Introduction

NYC BigApps 2014 (the “Competition”) is an initiative of the New York City Economic Development Corporation (the “Sponsor”). The Competition is managed by the Sponsor’s consultant HR&A Advisors, Inc. (“HR&A”, hereinafter called the “Administrator”).

The Competition is intended to provide recognition to individuals and entities (“Contestants”) for developing technological products (“Apps”) that positively impact the lives of New York City residents, visitors, and businesses.

The Competition intends to award prizes for the Apps that have the greatest potential to make New York City a better place within four broad Issue Categories: Live, Work, Learn, and Play. Prize winners and other finalists may receive in-kind prizes, media promotion, introductions to mentors and investors, and other benefits through the Competition.

Contestants may also elect to develop Apps based on BigIdeas proposed by leading civic organizations (please see Section 4 for further information on BigIdeas). Such Apps may be eligible for additional prizes and business support offered at the discretion of the entity or entities sponsoring the BigIdeas.

Eligibility

The Competition is open to individuals and entities. Products may include, but are not limited to, web apps, mobile apps, data visualizations or visualization tools, social games, or products considered a component of the “internet of things.” All submissions must make use of at least one public or private data set or API, or generate new sets of data useable by the public. Submissions from corporations with 25 or more employees on the date Contestants must submit Apps (the “Closing Date”) will not be eligible for cash or in-kind prizes.

Contestants may submit a new product designed specifically for the Competition or an existing product that includes functionality that is significantly different from previous versions and that was developed as part of the Competition. All Apps must:

 1. Be solely owned by Contestant such that no other party has any rights or interest, whether known or unknown; and not violate the intellectual property, common law, or privacy rights of other parties. A Contestant may contract with a third party to assist with the creation of their App, provided the Contestant is the sole and unequivocal owner of all intellectual property and licenses in the App.

 2. Be original; all Contestants are encouraged to review prior NYC BigApps submissions – available for view at the following links:

 - NYC BigApps 2009;

 - NYC BigApps Ideas Challenge;

 - NYC BigApps 3.0;

 - NYC BigApps 2013;

including those submitted to the NYC Schools Gap App Challenge (http://nycschools.challengepost.com/) or the MTA App Quest (http://mtaappquest.com/).

 3. Be either in English or, if in a language other than English, be accompanied by an English translation of the text.

 4. Comply with the terms of use of data sets listed by Sponsors.

 5. Not be indecent, defamatory, in obvious bad taste, demonstrate a lack of respect for public morals or conduct, or adversely affect the reputation of the Sponsors; be illegal under applicable laws; depict hatred, defame, threaten a specific community in the society or incite violence; contain vulgar language or violence; or contain pornography, obscenity, or sexual activity.

Contestants selected as Winners of the Competition must also be willing to sign a Winners Agreement that certifies that the Contestant has complied with all rules of this Competition. All Apps awarded prizes by the Competition must be made available to the public, or include functionality that is available to the public, at no cost for a period of at least one year following the conclusion of the Competition.

Failure to comply with any of these requirements may result in disqualification from the Competition at the Sponsors’ sole discretion.

Submissions will not be accepted after Closing Date, unless determined to be in the best interest of the Competition in the sole and absolute discretion of the Sponsor. If the Administrator requests additional information from any Contestant, that Contestant will have the opportunity to update the initial submission. The Sponsor and Administrator reserve the right to request additional information from any Contestant at any time.

All individuals participating in the Competition must be legal residents of the United States. All corporations or other organizations participating must be legally domiciled in the United States and incorporated at the time of entry. Minors must identify themselves upon sign-up and will require parental or legal guardian consent to participate.

The Competition is not open to:

 1. An HR&A affiliate, which includes any officer, director, or employee of HR&A or of HR&A’s subcontractors for the Competition, or to the immediate family (spouses, parents, step-parents, siblings, step-siblings, children or step-children), or to the household members (people who share the same residence at least three (3) months out of the year) of each such HR&A affiliate;
 2. Any officer, director, or employee of NYCEDC, or to the immediate family or household members, as defined in the previous bullet, of each such NYCEDC affiliate;
 3. Sponsors, Judges, Mentors, or any of their respective employees, affiliates, immediate family, household members, or subsidiaries.

Employees of the City of New York who are not involved in the design of the Competition or the evaluation of Contestants and do not work for the Sponsor or any respective affiliates, subsidiaries, or any other company or individual involved with the design Competition or the evaluation of Contestants, and their immediate family and household members may participate, but must make the Administrator aware of potential real or perceived conflicts of interest prior to submission.

The Competition is subject to all applicable United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Participation constitutes entrant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor's and Administrator’s decisions, which are final and binding on all matters related to the Competition. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

Evaluation Criteria

Grand Prizes
Eligible Apps will be evaluated by selected representatives of the Sponsor (“Evaluators”). Evaluators will rate each App according to the Evaluator’s perception of how effectively the App makes New York City a better place to Live, Work, Learn, or Play.

Evaluators will broadly consider the following aspects of each App:

 1. Potential positive impact on the lives of New York City residents, visitors, or businesses;
 2. Long-term viability, including size of potential user base and business prospects;
 3. Innovative use of technology and data sets or APIs;
 4. User experience and design;
 5. Degree to which the Contestant’s team composition reflects the multidisciplinary spirit of BigApps; and
 6. Contestant team’s participation in BigApps events and the BigApps web platform.

Evaluators will compare Apps within four Issue Categories. A non-exhaustive list of issue areas falling under each Issue Category is listed below:

 1. Live: Housing, Sustainability, Transportation, and Health
 2. Work: Economic Mobility, Small Business, and Economic Development
 3. Learn: Education, Youth Services, Research, and Science
 4. Play: Arts & Culture, Parks & Open Spaces, Tourism

The Sponsor and Administrator are unable to provide feedback on individual applications while the competition is ongoing. The Sponsor, Administrator, and Evaluators reserve the right to consider criteria other than the aforementioned, and to assign to each of the above and to any such other criteria such weights as the Sponsor, Administrator, and Judges, may determine at their sole discretion.

BigIdea Prizes
Contestants may also elect to develop Apps based on BigIdeas proposed by “BigIdea Partners” listed on the Competition website. BigIdeas detail a challenge facing New Yorkers and propose a technological solution to that challenge, often with specified functionalities. Criteria for selecting the winner of each BigIdea will be set forth at the sole discretion of the BigIdea Partner or Partners and listed on NYCBigApps.com.

Timeline

Contestants may submit Apps only through NYCBigApps.com and only between May 7, 2014 (the “Opening Date”) and July 12, 2014 at 11:59 PM Eastern Daylight Time (“EDT”) (the “Closing Date”) (the “Competition Submission Period”). The Administrator’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Competition. It is anticipated that a list of Finalists will be announced in late July 2014 and that the Awards Ceremony will take place in New York City in Septembr 2014.

 1. May 7 – July 12: Competition Submission Period
 2. Late July: Finalists Announced
 3. September: Judging & Awards Program

Evaluation Process

Prior to the Closing Date, Contestants will be required to specify which Issue Category their App addresses. In addition, Contestants have the option of identifying one or more BigIdea that their App aims to solve.

Grand Prizes

One App in each category may win the Grand Prize for that Category. Contestants may submit for up to two Issue Categories, but are only eligible for one Grand Prize. If a Contestant submits for more than one Issue Category, the Sponsor and Administrator may assign a single Issue Category for which the App is eligible at their own discretion.

Following the Closing Date, the Administrator will screen Apps for eligibility and may request additional information from any Contestant in order to evaluate eligibility. Eligible Apps will be evaluated by a group of Evaluators selected by the Sponsor and Administrator. Evaluators will assess each App based on the Evaluation Criteria, and Evaluators will select a group of Finalists to be evaluated by the Sponsor’s selected Judges.

All Finalists will be invited to present to the Judges prior to an Awards Ceremony. Finalists will be required to demo their App and address questions from the Judges. Judges may select Grand Prize winners following presentations, and any winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony.

Sponsors reserve the right to substitute or modify the list of Evaluators or Judges at any time for any reason. Judges have the right to withdraw without advance notice. Judges will be fair and impartial. A judge may elect to recuse himself or herself from judging an App, if in the judge’s sole discretion it is not appropriate for him or her to judge that particular App because of a past or current relationship with that particular Contestant. A Contestant will not be at a disadvantage if any judge recuses himself or herself.

BigIdea Prizes
One App may win the specified prize for each BigIdea, which may include a cash award, in-kind award, product support, or other benefits. Winners will be selected at the sole discretion of the BigIdea Partner or Partner based on Evaluation Criteria listed on NYCBigApps.com. BigIdea Sponsors reserve the right to award no prize if they determine, at their sole discretion, that no App substantially meets the posted Evaluation Criteria.

Decisions made by the Sponsor, Administrator, Evaluators, Judges, and BigIdea Sponsors are binding and final on all matters relating to this Competition, and are not subject to appeal or dispute.

Submission Requirements

All Contestants must create a Project Page on NYCBigApps.com. To be deemed eligible for prizes, all Project Pages must contain the following:

 1. A link that allows users to download the App.
 2. A text description of the App.
 3. A list of individuals who contributed to the App and their primary skillset.
 4. A list of data sets or APIs used or created by the App.
 5. Selection of an Issue Category and, if applicable, BigIdea, addressed by the App.

PLEASE NOTE: A VIDEO OR SCREENSHOT OF THE FUNCTIONING PROJECT IS NO LONGER REQUIRED.

In addition, all Contestants are required to participate in – and publicly present their App at – the BigApps Product Showcase event, currently scheduled for July 19, 2014. If Contestant has multiple team members, at least one member must be present at the Showcase. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify at its sole discretion any Contestant who fails to participate in the Showcase.

Apps will be posted publicly on NYCBigApps.com. Apps are expected to have been tested for basic functionality, accuracy of messaging, and integrity (i.e. security). The Administrator has the right to request access to the App in person or via any reasonable manner to verify that the App functions and operates as stated on the Project Page. Failure by a Contestant to honor such a request may result in the App’s disqualification.

The Sponsor will actively solicit and encourage public feedback for all Apps throughout the Competition period. Contestants are expected to make good-faith efforts to read and consider public feedback and to respond to it when appropriate.

Prizes

Grand Prizes
Judges are expected to select one winner in each Grand Prize Category, as detailed below, and to receive dollar amounts as indicated by the Administrator and displayed publicly prior to the Closing Date:
1. Best Live App
2. Best Work App
3. Best Learn App
4. Best Play App

Additional prizes – potentially including cash and in-kind awards – may also be available and will be listed on NYCBigApps.com. In addition to these prizes, Finalists and Award Winners will participate in the Awards Ceremony and will have information posted about their organization on the Competition website, and will be included in at least one press release by the Sponsor.

BigIdeas
In addition to Grand Prizes, Contestants who elect to develop Apps based on specific BigIdeas may be eligible for additional prizes, which will be awarded at the sole discretion of the BigIdea Partner or Partners based on evaluation criteria posted on NYCBigApps.com. Contestants working on specific BigIdeas may also have the opportunity to further improve and develop their App after the Competition Period, in exchange for additional cash payments, in-kind services, business development opportunities, or other product support. Additional prizes are not guaranteed and will be distributed only if winning Apps meet the milestones set forth in terms established by the BigIdea Partner or Partners.

For all Prizes, winners are responsible for all taxes and fees associated with prize receipt and/or use. Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prizes of comparable value. No transfer or substitution of a prize is permitted except by Sponsor. The prize check will be mailed to the winner’s address or wired to the winner’s bank account within 60 days of receipt of the signed affidavit(s) of eligibility and liability/publicity release(s) form(s). If a winning Contestant is a team of individuals, a corporation, or an organization, the prize will be awarded to the primary contact listed on the Project Page on NYCBigApps.com.

Verification of Potential Winners

All Applicants must comply with all terms and conditions of these Official Rules. Any Conestant that is awarded and elects to accept any cash prize must also comply with any requirements imposed by Sponsor or Administrator in connection with the award of cash prizes. In the event that a Winner is disqualified for any reason, Sponsor or Administrator may award the applicable prize to an alternate Winner who was evaluated highest of the remaining eligible entries.

Alumni Network Participation

All winners are eligible to participate in the NYC BigApps Alumni Network (formerly known as the Founders Network).
The Alumni Network is an exclusive association providing startup business support for NYC BigApps winners for 12 months following the Competition’s end. The Alumni Network will include the following:
 • At least one networking event for Alumni Network members to meet with investors, industry experts, talent, the press, and one another.
 • At least one workshop led by industry experts to help each individual or team (topics to be published in September 2014) launch startup companies.
 • Access to office hours with New York City-based advisors that may include investors, mentors and industry experts.
 • Access to additional resources that may include subsidized office space, pro bono legal advice, and more.

Ownership of Information

 • Contestants will own the intellectual property rights to their Submission, but the City, Sponsor and Administrator will maintain a royalty-free license to, without limitation: a) post the Submissions on NYCBigApps.com; b) make the Submissions available to the public at no cost for the course of the Competition and 12 months thereafter; and c) use the Submissions for noncommercial purposes after the conclusion of the Competition Submission Period.

 • In addition, Contestants that choose to accept prizes or other ongoing support provided by a BigIdea Partner are bound by the terms publicly posted on the relevant BigIdea Partner Page. BigIdea prize-winners may elect to transfer all intellectual property rights, without limitation, to a willing and interested nonprofit organization, community benefit organization (CBO), corporation, or other qualified individual or team, if approved by Sponsor, Administrator, and BigIdea Partner, and if the winner and the designated recipient of rights mutually commit to the exchange of responsibility in writing.

Other Things to Know

Entry Conditions and Release

By entering, Contestants agree to the following conditions and release:

(1) Each Contestant agrees to comply with and be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, Administrator, and/or Judges which are binding and final in all matters relating to this Competition.

(2) Each Contestant also agrees to release and hold harmless the Sponsor, Administrator, and their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies, the prize suppliers and any other organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Competition, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (collectively, the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liability. These claims, expenses, and liability include, but are not limited to, negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property, including but not limited to invasion of privacy (under appropriation, intrusion, public disclosure of private facts, false light in the public eye or other legal theory), defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, infringement of trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights, property damage, or death or personal injury arising out of or relating to a Contestant’s entry, creation of an entry or submission of an entry, participation in the Competition, acceptance or use or misuse of prize (including any travel or activity related thereto) and/or the broadcast, transmission, performance, exploitation or use of entry.

(3) Each Contestant also agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Sponsor and Administrator from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising out of or relating to a Contestant’s participation in the Competition and/or Contestant’s acceptance, use or misuse of prize.

Publicity

Except where prohibited, participation in the Competition constitutes Contestant’s consent to Sponsor’s, Administrator’s and their agents’ use of winner’s name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, hometown and state, and App screenshots, videos, descriptions and commentary for promotional purposes in any media, worldwide, without further payment or consideration.

General Conditions

Sponsor and/or Administrator reserve the right to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Competition, or any part of it, if any fraud, technical failures or any other factor beyond Sponsor’s and/or Administrator’s reasonable control impairs the integrity or proper functioning of the Competition, as determined by Sponsor and/or Administrator in their sole discretion. Sponsor and/or Administrator reserves the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any individual or Competitor it finds to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Competition or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or any other promotion or in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.

Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsor and/or Administrator reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s and/or Administrator’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Limitations of Liability

The Released Parties are not responsible for: (1) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by entrants, printing errors or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Competition; (2) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines or network hardware or software; (3) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Competition; (4) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Competition or the processing of entries; or (5) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from entrant’s participation in the Competition or receipt or use or misuse of any prize.

Any attempt by any person to deliberately undermine the legitimate operation of the Competition may be a violation of criminal and civil law, and, should such an attempt be made, Sponsors and/or Administrator reserves the right to seek damages from any such person to the fullest extent permitted by law. Sponsor’s and/or Administrator’s failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Disputes

Any disputes and/or decisions arising under this Competition that relates to the award of cash prizes shall be resolved by NYCEDC and such determination shall be final, binding and conclusive. With respect to any disputes and/or decisions between the applicant and NYCEDC, the Administrator, and/or Judges herein, the applicant expressly waives and relinquishes any and all rights it might otherwise have to contest any such disputes and/or decisions.
Privacy

Sponsors collect personal information from Contestants when Contestants enter the Competition. By agreeing to these Terms and Conditions, Contestants authorize Sponsor and/or Administrator to share personal information with Competition partners, including, but not limited to, Strategic Partners and BigIdea Sponsors. Additional privacy policies for the competition may be found at http://www.splashthat.com/privacy.

Competition Results

Results of the competition will be made available on NYCBigApps.com.

Sponsors and Administrator

Sponsor: New York City Economic Development Corporation, 110 William Street, New York, NY 10038
Administrator: HR&A Advisors, Inc., 99 Hudson Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10013.

Additional Terms

Sponsors and/or Administrator reserve the right to modify the Official Rules, Terms & Conditions, and/or Competition format at any time. It is anticipated that any such modifications will be posted to the Competition website and that it will be the responsibility of the Applicants to check the website for any such changes.