Guidelines | Queens Tech + Innovation Challenge

Entrant eligibility requirements

The Challenge is designed for early-stage business with a genuine Queens connection. You qualify by meeting any one of the following criteria:

Your business is located in Queens. Submit proof of business address — a lease, EIN, registration certificate, bank statement, or insurance document. Home-based businesses can use a NYS/NYC ID. Winners must keep operating in Queens for one year.
Half of your workforce resides in Queens. At least 50%, with proof of employment such as payroll records — maintained for one year if you win.
You're a QEDC client or recent alumnus. A client in good standing of the Entrepreneur Space incubator, or a graduate of one of QEDC's business education programs.
You study at a Queens college. Students and recent graduates (2024 or later) of York College, Queens College, Queensborough CC, LaGuardia CC, Vaughn College, Plaza Business Institute, Cornell Tech, or St. John's — with proof of enrollment.
You contribute to the Queens economy in another significant way. Filling a vital need, creating jobs or investment. Pre-approval by email is required for this route.

All entrants must be 18 or older and be a US citizen or legal resident. Businesses must be legally registered and operating in the United States. All entrants must be tax-compliant and operating with up-to-date licenses and permits.

Pre-revenue entrants must show proof of product-market fit via user testing, customer feedback, or other means. Operating businesses must have between $10,000 and $250,000 in revenue over the past 12 months.

Previous winners are not eligible, however, previous contestants and finalists are encouraged to re-enter the Challenge.

Real estate businesses, franchises, affiliate marketing, multi-level marketing, and not-for-profit businesses are not eligible to participate in the Challenge.

QEDC maintains final determination over eligibility, and can remove or qualify entrants for any reason at their sole discretion. If you have questions about your eligibility, please contact Michael Gillen at mgillen@queensny.org.

The process

The Challenge includes three phases over the course of about 6 months.

Phase 1: Education and Preparation

Starting with our fall kickoff event, we host 3-4 free in-person events over the course of the program, including networking, panels, workshops, and other functions. We also partner with experts to host a series of virtual classes during the Challenge, covering topics related technology, marketing, finances, and entrepreneurship.

To qualify for the pitch phase of the Challenge, you must attend a TBD number of these in-person and virtual events.

Phase 2: First Round Pitches

Beginning in February, Challenge participants must submit their written and recorded pitch for judging. All applicants will have their pitch asynchronously reviewed by multiple volunteer judges, who will complete a scoring rubric. At our in-person announcement in March, we will tabulate and reveal the final contestants across all four categories.

One-on-one counseling is available for entrants looking for assistance in preparing their pitches.

Phase 3: Final Pitches

At our final pitch event in April, all remaining entrants will present to a live panel of judges. Judges will score finalists, and winners will be announced at a reception that evening. Prizes will be awarded shortly thereafter.

Finalists will receive individualized support on their pitch, including presentation assistance.

Judging criteria

In both rounds of the Challenge, entrants will be reviewed by a panel of judges that include experienced entrepreneurs, subject-matter experts, investors, and other business leaders. Judges evaluate entries on the following criteria:

Product/Service: The company has a clearly defined a business problem and developed a solution that genuinely fulfills a customer need, has resonance and desirability, and changes or significantly improves an existing process.
Markets & Competition: The company has a clearly identified target customer, size of customer base, business model, differentiation, in-depth competitive analysis. And scalability in both geography and solution.
Team: relative domain & industry experience, business track record, education, etc.
Distribution: Clearly defined vision and objectives, roadmap for implementation, feasibility of implementation, and perceived strategic advantage.
The Need and Impact of Award Funding: aWhat effect the award funding will have, and how it will be used. You need to provide a narrative assessing your business will grow.
Social Impact Assessment (if applicable) – define the venture’s social value proposition, identify measurable social impact indicators that will strongly correlate with the desired social outcomes, and explain the social value in monetary terms

Note that the judges’ decisions at every stage of the competition are final. Participants are not allowed to appeal who the judges determine to be finalists or winners.

Prizes and fulfillment

Winners of each category in the final round will receive up to $20,000 worth of prizes, including cash grants and in-kind products and services. Final prize value is subject to change based on sponsor funding.

Prizes are distributed in two funding rounds of 50% each. In order to release funding, winners must provide the following:

Articles of Organization (for your business registration)
Operating Agreement (If you have one)
Proof of Queens eligibility.
A description of the use of the 50% (items/services purchased) and its timeline (a specific six-month timeline of items/services purchase required).
A signed W-9 with an EIN number as the IRS is notified of your receiving these funds, and as such are taxable.
Signed letter acknowledging you have read the rules, accept the disbursement of funds process, and you agree that your story and likeness may be used for QEDC reporting and promotional purposes.

Funding must be used for the business purposes described in your plan within one year of the award. If a winner violates any of the rules/terms, they forfeit future funding and may be liable to return previous prize disbursements.

In-kind prizes are subject the rules and procedures determined by relevant sponsors.

How the Challenge works