Maternal Health Tech Challenge - Official Competition Rules

ELIGIBILITY:

The HIMSS Global Maternal Health Tech Challenge (“Challenge”) welcomes innovators and professionals who are at least 18 years of age. Individual participants (“Participant(s)”) may form teams of up to six (6) members (collectively, “Team”).
Only English-language submissions will be considered.

ORGANIZER:

The Health Information Management Systems Society, also known as HIMSS, is the Organizer of this event. The Organizer will work in connection with certain collaborators, sponsors, and partners to facilitate the Challenge (collectively, “Organizing Partner(s)”). The Organizer and Organizing Partner(s) reserve the exclusive right to set and adjust the number of Teams accepted into the Challenge at any time.

HOW TO APPLY TO COMPETE IN THE CHALLENGE:

To submit an entry into the Challenge, visit the application website. Each Team may only submit one (1) entry for the entirety of the Challenge. Any duplicate submissions will be discarded. Each individual Participant may only be a member of one (1) Team; all Participants must be identified by the Team in the entry.
There is no cost to enter the Challenge, and HIMSS membership will not increase the chances of acceptance into the Challenge or winning a Challenge prize.
Submissions for acceptance into the Challenge are reviewed and accepted by the Selection Committee (defined below) on a rolling basis within the time periods set forth below.
The general timeline for application to Challenge is as follows:

Call for Submissions

Opens: Monday, February 15, 2021, 12:00 am ET
Closes: Sunday, May 9, 2021, 11:59 pm ET
Semifinal Pitch Competition: Monday, June 7, 2021

COMPETITION SELECTION CRITERIA:

The Organizer, in its sole discretion, will establish a selection committee to conduct a preliminary review of submissions to the Challenge (“Selection Committee”). The Selection Committee will consider the following criteria, and others, when evaluating submissions to determine if the submission will be accepted for judging:

The degree to which the solution addresses the stated objective of this Challenge.
The degree to which the solution satisfies a strong market need and the solution’s differentiation compared to competition.
Market readiness and the length of time it would take for the proposed asset to be ready for external commercialization.
Whether the submission is complete and adheres to the requirements of the Challenge rules.
Whether the solution proposed is viable. Viability will be assessed from a technical and market perspective.
Whether the assembled Team has the requisite skills and experience to contribute to the success of the project.

CHALLENGE JUDGING:

This section applies to judging of the open challenge competitions as well as the global finals at the HIMSS21 event.
Qualification of judges
- Challenge winners will be chosen by a panel of judges solely selected by Organizer and Organizing Partner(s).
- Judges will be experienced professionals that have expertise in one or more areas critical to successful healthcare innovation. These areas include, but are not limited to:
  - Healthcare industry expertise;
  - Community stakeholders;
  - Experience within disruptive technology; and/or
  - Other areas as deemed appropriate by the Organizer and Organizing Partner(s).
Judging process
- All judging will occur as outlined in the timeline set forth in the rules.
- Judges will be provided with a copy of the submission materials provided by each Team.
- Each judge will score each Team’s submission based on the approved judging criteria, using numerical ranking.
- The numerical rankings will be tallied and summed so that an overall score can be determined for each Team.
- In the event of a tie, the winners will be determined based on a simple majority vote by the judges.
- The Organizer and Organizing Partner(s) reserve the sole right to define and modify the qualification of judges, the judging process, the judging criteria, and the judges as deemed appropriate at any time.
- Under no circumstances will a Team be permitted to appeal the final decision of the judges. Judging decisions are final, binding and not contestable.
Judging criteria
- Submissions will be evaluated on the criteria of commercial viability, technical viability, financial viability, strength of the Team, and presentation of the business plan.
  - The degree to which the solution addresses the stated objective of this Challenge.
  - The degree to which the solution satisfies a strong market need; differentiation compared to competition.
  - Market readiness and the length of time it will take for the asset to be ready for external commercialization.
  - Whether the submission is complete and adheres to the requirements of the Challenge rules.
  - Commercial viability includes key aspects of the competitive environment and the value proposition, and may include, but is not limited to:
    - The market need addressed and how
    - The need for the product or service
    - Market growth (potential future and past performance)
    - Competitors and competitive technologies
    - The competitive solution
    - Customer segments
    - Relationships to be forged
    - Marketing and distribution channels to be exploited
  - Technical viability may include, but is not limited to:
    - The unique technical features of the product or service
    - Technological feasibility
    - Intellectual property positions
    - Cost and pathway to development
    - Timeline to complete the work
    - Likelihood of and risks to development
  - Use of proceeds
    - Includes how winning the competition may impact the Team and the solution.
  - Strength of the Team may include, but is not limited to:
    - Team alignment
    - Technical competence
    - Business acumen
    - Industry knowledge
    - Enthusiasm and commitment

DISQUALIFICATION:

Organizer has the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any Participant or Team for a violation of the rules.
Organizer may prohibit certain Participants or Teams from participating in the Challenge or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that a Participant or Team has attempted to undermine the legitimate operation of the Challenge by cheating, hacking, deception, or any other unfair practice.
Organizer has the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any Participant or Team that attempts to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other Participants or representatives of Organizer.
Entries containing pornographic material, defamatory statements or are otherwise deemed offensive by Organizer are prohibited from participating in the competition.
Ineligible entries may be disqualified at any time without notice.

CANCELLATION:

Organizer has the right to cancel or suspend the Challenge, in whole or in part, with or without notice and for any or no reason.
Organizer, and Organizing Partner(s), are not responsible for, and Participants hereby waive any claim for, damages, claims, losses, or inconveniences caused by cancellation or suspension of the Challenge.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP):

By providing a submission to the Challenge, each Participant represents and warrants that the submission does not violate any applicable law or any third-party intellectual property rights.
Organizers and Organizing Partner(s) do not make any claims to or take responsibility for the intellectual property that might be developed or enhanced through participation in the Challenge.
It is up to each Team, solely, to determine ownership of any work that is created and developed during the Challenge.
Organizers and Organizing Partner(s) accept no responsibility for resolving IP disputes among Participants.

PUBLICITY AND PRIVACY:

Participant hereby grants Organizers the right to use Participant’s name, likeness, photo, voice, appearance, biographical information, statements, and performance in association with the Challenge (“Name and Likeness”) and take photographs, record, project, stream, broadcast, and rebroadcast the same.
By applying to and/or participating in the Challenge, Team members expressly consent to the collection of personal information necessary to organize and administer the Challenge and to the HIMSS privacy policy available at himss.org/himss-legal (“Policy”). In addition to any use disclosed in the Policy, Participant expressly acknowledges and consents to the use of personal information the purposes of registering Teams for the Challenge, administering and promoting the Challenge, and communicating about current and future events and understands and agrees that personal information may be shared with Organizing Partner(s), Sponsors, and other parties involved in or affiliated with the Challenge.
Participants expressly consent to receiving electronic messages relating to participation in the Challenge.

REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES:

Participants represent and warrant that:

They meet the eligibility requirements specified in the rules and will abide by the rules and the decisions of the judges;
Their submission is their own original work and/or collectively that of their Team and that they have all necessary rights or licenses to incorporate any third-party intellectual property into the submission;
The submission will not infringe the intellectual property rights or contractual rights of any third person; and,
Their application and participation in the Challenge, if accepted, will full comply with these official rules.

LIABILITY RELEASE AND INDEMNITY:

Under no circumstance will Organizer, Organizing Partner(s) or Sponsors be liable for any direct, incidental, indirect, special or consequential damages incurred by any Participants or third parties in connection with, arising out of, or relating in any way to the Challenge.
Participant shall indemnify and hold Organizer, Organizing Partner(s), Sponsors and their officers, directors, employees, successors and assigns harmless against any claims, losses, damages, liabilities and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ and other professionals’ fees) arising out of, or relating in any way participation in the Challenge.
All disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or in connection with the Challenge, prizes, or the official rules, shall be adjudicated solely and exclusively by the state courts in Cook County, Illinois and the laws of the State of Illinois shall control. Participant submits to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of such court for the purpose of any action.
Participant agrees not to use in any advertising, publicity, marketing, press release, or in any other way, the name, trademark, logo, symbol, image, likeness or other intellectual property of Organizer, Organizing Partner(s) or Sponsors without the prior written consent of the Organizer, Organizing Partner(s) and/or Sponsors, respectively.