The American Security Challenge
The National Security Initiative sponsors the American Security Challenge to speed the commercialization of innovative security products and services to protect our citizens, our economy, our critical infrastructure and our way of life. Eligibility Any company selected to submit a full business plan must submit a proposal that reflects the executive summary and does not deviate considerably. All venture capital funding or funding commitments must be disclose with the full business plan. Employees of ASC, the judges, and immediate family members of each such person are excluded from participation. To be eligible, individual participants must agree to abide by these rules. The judges of the Challenge will have the right at their discretion to determine whether or not a company is eligible for the Challenge based on the above requirements. 1. In order to be eligible to receive a prize in connection with your company's entry, the company must either: a. Have a U.S. resident receive the prize; or 2. In addition, participants are solely responsible for compliance with any laws, rules and regulations that may be applicable to participation in the Challenge or to any awards or prizes received. Participants agree to indemnify ASC against any claim that participants or ASC or its parent organization, affiliates, sponsors, judges, agents or employees violated any rules or regulations of the U.S. or any other country as a result of any company's participation. 3. As with U.S. participants, non-U.S. participants are solely responsible for all (both U.S. and non-U.S.) taxes, withholdings or other governmental assessments that might be applicable. 4. International companies must understand that if for any reason, the receipt of a prize or participation in the Challenge is prohibited by law, the ASCmay void such entry and/or award the prize to an alternate company, at ASC'ssole discretion. 5. As with U.S. participants, you are solely responsible for all travel arrangements to and from any final rounds of competition, and for obtaining any visas or other governmental permissions to attend any final rounds of the Challenge. 6. The Challenge will be held solely in English, and all presentations and submissions must be in English. All prizes will be awarded in U.S. dollars.
Entry guidelines and deadlines
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY DEADLINE- APRIL 14, 2008
Executive summaries will be accepted until April 14, 2008 to: application@americansecuritychallenge.com
The top 25 applications will be notified by and invited to submit a full business plan for consideration by to: application@americansecuritychallenge.com
The six finalists will be notified by May and invited to present their business plan as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate's Stakeholder's conference June 2-5th, 2008 at the American Security Challenge event at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Attendance at the American Security Challenge is mandatory to receive any award monies.
Any company with a product or service related to America’s national security is eligible to submit an executive summary.
A company may submit more than one executive summary if the company wishes to propose more than one innovation for the Challenge.
Finalist companies, including the winning company, must complete an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release, which must be returned within 10 days of receipt to:
National Security Initiative
ATTN: American Security Challenge
6031 University Boulevard, Suite 180
Ellicott City, MD 21043
Participation by Non-U.S. Companies
In addition to all other Challenge rules and requirements, the following rules apply to non-U.S. companies:
b. Have a comapny organized under and operated in the U.S. recieve the prize; or
c. Demonstrate to the satisfaction of ASC and its agents that the company's participation in the Challenge and receipt of a prize is not contrary to applicable law.
No promise of confidentiality, non-compete or non-disclosure is made by the ASC. Any company submitting their information for consideration in the Challenge acknowledges that their plans will be made public, and that the final presentation is open to any interested parties, including the general public.
Limitation of Liability
NSI, ASC, and its judges are not responsible for technical, hardware, or software failures of any kind; lost or unavailable network connections; failed, incomplete, garbled, or delayed computer transmissions; lost, misdirected, incorrect or incomplete entries; or entries that cannot be opened by ASC, or travel difficulties of any kind, whether caused by ASC, or the judges, or the participant, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Challenge, or by any technical or human error which may occur in the processing of submissions that may limit a participant's or company's ability to participate in the Challenge.
BY ENTERING, PARTICIPANTS RELEASE NSI and ASC, ITS AFFILIATES, DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, THE JUDGES, THE SPONSORS, AND ALL PRIZE SUPPLIERS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR ANY INJURIES, LOSSES, OR DAMAGES OF ANY KIND RESULTING FROM ACCEPTANCE, POSSESSION, OR USE OF ANY PRIZE OR PARTICIPATION IN THE CHALLENGE, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.
Legal Requirements
This Challenge is governed by and shall be construed under the laws of the District of Columbia, U.S.A. All U.S. and foreign federal, state, and local laws apply. THE CHALLENGE IS VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW, AND IF PROHIBITED, COMPANIES SHOULD NOT SUBMIT EXECUTIVE SUMMARIES.
ASC reserves the right to amend these rules and policies.
ASC reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual or company found tampering with the Challenge or violating these rules.
If ASC determines that the Challenge is compromised in any way, then, at its sole discretion, it can cancel the Challenge.
If any notification is returned as undeliverable, or if any participant violates these rules, the participant will be disqualified and an alternate participant may be selected by ASC. By entering, participants agree to abide by and be bound by all decisions of ASC and the judges relating to the Challenge, which are final and binding in all respects, including but not limited to the judges' determination of the winners.
Participants are responsible for their own costs in participating in the Challenge, including but not limited to, costs for preparing Challenge submissions, travel and lodging arrangements and costs for travel to and from the venue for the Challenge final-round presentations.
