Deadline: 19 February 2024
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 objective of the NSIN/NGA Global Fishing Forecast Grand Challenge is to elucidate IUU fishing activities by transitioning the analytic paradigm from detection to anticipation, via the development of novel and effective forecasting capabilities.
Prizes and Incentives
- 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.
Benefits of Participating
- A total of $1 million in prize money to be distributed among the top-performing participants.
- Exposure to multiple branches of the U.S. Department of Defense responsible for developing technologies that forecast illegal fishing.
- Opportunities to learn from and collaborate with other industry leaders and academic partners in this space.
- Potential for follow-on activities, such as Other Transaction Agreements/Authorities (OTAs), Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), and others.
Eligibility Criteria
- 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.
For more information, visit National Security Innovation Network.