8.3: Challenges and Prizes Platform

Provide a Web-based platform to manage contests and prizes.

Other Information:

In a March 8, 2010 Memorandum to heads of agencies, OMB laid out a legal framework for federal agencies to use challenges, prizes, and other strategies backed by incentives to find innovative or cost-effective solutions to improving open government. GSA plans to provide a Web-based platform to manage contests and prizes. This Web-based platform will allow the federal government to post problems and invite users to suggest, discuss, and judge solutions. GSA is working with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and the Office of Management and Budget to equip agencies to develop and present challenges. Agencies will be encouraged to use challenges and prizes to solicit ideas about new approaches to open government, innovation, and other administration priorities. GSA will also develop vehicles to make it easier for agencies access to the necessary products and services to run innovation challenges. Agencies may need technical assistance when structuring and conducting contests, and the products and services will help them to gain the maximum benefit from the marketplace as they identify and pursue contest initiatives. Engaging the public will help to further the policy objectives of the federal government. GSA will also provide governmentwide services to share innovation challenge best practices and will help agencies develop guidelines for issuing challenges.

Stakeholder(s):

• OMB

Indicator(s):

Indicator:1

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