NYCEDC and DoITT Announce the Launch of NYC BigApps Ideas Challenge
Contest Allows the Public to Submit Ideas for New Applications That Would Benefit New Yorkers and Visitors
Yesterday, New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) and the New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) launched the NYC BigApps Ideas Challenge , a competition for the public to submit new ideas for web, desktop, or mobile applications that would benefit New York City residents, businesses, and visitors. The Ideas Challenge is designed to build upon the success of the annual NYC BigApps Competition, a contest for individual software developers or companies to create applications utilizing official City data. Open to both developers and non-developers, the Ideas Challenge, which began Tuesday, will support and foster innovative ideas that could ultimately be developed for the upcoming NYC BigApps 3.0, which is expected to launch in the fall of 2012. ChallengePost, a global marketplace for challenges and community-driven innovation, will power the Ideas Challenge, which will run until July 28th. The selected winners will be awarded up to $5,000 in combined prize money for their winning ideas, which will contribute to the development of the next round of NYC BigApps submissions.
"The BigApps Ideas Challenge provides developers and non-developers alike the unique opportunity to create innovative ideas that will affect the lives of countless New Yorkers," said Seth W. Pinsky, President of the New York City Economic Development Corporation. "Following in the footsteps of the highly-successful BigApps 2.0, this contest is certain to yield the same type of terrific results, which will ultimately strengthen our growing technology sector and establish the City's next wave of entrepreneurs."
"Consistent feedback and insight - from developers and the general public alike - is at the heart of New York City's open government efforts," said Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications Commissioner Carole Post. "The Ideas Challenge should ensure our City's vibrant tech marketplace, and the great minds that keep it running, are primed for NYC BigApps 3.0 Competition and beyond."
"We are thrilled to power this challenge in order to allow anyone with a suggestion to play an important role in contributing to the software developer ecosystem, and to improving the quality of life in New York," said Brandon Kessler, CEO of NYC startup ChallengePost.
"As the premier U.S. mega-city, New York is a vast incubator of ideas for making urban life more enjoyable for everyone", said Alex Diehl, Managing Director of BMW iVentures and one of the Ideas Challenge judges. "The greatest population growth of the future will be in the big cities; we already know the challenges for personal mobility and that's why BMW is an enthusiastic partner in the BigApps Ideas competition."
Public voting for the Ideas Challenge will occur throughout the submission period on the contest website. At the conclusion of the submission and voting period, the 25 application ideas with the most votes will be awarded $100 each as finalists. The finalists will then be evaluated by a panel of six judges, comprised of leaders in City government, as well as those in the technology and venture capital communities. The judges for the Ideas Challenge are Dawn Barber, Co-founder, New York Tech Meetup; Alex Diehl, Managing Director BMW i Ventures; Charlie O'Donnell, Principal at First Round Capital; Carole Post, DoITT Commissioner; Clay Shirky, Associate Arts Professor, ITP and Distinguished Writer in Residence, Journalism Department at NYU; and Steven Strauss, Managing Director of the Center for Economic Transformation at NYCEDC. The panel of judges will select the ten best overall ideas which will be announced on August 11th 2012. The creators of these selected ideas will receive an additional $250 each.
Originally launched in 2009 by Mayor Bloomberg, the first NYC BigApps Competition made more than 170 official City datasets available and received 85 eligible submissions. The Grand Prize for Best Overall Application was awarded to WayFinder NYC, an application designed to help locate the nearest subway, bus or train station. Other winners included Taxihack, Big Apple Ed, NYC Way, and Bookzee. In 2010, NYC BigApps 2.0 was launched, making available nearly 400 datasets and led to the selection of 14 winning applications from a pool of 58 submissions. The Grand Prize was awarded to the Roadify iPhone App, which alerts users to the latest subway, bus, or driving conditions by using official transit data and real-time updates from commuters. Other winners included Sportaneous and Parking Finder.
For more information on how to participate in the NYC BigApps Ideas Challenge, or for contest rules, go to ideas.nycbigapps.com .
About NYCEDC
New York City Economic Development Corporation is the City's primary vehicle for promoting economic growth in each of the five boroughs. NYCEDC's mission is to stimulate growth through expansion and redevelopment programs that encourage investment, generate prosperity and strengthen the City's competitive position. NYCEDC serves as an advocate to the business community by building relationships with companies that allow them to take advantage of New York City's many opportunities. Find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter , or visit our blog to learn more about NYCEDC projects and initiatives.
About NYC DoITT
The Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications is at the center of shaping New York City's IT strategy and policy, especially as it relates to the emerging and innovative technologies making government more effective and user-friendly. As part of the NYC BigApps competition, DoITT established and maintains the NYC DataMine at www.nyc.gov/data to house hundreds of supporting datasets and associated information for the competition. The NYC DataMine is a revolutionary approach to storing and representing data from dozens of City agencies in a consolidated, cohesive and customer-friendly manner.