General Questions
How do I follow the Challenge and get updates?
Who can I contact if I have questions about the challenge?

Eligibility & IP
Who is eligible to enter the competition?
We are an organization. Can we enter?
Do the apps have to be newly created for this competition, or can they be preexisting?
Can more than one person work on an app and receive credit for it? And if the app wins a prize, how will the prize money be split among the creators?
Can my application win more than one prize?
Can I enter more than one app?
Do I retain intellectual property ownership?
What will MTA, AT&T, and ChallengePost do with my submission?

Submission Requirements
What do I need to use to build my application? Where can I find it?
Can I include other APIs or datasets in my app?
What platform/device should my app run on?
Why do I have to upload a video?
What should I put in my video?
Does my app need to be submitted to an online store?

Testing Process
How can I provide ChallengePost with access to test my app?

Public Voting
How does public voting work?

How do I follow the Challenge and get updates?

When you register for the Challenge, you’ll automatically be signed up to receive updates regarding the Challenge. Follow us on Twitter at @ChallengePost.

Who can I contact if I have questions about the challenge?

Email Support@ChallengePost.com or post a question to the discussion board.

Who is eligible to enter the competition?

The Challenge is open to individuals and teams around the globe. Each team member must be 18 years or older. The challenge is also open to legally registered corporations or organizations that employ fewer than 50 people at the time of entry. (See the next question for large organization eligibility.)

We are an organization. Can we enter?

Organizations with 50 or fewer employees may enter and compete for cash prizes in the online challenge. Organizations with more than 50 employees may enter and compete only for the Large Organization Recognition Award, which has no cash prize.

Do the apps have to be newly created for this competition, or can they be preexisting?

Submissions to the competition can be newly created or, if the app existed previous to the competition, it must be substantially different from the previous version and must integrate at least one new MTA data or API not found in the previous version.

Applications that were entered in the 2012 MTA App Quest or the 2013 App Quest and won a prize are not eligible.

Can more than one person work on an app and receive credit for it? And if the app wins a prize, how will the prize money be split among the creators?

Yes, teams are encouraged. If a team of individuals or an organization is selected as an award winner, the full prize amount will be sent to the submitter (team representative). It will be up to the winning team or organization to reallocate the prize money between the team members, as they deem appropriate.

Can my app win more than one prize?

Yes. All submissions entered by eligible individuals, teams of individuals, and organizations with 50 or fewer employees can compete for prizes in one of two prize tracks. In addition, all eligible apps in either track may also qualify for the Best Crowdsourcing App, Best Data Visualization App, Best Way-Finding Application for Novice Transit Riders App, and Popular Choice awards. Large organizations are only eligible for the Large Organization Recognition Award. Check out the Resources page for the category prize requirements.

Can I enter more than one application?

Yes. By submitting an application to the challenge, you do not transfer any intellectual property rights to the MTA, AT&T, NYU Poly, or ChallengePost. However, any MTA copyrights, trademarks and other MTA intellectual property licensed by MTA for use in your app does not become part of your intellectual property. We will have the right to feature all applications entered in the competition for promotional purposes. See the Official Rules for details.

Do I retain intellectual property ownership?

What will the MTA, AT&T, and ChallengePost do with my submission?

We will have the right to publicly display your Challenge submissions on the Challenge website. We will also be allowed to publicize your name on the Challenge website, in press materials, and in promotional marketing materials for the Challenge in connection with the submission and the Challenge during the competition and for 36 months after its conclusion. For more information on publicity rights, please see the Official Rules.

What do I need to use to build my application? Where can I find it?

Your app must use at least one MTA data set and/or API. MTA data can be accessed at on the Resources page or at http://mta.info/developers/

Can I used other APIs or datasets in my app?

Yes. You are encouraged to use additional APIs and datasets as long as you are authorized to use and distribute them. Check out the Resources tab for additional data and APIs. You are not limited to the suggestions there.

Please note that this is in addition to the required MTA APIs and/or datasets.

What platform/device should my app run on?

To be eligible for the challenge your app must function at least one of the following:

a smartphone or tablet (Android, iOS, Blackberry, Kindle, or Windows Phone)
a mobile or desktop web browser
a Windows or Mac desktop computer
other third party hardware including, but not limited to, wearable technology or open source hardware
proprietary hardware created by the Maker

Why do I have to upload a video?

The Popular Choice award is determined by public voting. A video helps ensure that all users can view and experience your application. The video will also be helpful to the panel of judges. You may create a screencast or use a handheld video camera to make your video, or choose any other method that captures the application’s value and user interface.

What should I put in my video?

Aside from your actual solution, your submission video is one of the most important parts of your entry. In fact, it’s often one of the first, and sometimes only, things that judges and voters view. Make a great first impression by following these tips on what to include in your video:

Include a step-by-step demo. Demonstrate your solution’s key features by showing them functioning on an appropriate device. While audio isn’t required, narration or text bubbles can help judges and voters understand your solution.
Keep it simple. Per the Official Rules, your video shouldn’t be longer than five minutes. In the words of Leonardo da Vinci, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.”
Don’t wait until the last minute to upload your video. Keep in mind that the time it takes to upload/process a video on YouTube, Vimeo, or Youku varies greatly depending on the format of your original video, the file size, upload traffic and Internet connection speed, and could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours or more.

Don’t know much about making videos? Check out these helpful screencasting tools.

Does my app need to be submitted to an online store?

Apps entered into the challenge should be submitted to the appropriate app store by the submission deadline, but you are not required to have the app available there. Apps that use the Transit Wireless beacon data may not be publicly distributed and can not be submitted to or distributed through an app store.

However, you must provide access to your app for testing and judging. You can provide a URL where we can access or download the app, upload an installation file, or share a test build via TestFlight (for iOS apps).

How can I provide ChallengePost with access to test my app?

You must provide a way for us to test your solution at no cost.

Apps which include hardware and wearable technology:

If the submission runs on or includes proprietary hardware or hardware (including wearable technology) that is not widely available to the public, the Sponsor and/or Administrator reserve the right, at their sole discretion, to require the submitter to provide access to the physical hardware solution, or device required to test the solution, upon request.

Traditional Apps: For apps running on widely available devices or hardware, please allow us to test using one of the following methods.

Android solution: Upload an .apk file in the submission form or provide a link for us to download your solution in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

iOS solution: If your solution is available on the solution store please provide a link in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form. If you charge for your solution, please also provide a promo code.

If your solution is not yet publicly available, send it to us via TestFlight. Enter our email address and UDID to share a build with us for testing. Our TestFlight account email is: Testing@ChallengePost.com.

Our UDIDs are:

iPad (iOS 6.0.1) 6a2cb1d4ba2d242db1db48c59c91744cebfc68a9
iPod Touch 4th Gen (iOS 5.0.1)13d9c9e50d705446c07fc5d2c3c3144c69ffc576
iPhone 5 (iOS 7.0.3) 4c4270daadcf6f2dcd38ef407c38c01c3fa849b8
iPhone 5 (iOS 8.1) c94acc0069278cee4b38e4d27ae3f838bf50aa79

Windows Phone solution: Upload an .xap file in the submission form or provide a link for us to download your solution in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

Web/Mobile Web: Provide a link for us to access your solution on the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

BlackBerry: Upload the appropriate installation files in the submission form or provide a link for us to download your installation file in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

Kindle: Upload the appropriate installation files on the submission form or provide a link for downloading your installation file in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

Mac OS: Upload the appropriate installation files in the submission form or provide a link for us to download your installation file in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

Windows PC: Upload the appropriate installation files (.exe) in the submission form or provide a link for us to download your .exe file in the “Testing Instructions” field on the submission form.

How does public voting work?

Visitors to the site can vote for as many submissions as they like, but no more than once for a single submission. At the end of the public voting period, the votes will be tallied and verified to determine the Popular Choice award winner. Have more questions about public voting? Check out our handy public voting help article.