition