Do you have what it takes to win a part of $10,000 in prize money?
1. Create an iPhone application
2. Fill out an entry form (download entry form by clicking link)
3. Submit your Apple iPhone application to iTunes
4. Get people to download and/or buy your Apple iPhone application
5. Collect your prize in April (find out more below)
The $10,000 2011 MSU Innovator’s Challenge
Information
The Mississippi State University Entrepreneurship Center, along with MSU’s College of Business and Bagley College of Engineering, announce the 2011 MSU Innovator’s Challenge, a competitive opportunity for MSU entrepreneurs. The 2011 MSU Innovator’s Challenge focuses on iPhone applications (apps). Individuals or groups will develop an iPhone app, upload it to the standard Apple App Store, and compete for $10,000 in prize money in three different categories: Downloads, Sales, and Innovation. Note: The prize money is funded entirely from external grants, and does not use any state-provided dollars.
What is the purpose of the MSU Innovator’s Challenge?
The MSU Entrepreneurship Center strives to create an entrepreneurial culture which fosters an entrepreneurial spirit among MSU students, faculty, and staff.
The MSU Innovator’s Challenge is a part of that effort. |
Eligibility:
The MSU Innovator’s Challenge is open to any MSU student, faculty, or staff member. Entries may be submitted by an individual or a group – groups may consist only of MSU students, faculty, or staff. An individual may be in only one group.
Overview:
Each competitor (individual or group) may submit up to one free app and up to one paid app to the standard Apple app review process. Apps may not be submitted to the review process prior to December 9, 2010, but may be submitted any time on that day or after. Each individual competitor or group must also submit an MSU Innovator’s Challenge entry form to the Entrepreneurship Center. This entry form must be submitted prior to submitting the app to the app review process.
Upon approval by Apple, apps will be available to customers around the world via the standard iTunes Store process. Download data and sales data for each app must be submitted to the Entrepreneurship Center each week – this data will be submitted via a web site, and weekly standings in the competition will be displayed via that same web site. Download data and sales data will consist of data provided via itunesconnect, the iTunes Store’s standard reporting system.
The MSU Innovator’s Challenge competition phase will end on Sunday, April 17, 2011. Results will be compiled, and awards will be announced during a ceremony in late April.
Prizes:
Six prizes will be awarded, in two categories. No individual or group may win more than one prize from these six.
Sales dollars: The three apps with the greatest sales dollar revenues through the iTunes Store will win $2500, $1500, and $500.
Downloads: The three apps with the greatest number of original downloads through the iTunes Store will win $2500, $1500, and $500.
In addition to these six prizes, a $1000 Bulldogs’ Choice award will be presented to the most innovative app, as determined by the MSU Innovator’s Challenge administrators.
Entry process:
1. Entry forms for the MSU Innovator’s Challenge are available at the MSU Entrepreneurship Center office (McCool 210, College of Business) and via its web site. Your entry form must be submitted to the MSU Entrepreneurship Center prior to submitting your app to the app review process.
2. Each app should be submitted to the review process on December 9, 2010 or later.
3. Sales and download data will be collected weekly, through April 17, 2011. Each competitor will submit weekly download and sales data to the Challenge’s web site. Failure to upload weekly day in a timely manner may result in disqualification.
Additional Rules:
1. The submitted app must be a new submission to the iTunes Store. The entry may be a modification of a previously existing app, but the modification must be significant, and must be approved by the MSU Innovator’s Challenge administrators prior to submission. The entry may not be a minor update to a previously existing app.
2. You may submit separate iPhone/iPod Touch and iPad versions of your app, and they will count as one app for the purposes of the competition.
3. An individual may be a member of only one group.
4. Downloads include original downloads only, and do not include app updates.
5. Sales dollars include sales of In-App Purchases. Download counts include counts of app downloads only, and do not include downloads of In-App Purchases.
6. Sales dollars will be measured in U.S. dollars.
7. The administrators reserve the right to exclude any app from the competition.
The purpose of the MSU Innovator’s Challenge is to encourage innovative thinking and to enhance the entrepreneurial culture and climate within the MSU community of students, faculty and staff. Entries that are deemed to violate the spirit of the competition will be disqualified (an example of a violation would be a minor variation to an existing app with a substantial user base). If an entrant has any question as to the suitability of their app or the appropriateness of any tactic used to gain sales or downloads, these concerns must be resolved prior to entering the competition. Any disqualifications would be decided by a majority vote of the MSU Innovator’s Challenge administrators present at a planned meeting. Decisions of the group are final. |
Submit the entry form to the MSU Entrepreneurship Center in McCool 210
or via email to rodney.pearson@msstate.edu
For more information, email rodney.pearson@msstate.edu, call 662-325-1995 or visit http://www.ecenter.msstate.edu/innovatorschallenge.html
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