These rules are defined below:

A. GENERAL

1. All submissions, in any format, must be provided in the English language to avoid misinterpretation. Translation services are available through platforms such as I Can Localize or Rev.com for a nominal fee. For more information on available translation options, Contact Us.
2. Consideration for any prize requires that a design proposal is first submitted before the deadline for the corresponding monthly or year-end challenge. Any submissions received after the deadline will not be considered.
3. All submissions are limited to text and/or files in the following formats: 

• Portable Document Format ( .pdf )
• Images ( .gif, .jpg, .png, etc )

B. JUDGING CRITERIA

The following criteria and rubric will be used by judging delegates to evaluate submissions:

1. Positive Impact (5 Possible Points) – How well does the submission proposed make a positive impact on society?
2. Economic Viability (5 Possible Points) – Is the specified bill of materials (BOM), design and manufacturing process, and marketability of the proposed solution practical in volumes?
3. Technical Feasibility (5 Possible Points) – Does the proposed solution make use of features available in the devkit that was offered in the corresponding month’s challenge)? Furthermore, is it achievable without the use of overly exotic, esoteric, or impractical engineering methods?
4. Product Differentiation (5 Possible Points) – ‌Does the solution exhibit novel features or properties that either aren’t available in the market currently or have not been presented in a similar manner?
5. Completeness (5 Possible Points) – Is the solution prepared to satisfy market demand without the need for additional technologies that lie outside the defined project scope? If complementary solutions are required, are they readily available and how difficult is their proposed integration?

Overall: A maximum of 50 total points can be awarded to any given submission provided that each of the judging delegates from Embedded Computing Design and Digi-Key evaluates it as a 25-point solution.

D. Monthly and year end deadlines

The deadline for DevKits awarded by the end of February is the last day of March (March 31, 2019. The deadline for DevKits awarded by the end of March is the last day of April (April 30, 2019). Successive months follow similar deadlines. The final DevKits will be awarded for the month of November.

Each month, one winner will be chosen using the Judging Criteria and will be awarded a $100US prize). That winner will also be entered in the Year End contest. One winner will be chosen to win the Grand Prize ($4000US).