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When it actually closes

Safe cutoff

RFI section IV

Stated: “5:00 PM ET, October 19, 2026”
Printed zone: ET
IANA zone: America/New_York
UTC: 2026-10-19T21:00:00Z
Your time: Mon Oct 19, 9:00 PM UTC (loading your time zone…)

Prizes

$1,000,000 cash · 73 slots

Cash prizes under 10 U.S.C. §4025, $1,000,000 in total. The amounts add on to each other as an entrant advances. - Part 1 (white paper): up to 50 semifinalists get $5,000 each ($250K). - Part 2 (virtual pitch, Jan 18-29, 2027): up to 20 finalists get another $20,000 each ($400K). - Part 3 (in-person finals at or around eMerge Americas, Miami, Mar 2-4, 2027): 1st place gets another $200,000, 2nd $100,000 and 3rd $50,000 ($350K). A 1st-place winner therefore receives $225,000 in total.

Part 1 semifinalist — white paper (up to 50)
cash · ×50
$5,000
Amount is a maximum
Part 2 finalist — virtual pitch (up to 20)
cash · ×20
$20,000
Amount is a maximum; stacks on the Part 1 award
Part 3 — 1st place (in-person finals, Miami)
cash
$200,000
Stacks on Parts 1-2 awards
Part 3 — 2nd place
cash
$100,000
Stacks on Parts 1-2 awards
Part 3 — 3rd place
cash
$50,000
Stacks on Parts 1-2 awards

Eligibility

Individuals: unclear

An eligible firm must be organized as a for-profit concern and meet all the other small business requirements in 13 C.F.R. § 121.702.

Checked for one adult entering alone from Nevada, USA. Rules can differ by country, so read the rule quoted here for where you live.

Entry cost

Free to enter

Payout

unknown

Cash prizes paid by the government under 10 U.S.C. §4025. The RFI does not say how payment works: it does not mention SAM.gov/UEI, EFT or tax forms. Expect to need business banking and tax details. This is not verified.

Rights — what you give up

entrant-keeps

Participants keep their IP (RFI Sec. IX). The government may not gain an interest in a participant's IP without written consent, but it may negotiate a license. Its rights from before the competition, or under other agreements, are unchanged.

Gotchas

An individual cannot enter as themselves; only a for-profit firm can. 13 CFR 121.105(b) allows an 'individual proprietorship', so a Nevada sole proprietor can probably enter.
The white paper must use the template, which is only downloadable after creating a Valid Eval account. Papers not on the template are not reviewed. The detailed scoring rubric is also behind that signup.
It is not fully online. The Part 3 finals are an in-person pitch and demo in Miami (at or around eMerge Americas), Mar 2-4, 2027. The RFI says nothing about travel funding.
The Army is looking for 'groundbreaking technologies with strong commercial traction'. Commercial Potential is 25% and Army Benefits 25%, and the priorities are warfighting areas (maneuver, C2, protection, sustainment, fires).