Submissions for the 2025 Tools Competition are open through October 25, 2024. You can read more about our submission process and how to compete on the track specific pages: 

• Accelerating K-12 Learning
• Enhancing Post-Secondary Learning

Please note that each track has somewhat different requirements and eligibility criteria, and may be more or less competitive depending on final funding allocation and the number of competitors in each track. Tracks may also have different total prize pools, depending on sponsor priorities.

Complete the eligibility quiz to determine which track is the best fit for your idea.

Submissions are evaluated against others within the same track and prize level. Reviewers will evaluate submissions based on eligibility requirements for the track and prize level as well as:

• Novelty of the tool and technology
• Potential for impact
• Attention to equity
• User demand
• Ability to support learning engineering
• Scalability

Rubrics will be published on track pages at the start of Phase II.

The Tools Competition seeks to spur new tools and technology. This means that something about the proposed tool needs to be fresh, innovative, or original. This does not mean you have to create a new tool or new platform.

Catalyst prizes are for new ideas. Competitors seeking a Growth or Transform prize must build off an existing platform of varying levels of development and scale. This might be an API that will improve the platform or a new tool to improve effectiveness. Or it could mean adding infrastructure that allows external researchers to access your data. See more about prize levels and eligibility requirements on the track specific pages.

Please submit abstracts to one track only. Competition organizers may move your proposal if it is a better fit for a different track.

Phase II proposals should not be drastically different from the Phase I abstract, but we do expect that there may be changes as you further refine your idea.

Active users are defined as individuals who are currently using your tool regularly, in contrast to accounts that may not be active or pilot users who may bey testing the functionality of the tool for a specified period of time.

You should focus on what the funds from the prize would enable you to do and provide enough information on the overall product to contextualize the proposed tool.

Consider the following recommendations:

• Ensure your abstract directly addresses track priorities.
• Focus on the competitive priorities for your selected track.
• Prioritize your tool’s alignment to learning engineering principles. See more on learning engineering here. 
• Ensure that you thoroughly describe your tool. It is crucial for reviewers to gain a clear understanding of what your tool is, how it works, what technology powers the tool, how users interact with it, etc. 

Visit our website to learn about other Phase I tips and resources.

You are welcome to start building/enhancing your tool or functionality, but there is no promise of funding.

The competition is designed to be inclusive and support talent and ideas at all stages of development. As such, competitors can compete at one of three prizelevels:

• Catalyst ($50,000): for early stage ideas or products
• Growth ($150,000): for products with some users and scale
• Transform ($300,000): for established platforms with 10,000 or more users

Complete the eligibility quiz to determine which prize level best fits your proposal.

Catalyst tools are early stage ideas or products. This could look like an MVP or a prototype, or you may still be in the ideation phase and taking steps towards these goals as a result of your proposal. While ideas are eligible for Catalyst prizes, you should be able to fully articulate a theory of change grounded in evidence and a plan for development.

If your tool has no active users and/or has not gone to market, we recommend the Catalyst prize level.

No, you are not required to compete at the Transform prize level. You are welcome to compete at a lower prize level if you believe your use of funds and phase of development would be better suited to the Growth level.

Note: Budgets are required from Phase II of the competition only. There is no definitive time period for the prize. Most competitors propose a 1-2 year plan for execution, but this varies widely based on the proposal.

The prize will be paid in two installments. 

• 50% will be paid after winners are named in May 2025. 
• 50% will be paid after Product Review Day in Fall 2025. To be eligible for the second funding installment, winning proposals should demonstrate progress at Product Review Day measured against the timeline for execution outlined in the proposal.

Each entrant is responsible and liable for all international, Federal, state, and local taxes arising from any prize that may be awarded.

For teams outside of the United States, tax withholding may be required by law, reducing the total amount received by winning Entrants. The Sponsor will determine the withholding percentage after winning Entrants submit appropriate tax forms.

Winners will receive their prize by check or bank transfer in two installments.

Winners will receive the first installment soon after winning. Eligible winners will receive the second installment of the prize after Product Review Day.

In Fall 2025, winners will present their progress to peers and other leaders during a virtual Product Review Day. This program is an opportunity to gain feedback as winners execute on their proposals.

Competition organizers connect competitors with relevant opportunities and resources, as available. This may include opportunities for funding, programming, networking, visibility, and others.

We also encourage all teams to stay connected with the learning engineering community through the Learning Engineering Google Group. This group is run by partners of the Tools Competition as a platform for community and sharing of opportunities and developments in the field.

All winners will participate in an impact study in the twelve months following the competition during which research advisors support teams to collect impact data and build internal evaluation processes. Winners will complete regular surveys during the study and annual surveys following the competition.