Challenge.Gov empowers the federal government and the public to participate together in equitable forms of innovation through prize competitions.

Prize challenges are open and inclusive and they have delivered innovations to address climate change, sustainable infrastructure, and clean water. Many prize competitions are designed to engage students from colleges and universities.

Department of Energy (DOE), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) frequently sponsor prize challenges to find innovative ideas related to creating a sustainable environment.

Every year, the federal government awards millions of dollars in cash prizes for innovative ideas. Right now, there are 25 prize challenges with over $38M in cash prizes, including clean energy and green infrastructure.

How to Get Started

If you’re interested in being a public solver, start by browsing active prize competitions on Challenge.Gov. If something catches your eye, dive in a little deeper to find out how to submit your ideas and concepts. Every prize competition is structured differently, and the details matter. Make sure to follow the detailed instructions to submit your entry correctly and before the posted deadline.

If you have a question about a specific challenge, reach out to the point of contact for that challenge.

If you have general questions regarding Challenge.Gov, contact us at team@challenge.gov.