Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible to win a prize, teams:

1. Shall have registered to participate in the Code-a-Thon under the rules promulgated by ONC.
2. Shall have complied with all the stated requirements of the Code-a-Thon.
3. All works presented to the judges must be created at the Code-a-Thon unless it is publicly available under a Creative Commons or other comparable open source license. This means that you can brainstorm app ideas and sketch wireframes ahead of time but all the actual code for your project must be written at the event.
4. In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States.
5. Shall not be an HHS employee.
6. May not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment. We recommend that all non-HHS federal employees consult with their agency Ethics Official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a COMPETES Act prize.
7. Federal grantees may not use federal funds to develop COMPETES Act challenge applications unless consistent with the purpose of their grant award.
8. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop COMPETES Act challenge applications or to fund efforts in support of a COMPETES Act challenge submission.
9. All individuals and entities must meet the eligibility requirements.

• An individual or entity shall not be deemed ineligible because the individual or entity used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the Code-a-Thon if the facilities and employees are made available to all individuals and entities participating in the Code-a-Thon on an equitable basis.
• Contestants must agree to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal Government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this prize contest, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. Contestants must also agree to indemnify the Federal Government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities.
• Contestants must comply with the Code-a-Thon Code of Conduct.

General Submission Requirements

In order for a submission to be eligible to win this Challenge, it must meet the following requirements:

1. No HHS or ONC logo – The product must not use HHS’ or ONC’s logos or official seals and must not claim endorsement.
2. Functionality/Accuracy – A product may be disqualified if it fails to function as expressed in the description provided by the Participant, or if it provides inaccurate or incomplete information.
3. Security – Submissions must be free of malware. Participant agrees that ONC may conduct testing on the product to determine whether malware or other security threats may be present. ONC may disqualify the submission if, in ONC’s judgment, it may damage government or others’ equipment or operating environment.