JUDGING
fair, thorough, focused on impact
Submissions move through a three-stage process: automated screening checks the requirements, an initial review chooses the finalists, and professional judges choose the winners in the final round.
REVIEW & JUDGING PROCESS
AUTOMATED SCREENING
REQUIREMENTS CHECK
An automated check confirms that every required part of your submission is present. Complete submissions advance to the initial review.
INITIAL REVIEW
FINALIST SELECTION
Reviewers assess each complete submission using the published rubric and choose the finalists.
FINAL ROUND
PROFESSIONAL JUDGES
Professional judges review the finalists and choose the overall and category winners.
REVIEW & JUDGING RUBRIC
used during initial review and the final round
COMMUNITY RELEVANCE
25%Is this a real, specific problem the team has direct knowledge of?
IMPACT POTENTIAL
20%If this worked at scale, would it meaningfully help people?
TECHNICAL EXECUTION
20%Does it work? Is it reasonably well-built for the time given?
CREATIVITY
15%Is the approach novel, or a copy of something obvious?
PRESENTATION & CLARITY
10%Can the team clearly explain the problem and solution?
ACCESSIBILITY
10%Could the people affected actually use this?
JUDGE PANELISTS
Meet the professional judges who will be evaluating your submissions. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the table, ensuring that every project is assessed fairly and thoroughly.
