The Challenge Administrator is the Center for Entrepreneurship at Hofstra University (“Administrator”).

The competition is for new, independent ventures in the ideation, seed, startup, or early growth stages. Individuals who have ideas with the potential to turn those ideas into a business are encouraged to apply.

The Challenge is open to:

• Innovators, entrepreneurs, and startups, as either individuals or teams (collectively, “Contestants”).
• All participating individuals must be least 18 years of age at the time of entry.
• Teams may consist of eligible individuals where each team member meets the eligibility requirements for individual Contestants.
  • Each team shall appoint one individual as the Team Captain (the “Representative”) to represent and act, including registering and entering a Submission, on behalf of said team.
  • The Representative must be duly authorized to submit on behalf of the team.
  • The Representative represents and warrants that he or she is duly authorized to act on behalf of the team and has read the Official Rules and that the team agrees to abide by these Official Rules.
  • The Representative will ensure that each member of the team participating in entering the Submission, or in decisions related to the Submission, has read and complies with the Official Rules.
  • An individual may not join more than one team, and an individual who is part of a team may not enter the Competition on an individual basis.

The following ventures are excluded from this competition: buy-outs, expansions of existing companies, real estate syndications, tax shelters, franchises, and licensing agreements for distribution in a different geographical area.

Contestants do not need to have formed a company to participate, but preference will be given to those who demonstrate and/or document plans to do so.

 Contestants who have applied to the Challenge in previous years but were not accepted to participate are eligible to apply again.

Contestants who have previously participated in the Challenge and did not win a First, Second or Third Place prize at the Pitch Competition are eligible to apply, however the Administrator reserves the right to request supplemental information about the Contestants’ need for ongoing mentoring.

Contestants who have previously participated in the Challenge and won a prize at the Pitch Competition are not eligible to apply.

Contestants do not need to be residents of New York state, nor do companies need to be founded, incorporated and/or physically present in New York state to be eligible. However, given the geographical specificity of the Challenge topic and the program requirements, preference may be given to Submissions from the Challenge catchment area.

 No purchase or payment necessary. Void where prohibited.

Application and Submission

Application

All potential applicants must complete an introductory e-learning module about the program. After completing the module, potential applicants will be given instructions for completing the remaining steps in the application process, which may include written submission of business information and participation in a brief interview.

Click here to submit your contact information and access the module.

Submission

Following attendance at the mandatory webinar, Contestants will be asked to submit a novel idea, technology solution or business concept that addresses the Challenge Topic, “Advancing Health Equity” (the “Idea”). Ideas may be at any stage of development, including pre-company formation.

There is no cost to enter a Submission.

The Administrator, at their sole discretion, may permit a Contestant to modify part of the Submission for the purpose of removing material that potentially infringes a third-party mark or right, discloses personally identifiable information, or is otherwise inappropriate. The modified Submission must remain substantively the same as the original Submission with the only modification being what is permitted by the or Administrator. Any modifications beyond what is permitted may result in disqualification.

Contestants may be required to provide additional information, and the Administrator has the right to request additional information about your team and/or proposed project during the final Contestant selection process. Failure by a Contestant to respond in a timely fashion or fully honor such a request may result in disqualification of the Submission.

Limit of one Submission per Contestant.

Submission Requirements

All Submission materials must be in English.

The Idea must not be substantially similar to an existing product distributed commercially by the Contestant or any other venture.

Submissions must:

• Be the original work product of the Contestant.
• Be solely owned by the Contestant and with no other person or entity having any right or interest in it.
• Not violate the Intellectual Property rights or other rights including but not limited to copyright, trademark, patent, contract, and/or privacy rights, of any other person or entity.

The Contestant must own all rights to the Idea and its creativity. By entering a Submission, Contestant represents, warrants and agrees that the Submission is their own work, and that the Submission complies with the Official Rules.

All Contestants agree to provide project updates and summary business data to the Administrator throughout the program cycle as well as after the Symposium, for a period of up to three (3) years.

Only complete application information submitted via the Challenge Website will be accepted. Applications will not be accepted by email, postal mail, or other method.

In the event of a dispute pertaining to this Challenge, the authorized account holder of the email address used to make the application and enter the Submission will be deemed to be the Contestant’s Representative.

Questions About the Application Process

The Center for Entrepreneurship will answer questions regarding the rules. Questions must be submitted via the contest website at https://www.nyhealthchallenge.com/thechallenge/submit-a-question/

Responses to questions will be posted to the website so all potential applicants can see the questions and answers. Only questions and answers will be posted; the applicants who ask them will be anonymous.

Judging of the Submissions

Once the submission deadline has closed, all Submissions will be reviewed by the Administrator and a panel of Judges.

The review may be conducted in one or more rounds of judging, and each round of judging may involve different Judges. The Administrator reserve the right to substitute or modify the judging panel or criteria at any time for any reason.

All Judges shall be and remain fair and impartial. Any Judge may recuse him or herself from judging if the Judge, the Administrator considers that it is inappropriate, for any reason, for the Judge to evaluate a specific Submission or group of Submissions at any phase of the Challenge. This includes, but is not limited to, cases where a Judge has a material business relationship or other previous affiliation with a Contestant.

The Submissions will be judged using the following criteria:

• Need: Does this idea address an immediate need? Will it impact a large number of individuals, or a small number of individuals in a significant way?
• Consumer/Provider Impact: How does the idea provide additional access to care, reduce costs, improve quality and/or otherwise serve underserved communities?
• Originality of the idea: Is the idea unique and innovative? Does it challenge the status-quo?
• Clarity of concept: Is there a clear description of the idea?
• Viability: Can the idea be sustainable and have a significant impact on healthcare?
• Feasibility: Is it technically possible to develop the idea?
• Relevance: Is the Idea responsive to the Challenge topic of “Advancing Health Equity”?
• Team: Does the team have the appropriate leadership and expertise to execute the business idea/company?

At any point during the competition, the Administrator has the right to ask a Contestant to submit proofs and supporting documents related to their ideas.

All sessions of the Symposium including, but not limited to, oral presentations and question/answer sessions, may be open to the public at large. Any and all of the Bootcamp sessions and Symposium events may be broadcast to interested persons through media, which may include radio, television and the Internet. Any data or information discussed or divulged in public sessions by entrants should be considered information that could possibly enter the public realm, and entrants should not assume any right of confidentiality in any data or information discussed, divulged, or presented in these sessions.

Due to the nature of the competition, the Administrator is not able to ask judges, sponsors, reviewers, mentors, staff, or the audience to agree to or sign non-disclosure statements.

If a team uses copyrighted materials and/or images from a third-party in their submissions or presentations, they must obtain permission and authorization in advance from the owners to use this material. By submitting an entry, each individual Contestant warrants that the entry does not infringe any proprietary or other right of others.

Information presented by the Contestants at the competition is the sole responsibility of the Contestants. The Administrator has not taken, and does not intend to take, any steps to verify the adequacy, accuracy or completeness of any information, materials or statements presented by the Contestants. The Contestants, and not the Administrator, are responsible for ensuring the Contestants’ compliance with all applicable federal, state and other securities laws, and it is solely the Contestants’ responsibility to comply with any of such laws that are applicable. Neither the Administrator nor Hofstra University will give investment advice, endorsement, analysis or recommendations with respect to any securities, and is not a broker, venture fund or an investment advisor.

All project materials, including application documents and proposal pitches, will be shared with the Hofstra Center for Entrepreneurship staff, mentors/advisors, and partners of the Challenge. They will not be considered confidential, but they will not be widely distributed or posted on a website.

Contestants grant the Administrator a non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide, paid up right and license to use their names, interviews and likenesses in all media, including but not limited to video, print and electronic media, in such manner as Administrator may deem advisable for any purpose, including promotion and advertisement of the Challenge and future challenges. Contestants acknowledge that they are not entitled to reimbursement for the use of their name, photograph or participation in any and all media developed about and by Administrator.

All Contestants shall retain ownership of any software, technology, or research they develop or any other Intellectual Property rights they create, provided that by submitting an entry (i.e., participating in the Challenge), you are granting Administrator certain limited rights as set forth herein.

By submitting an entry, you grant to Administrator the right to review and score your entry pursuant to these Rules, to describe your entry in connection with any materials created in connection with the Challenge, and to have the Judges, Administrator, and the designees of any of them, review your entry.

You agree that nothing in these Rules grants you a right or license to use any names or logos of Hofstra University, the Challenge Administrator, Challenge Sponsors, or any affiliated institutions. You grant to Administrator the right to include your name and your company or institution name and logo (if your entry is from a company or institution) as a Contestant on the event Website and in materials from Administrator announcing winners, finalists, or Contestants in the Competition. Other than these uses or as otherwise set forth herein, you are not granting Administrator any rights to your trademarks.

Hofstra University will not take any ownership stake in the intellectual property developed at any phase of the Healthcare Entrepreneurship Community Challenge. Hofstra University will not take any equity stake in the companies formed by the Contestants.

If a Contestant is disqualified at any point or is unable to participate in the required competition events, the Administrator reserves the right to offer that spot to another applicant. Administrator reserves the right to disqualify any Contestants and/or Submission for good cause.

The Administrator reserve the right to change these rules at any time.

By entering, Contestants agree to release the Administrator, sponsors, affiliated institutions, and their agents from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the challenge entry.

Any “in-kind” prizes offered by third parties will be solely managed by those third parties, not Hofstra University. Entrants acknowledge that Hofstra University has no control over and is not responsible for the actions of those third parties. Any in-kind services offered by the ideaHUb, including incubator space, are subject to the terms, conditions, and policies of Hofstra University. By entering, team members agree to release the University and its agents from any and all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for damages or losses to persons and property that may be sustained in connection with the challenge entry, or receipt or use of any prizes, monetary and in-kind. The in-kind prizes are voluntary, and participants may choose to use those prizes at their discretion.