This morning at the WES 2009 Conference, BlackBerry Partners Fund
announced the 2009
BlackBerry Developers Challenge. This is the second year that the challenge
is running, although the focus for this year's contest has shifted and entries
will be evaluated on both the application submitted and its supporting business
plan.
Developers can pre-register now at www.blackberrypartnersfund.com
to receive details on the challenge. Submissions officially open on June 1st
and the winner will be selected at the BlackBerry Developers Conference
November 9-11 in San Francisco. Full contest rules and regulations will be
revealed on June 1st.
The Grand Prize Package
worth $50,000 includes a $25,000 Cash
Prize and a $25,000 value
package including a mentoring session by RIM and an opportunity to pitch
BlackBerry Partners Fund for a potential investment. It also includes a free
Alliance membership. A runner-up will
receive a $10,000 cash prize.
receive their DevCon registration for free.
To be eligible it must be a
financed (maximum of $1MM outside investment.)
A panel of judges
will select 10 finalists by looking for the most compelling product or service,
clearly defined value proposition, viable business model, and entrepreneurs who
have the ability to execute.
Final judging will
take place at DevCon, where each finalist must present their application or
service to be considered for the Grand Prize. Submissions open
June 1st and close
September 15th.