The Rules

The rules are subject to change without notice. Check here for the most up-to-date information.

By submitting an application for entrance to the contest, you agree to and are bound by the following rules:

General

• To participate in the 59DaysOfCode Web & Mobile App Competition (the "Contest"), you must be at least 16 years old. The Contest is open to individuals or teams of any size, but the development team must be clearly indicated on your application.
• Members of the 59DaysOfCode Oversight Committee and members of their immediate families are not eligible to enter. Void where prohibited.
• If you are selected as a contest winner, you agree that the Team may publicize your name, likeness, and the description of work you did to win the contest, as well as any information provided to us in your profile or in communicating with you during this contest. Apart from the prizes associated with being selected as a winner, the Team shall not be obligated to compensate you in any way for such publicity.
• One prize will be awarded to the winning entry in each category. If the winning entry is submitted by more than one individual, the prize will be presented to the person that you designate during the second part of the application (the Awardee) who submit the winning entry.
• Each entrant shall indemnify, defend, and hold the Team harmless from any third party claims arising from or related to that entrant's participation in the Contest. In no event shall the Team be liable to an entrant for acts or omissions arising out of or related to the Contest or that entrant's participation in the Contest.
• Odds of winning depend on the number and quality of entries received. All taxes, including income taxes, are the sole responsibility of winners. No prize substitution is permitted. Winner(s) may be required to verify their entry.
• Entries from outside the U.S. are permitted. All entries must include an English-language explanation of the design.
• You must be able to demonstrate a material presence in Fresno, Kings, Tulare, Madera or Kern County before prizes will be awarded.
• Some of the application process is partially subjective, and the outcome of that process cannot be disputed by applicants.
• Some of the judging process is partially subjective, and the outcome of that process cannot be disputed by entrants.
• You agree to participate in at least two mandatory check-ins/prep-lessons over the course of the 59 days between kickoff and showcase. We will release the schedule for these mandatory check-ins AFTER the applicants have been chosen to compete.
• All hardware and software needed for you to build your project or prototype must be supplied by you, or your team, and should not rely on externally provided resources. The 59DaysOfCode team cannot provide technical help other than power and WiFi connectivity on the day of the Showcase.
• Submissions must be for web and mobile applications. Desktop applications are not eligible.
• Entries must not infringe on any third-party rights, and will be reviewed for content.

Registration & Process

Registration is free. You may submit multiple projects. Keep copies for your records. The Team assumes no responsibility for lost, misdirected, illegible or late entries or for failed computer transmissions or technical failures.

Phase One

To get started, complete the two-part application at http://59DaysOfCode.com/apply
At this stage, you are only required to submit:

1. Contact Information for your Designated Contact Person
2. Project Information
   • What are you planning?
   • What difference can you make?
   • Why should we care?
   • What technologies are being employed?
   • How would you use the money if you won?
   • Which category does this project fit under? (In-Progress or Zero-Code)

Phase Two

When the entrants have been chosen, the Designated Contact Person for each team will be notified via email. At this time, you'll be asked to fill out a full profile for your team.

The information obtained in this profile and in any previous or subsequent contact with you or a member of your team may be used in publicizing this event (see General rules).

At this point, you must provide complete information (name, address, phone, etc) for the Awardee. To put it simply: this is the person or entity to whom the check will be written if your project is to win.

Contest Period

Zero-Code entrants may begin work at 12:00:01 am Pacific Standard Time (PST) on April 24th, 2010. Code may be checked in up to 3:59:59 pm (PST) on June 22nd, 2010.

Categories

The 59DaysOfCode team, in conjunction with the Central Valley Business Incubator will provide the stage for you to showcase your skills. There are two areas in which you can compete:

Zero-Code

Zero-code entries are idea-stage projects that you will have 59 days to build (see judging). These are projects that you have not written code for. Documentation may be pre-existing, but no pre-written code is allowed. If you are building your project atop or alongside an open-source project, the full license of that project must be provided (see rules), as well as current and accessible links to the project authors/host. (In other words, you MUST be able to demonstrate the "open-sourceness" of the project.) While we trust in the integrity of our competitors, All Zero-Code entries are subject to an inspection process (led by professional software engineers) to ensure there are no "jump-started" projects in this category.

In-Progress

Ideas that are in-progress or have been left on the shelf to gather dust have the chance to show themselves in this category. These projects may already be out on the market for a limited audience, or a work-in-progress altogether. The entries in this category will go through the application process in which reviewers will weigh in on the "In-Progressness" of your project.

Source Control

• You agree to use the Source Control System of our choosing (BitBucket/Mercurial). Credentials to the System will be provided when and if your project is chosen to compete in the Contest. By submitting an application for your project, you agree to use this system for the duration of the Contest.
• The intellectual property pertaining to your project shall not be comprimised by the 59DaysOfCode team, but we reserve the right to inspect the projects' files and progress as we see fit and without warning.
• The winning team must have all FINAL files submitted to the system prior to the official start of the showcase (4 p.m. PST, June 22, 2010).

Judging

Winners will be selected by a panel of judges chosen by the 59DaysOfCode Oversight Committee. The judges shall have the sole authority and discretion to select the award recipient(s). The judges will grade entries using the following criteria:

There are three parts to the contest in which judges play a role:

1. Registration Acceptance
2. On the Showcase Floor
3. Five-minute Presentation

The judges will be looking for specific qualities during each phase.

Registration Acceptance

When the deadline for entries is reached, the 59DaysOfCode Oversight Committee will review all applications and we will look for the following attributes: (the more affirmative responses, the better)

• Is this project novel?
• Will it show well at a public showcase? (readiness, scope, appropriateness)
• Is there a definable end-user for this project?
• Is this project original? (i.e. is this a better mouse-trap?)
• Is there a clear use of funds if this project wins in its category?
• Will/Can the team maintain a material presence in Fresno County as agreed to in The Rules?
• Will it take off?

Showcase Floor

Each criterion will be rated on a scale of 1-10.

Criterion	Zero-Code	In-Progress
Usefulness Clear purpose; solves a distinct pain	20%	15%
Demo Works (at least a little); can be explained and shown off	20%	30%
UI Intuitive; aesthetically pleasing; well-designed	20%	30%
Differentiation Unique and original in nature; separates self from the crowd	10%	15%
Coolness No detail required here, right?	20%	5%
People's Choice They like it. They really like it.	10%	5%

Five-Minute Presentation

Each criterion will be rated on a scale of 1-10.

Criterion	Weight
Marketability Value proposition and audience well-defined	10%
Presentation Clear, concise, professional and engaging; stick to timeline	20%
Use of Funds Realistic and clear plan presented; resources maximized	15%
Credibility Background of principals; Ability to execute	30%
Business Model How sell? How buy? How much?	15%
Scalability/Sellability Can it grow? Will it grow? What will it take to grow?	10%

Notification

The winning entry will be announced on June 22, 2010 during the awards portion of the showcase. Further, the winning entry will be publicized on the 59DaysOfCode.com site, on the cvbi.org site, and in local media in the days and weeks following the close of the competition. Must be present at the Showcase to win. Unclaimed prizes will not be awarded.