Frequently Asked Questions

Protect your ideas before submitting! FLL® strongly encourages all teams to file for patent protection, such as filing a provisional application for patent (provisional application) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or filing a patent application in the team’s home country, before submitting an idea on the FLL Global Innovation Award website. Learn more by visiting the Learn About Patents page.

Be sure to read the Terms and Conditions.

This FAQ may be amended at any time.
Who can participate?
  • Only FIRST® LEGO® League teams registered for the 2011 Food Factor® season may submit ideas. Teams must be in compliance with all current FLL rules in order to be considered for the FLL Global Innovation Award.
  • Only the adult coach (over 18 years of age) may submit the team’s idea on http://fllinnovationaward.firstlegoleague.org
What type of ideas can teams submit?

FLL teams may submit their innovative solution designed as a result of the FLL Food Factor Project, found here: http://firstlegoleague.org/currentchallenge.

FLL will accept a wide range of ideas related to the Food Factor Project. Submissions must comply with the Terms and Conditions.

What should a team do before submitting their idea?

Protect it! FLL strongly encourages all teams to file for patent protection, such as filing a provisional application for patent (provisional application) with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) or filing a patent application in the team’s home country, before submitting an idea on the FLL Global Innovation Award website. Once an idea is shared on this site it becomes public knowledge and the inventors could lose patent rights. Learn more about the process by visiting the Learn About Patents page.

 

How does a team submit an idea?

Note: Coaches may edit their submission at a later date, but voters and judges may view the team's submission on the web page any time after the coach clicks "Submit" on the form. We recommend that you only submit your team's completed work.

Click on the “Create account to Submit Team Idea” link in the left sidebar. Fill in required information and agree to the Terms and Conditions. Once the “Create New Account” button is clicked, an email will be sent to the coach to confirm the account and create a password. The coach will then be directed to a form to enter the team’s invention.

Only the adult coach (over 18 years of age) may submit the team’s invention. Coaches who represent more than one (1) team wishing to submit an idea must create a separate account for each team.  Alternately, a co-coach may submit the idea for the second team.

Prior to creating an account the coach should have the following information about the team’s invention ready and available:
*required

  • Name of Invention*
  • Team Name*
  • Team Number
  • Team Location*
  • Team Website
  • Brief description of your FLL team* (1000 characters or less)
    • This description will be public. Please do not use any personally identifiable information about children under 18 years old.
  • Team Image* (photo or team logo)
    • Files must be uploaded in .jpg or .png format.
    • Files must be less than 20 MB.
  • Invention Category*
    • Growing/Harvest
    • Processing
    • Transportation/Distribution
    • Storage
    • Preparation/Eating
  • Brief description of your team’s invention* (1000 characters or less)
    • This description will be public.
  • Detailed description of how your invention works* (2000 characters or less)
    • This description will only be seen by the judges.
  • How does your team’s invention differ from other existing solutions on the market (2000 characters or less)?*
    • This description will only be seen by the judges.
  • If applicable, upload supporting diagrams/drawings that your team would like the judges to consider. Please submit no more than one (1) page of supporting images. The document may include references to your detailed description or competitive differentiators but should not include paragraphs of descriptions.
    • Uploads over (1) one page will not be considered.
    • Documents must be uploaded in .txt, .jpg, or .pdf format.

Additionally, coaches must:

  • Select YES or NO if their team’s invention helps to protect the food system from intentional or catastrophic contamination. This is ONLY for teams who would like their invention to be in consideration for the NCFPD Food Protection prize. A description of the prize is found in the FAQs under "What are the prizes?" Before selecting YES, please make sure your team’s invention falls within the NCFPD’s judging criteria found on the FAQ page under "How will the winners be determined?"
  • Verify that all of the team members who worked on this idea were between the ages of 9 and 16 (9 to 14 in the US/CAN/MEX) for the current season.
  • If selected as a finalist, their team agrees to send at least two (2) student representatives and one (1) adult coach to an Awards Ceremony in Alexandria, VA, USA on June 19, 2012.
How many ideas may a team submit?

Teams may submit their one (1) 2011 Food Factor Project solution for the FLL Global Innovation Award.

How will the winners be determined?

Online voting will select ten (10) semi-finalist teams.  A panel of judges will select an additional ten (10) semi-finalists based on merit. A final panel of judges will consider the twenty (20) semi-finalists.

From the twenty (20) semi-finalists, the final judging panel will select three (3) finalists (one (1) winning team and two (2) runners-up) based on the following criteria:

  • Solution clearly results from the current FLL Challenge
  • Feasibility
  • Originality/Creativity
  • Efficiency: Simplicity/cost-effectiveness
  • Public benefit
  • Commercial viability

The National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) will also select one (1) team from all submissions based on the following criteria:

  • Solution clearly results from the current FLL Challenge
  • Originality/Creativity
  • Feasibility
  • Applicability to food protection and defense

Online voting may assist the judges in their selections, but online voting alone will not determine the winning team, runners-up, or NCFPD Food Protection Team.

What are the prizes?
The winning team will be offered the opportunity to work with Edison Nation to professionally develop, produce, and take their invention to market. (A prize valued at up to $250,000 in product development services.)

The three (3) finalist teams will be honored at an awards ceremony at the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Alexandria, VA, USA on June 19, 2012.  Finalist teams will be required to send at least two (2) student representatives and one (1) adult coach to the awards ceremony in order to be considered for the top prize. Finalist teams will also be asked to submit a video about their invention. Further details will be provided to the finalists.

Select teams will each receive one-on-one consultations about their invention from leaders in innovation, Dean Kamen and Louis Foreman.  During the call teams are free to ask questions and get advice on their inventions.

The one (1) team selected by the National Center for Food Protection and Defense (NCFPD) will receive a trip for up to ten (10) team members and two (2) adult chaperones (up to $12,000) to the International Association of Food Protection (IAFP) annual conference in Rhode Island, July 22-25, 2012.  At the IAFP, this team will:
  • Give a presentation on how their invention protects the food system
  • Be recognized at the IAFP
  • Display their invention at the NCFPD booth

Any taxes required by national, state, provincial or local authorities for any prizes listed above are the responsibility of the winners.

When does idea submission begin and end?

Teams may begin entering submissions on January 19, 2012 at 12:00pm ET. Deadline for submissions is March 1, 2012 at 5:00pm ET.

When does public voting begin and end?

Public voting will begin on January 19, 2012 at 12:00pm ET and end on March 1, 2012 at 5:00pm ET.

When will the winners be notified?

The three (3) finalist teams will be contacted by phone the week of April 2-6, 2012. Public announcement of the finalists will be made after all three (3) finalist teams are notified. The one (1) winning team and two (2) runners-up will be named at the awards ceremony on June 19, 2012.

How do you vote for a submission? Who can vote? How often can you vote?

Click on a favorite team invention either through the “Search for Teams” page located in the main menu or through the “Leader Board” in the left sidebar. Clicking on the red “Vote” button on the right side of the invention page will instantly record your vote for that invention.

Anyone can vote! Online vote totals will show popularity of any idea, but they are not the only factors that will determine the finalists or winners.  See “How will the winners be determined?” above for further details.

You may vote for as many team inventions as you would like, but you may only vote once per individual team invention in a 24 hour time period.
Example: If you vote for Invention A and Invention B at 1:00pm, you will have to wait until 1:00pm the following day to vote for Invention A and Invention B again.

Note: If your team is logged into the system you will NOT be able to vote. Voting only occurs when the team is logged out.

How can a team promote their idea?

Any way you want! Post a link on a team blog, tweet about it, and spread the word among your social network. Get family and friends involved. Tell them where/how to find your submission on the site. Vote early and often!
 
Please make sure your team and supporters are being "gracious professionals" (ie. respecting the other teams and using fair voting practices) during the submission/voting process. It is important that all teams involved in the FLL Global Innovation Award continue to maintain the integrity of the FLL program.  

Does our team’s participation in this award affect other aspects of FLL?

The FLL Global Innovation Award is optional and in no way affects the judging outcome of official FLL Qualifiers or Championships. FLL does not set judging rules for Community or Unofficial Events.

This FAQ may be amended at any time.