Mayors Challenge: How it Works

Your city must have 30,000 or more residents. There are approximately 1,300 cities of this size in the U.S., based on the United States Conference of Mayors database (uses the 2010 Census), which we're using as our guide. All eligible mayors were invited to compete.

Applications must be submitted by city hall under the direction of the mayor.

Each city can submit only ONE application.

Applications only can be submitted through the Mayors Challenge website. If your city RSVPed by the July 16, 2012 deadline, you should have received the log-in information needed to start your online application. Click here to get started. You can also download a PDF of the application along with some Examples of Great Ideas and other Helpful Tools on this website.

Entries must be received by September 14, 2012. Bloomberg Philanthropies may follow up with additional questions if more information is needed.

Once you've submitted your application, Bloomberg Philanthropies may make aspects of that application public. (Don't panic! This mainly applies to cities that have the good fortune of advancing as finalists or winners.)

Funds provided to winning cities are intended for use in implementing their bold ideas, in accordance with city and state laws. Any excess funds must be used to help build winning cities' innovation capacity.

Each entrant must agree to any and all legal terms and conditions of the challenge.

Selection Criteria

Judges participating in the Mayors Challenge will help evaluate the boldness, strength of planning, potential for impact, and replicability of your idea. To be considered for one of the 20 finalist spots, your application must be fully completed and your application must meet the criteria outlined below.

Vision

Your idea must achieve at least one of the following
(but the more the better!):

Demonstrate a novel and visionary approach to a challenge faced by cities
Leverage talent, partners, and resources outside of city government
Exemplify creative use of available resources

It must also:

Have strong potential to generate energy and excitement

Ability to Implement

Your application must:

Articulate your city's capacity to realize its vision
Reflect thoughtfulness in planning for budget, resources, duration, and key milestones
Demonstrate awareness and workarounds for potential political, legal, or regulatory challenges (e.g., mayoral transitions)
Show a plan for funding and roll out in the short term

Impact

Your idea must show potential for at least one of the following (but the more the better!):

Address a serious social or economic problem
Improve customer service for residents or businesses
Enhance accountability to or engagement with the public
Create efficiencies that make government work better, faster, and cheaper

Replicability

Your idea must:

Address a challenge that is relevant to multiple cities
Primarily rely on resources and expertise that are widely available and not specific to your city

Guidelines: Rules and Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Vision

Your idea must achieve at least one of the following
(but the more the better!):

It must also:

Ability to Implement

Your application must:

Impact

Your idea must show potential for at least one of the following (but the more the better!):

Replicability

Your idea must:

Application Questions

Guidelines: Rules and Eligibility

Selection Criteria

Vision

Your idea must achieve at least one of the following(but the more the better!):

It must also:

Ability to Implement

Your application must:

Impact

Your idea must show potential for at least one of the following (but the more the better!):

Replicability

Your idea must:

Application Questions

Your idea must achieve at least one of the following
(but the more the better!):