Sponsor Deadline
Posted: 1/9/2024

Global Fishing Forecast Grand Challenge

The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) are launching a prize challenge to identify innovative solutions from across the commercial and academic communities to forecast maritime vessel traffic involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The ability to forecast IUU fishing will inform U.S. and partner nations’ responses to IUU fishing.

The challenge will proceed in two phases: (1) a “Proposal Round,” to identify up to ten finalists from eligible participant entities (see “Eligibility” below); and (2) a “Pitch Round,” to identify the top three winners.

In the Proposal Round, participants will submit fishing effort forecasts and written summaries of proposed capabilities via a concept of operations (CONOPS), from which a panel of subject matter experts will select up to ten finalists to advance to the Pitch Round. During the Pitch Round, participants will submit an additional set of fishing effort forecasts; they will demonstrate their solutions and present their proposed CONOPS to the judging panel at a pitch event in spring of 2024.

A total of $1 million in prize money will be awarded during the challenge. Up to ten finalists selected from the Proposal Round will be awarded $25,000 and invited to participate in the Pitch Round. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners of the Pitch Round will be awarded an additional $500,000, $200,000 and $50,000, respectively. All finalists, regardless of ranking, may be eligible for follow-on contracts with NGA.

Feb. 16, 2024: Deadline to submit the first forecast attempt

Eligibility Requirements
  • U.S.-owned and operated companies (including those with non-U.S. citizens).
  • Students at an accredited institution of higher education (U.S. citizenship required).
  • U.S.-based private, academic, and other eligible organizations/individuals (Note: any higher-education institution that hosts a Confucius Institute is ineligible for participation in the challenge).
  • Mid- to early-stage ventures OR nontraditional defense contractors with the ability to demonstrate their solutions’ capabilities by March 2024.
  • Applicants may submit as individuals, individual teams, or partnered teams.
  • Participants must have an active registration in SAM.gov.
Amount Description

Prizes will be offered under 10 USC § 4025 (prize competitions). The total prize pool is $1 million, with up to ten finalists selected in the Proposal Round receiving $25,000 each, and the top three winners of the Pitch Round receiving an additional $500,000, $200,000 and $50,000 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place, respectively.

Funding Type
Posted
1/9/2024
Deadline
Sponsor: