• Only solutions that already exist (including prototypes, pilots, pre-commercial solutions—i.e. those that are ready for pilot deployment within 6 months) are accepted. See FAQ.
• Who can participate? Companies (large and small), entrepreneurs, innovators, groups, consortia, research centres, non-profit organizations.
• Applications can only be submitted by completing a Showcase on Citymart.com. Submission deadline is 6 February 2013 (23:59 UTC).
• Submitted Citymart.com Showcases will be made public immediately unless you choose to wait and not go public until the submissions deadline on 6 February 2013 (23:59 UTC). Your Showcase should not include any confidential information.
• If you are nominated to participate in Round 2 and you accept, you will be asked to submit a Questionnaire and Video for further evaluation of your solution. The Questionnaire will remain confidential permanently and the Video will be kept confidential among the Jury members until the winning solutions are announced at the Cities Dialogue Ceremony in San Francisco. During Round 2, members of the Jury team may contact you via a Citymart.com Conversation if they have any further questions.
• Nominated solutions commit to implementing a pilot of limited scale and duration. Cities commit to provide full institutional support but are not bound to commit funding for pilots. You should not assume any financial support by the partner city for carrying out the pilot. See FAQ
• If you accept your nomination by a partner city, you are expected to attend the LLGA | Cities Summit on Service Innovation in Cities in May 2013.
• There is no charge for solution providers to submit to LLGA2013 or to attend the LLGA | Cities Summit on Service Innovation in Cities; however, travel expenses must be covered by solution providers.
• Submission of showcases for LLGA2013 assumes full agreement to all legal terms and conditions.

All criteria will be evaluated by the City Jury Team, except for the impact on ecology criteria which will be evaluated by a special group of experts led by The Climate Group for all entries.

Pre-selection

Showcases submitted and accepted by the submission deadline (6 February 2013 23:59 UTC) will by default participate in all Partner City Challenges.

After the submission is closed, Citymart.com, together with the Partner Cities will assign the Showcases to the relevant Partner City Jury for evaluation. This may lead to the exclusion of incomplete or irrelevant Showcases from the process. Showcases can be assigned to more than one Call. If in doubt about relevance, the Showcase will be passed on to the Partner City Jury.

Round 1

Jurors will review all relevant Showcases for their Challenge and score them against the eight evaluation criteria. For each Challenge the 5 Showcases with the highest scores will be nominated.

Nominated Showcases are notified by email and must accept their nomination within 7 days in order to proceed to Round 2, where they will be asked to submit additional information and onfirm attendance of the LLGA | Cities Summit in San Francisco on 14-16 May 2013.

Nominated Showcases are required to complete a Questionnaire about the proposed pilot issued by the Partner City (this will remain confidential) and a Video of up to 3 minutes about their solution (this will be published after announcement of the winners).

Round 2

Each City Jury will evaluate all material submitted by the nominees (Questionnaire and Video). A winning solution and 4 runners-up will be determined by the Jury.

Winners will be announced during the LLGA | Cities Summit on Service Innovation in Cities, where nominated solution providers can exclusively engage with all cities participating in LLGA.

Evaluates to what extent the Showcase fits the theme and requirements defined by the Partner City. Some showcases may:

• Go beyond the original pilot text and should be considered taking a generous interpretation of the brief so as not to exclude ground-breaking ideas.
• Be tailored exactly to meet the wording of a Cities’ Call for Solution, in which case care should be given that those Showcases formulated in more generic terms are considered on equal grounds as the overall process (Round 1 especially) does not require Showcases to be tailored to specific Calls for Solutions other than in the Pilot Questionnaire (Round 2).

Evaluates to what extent the Showcase contributes to the economic sustainability of the city.

Possible issues to be considered. Does the solution...

• Engage or contribute to a sustainable local production base?
• Contribute to the financial and economic sustainability of the city?
• Strengthen the local financial regulatory system through more robust accounting, more transparency or monitoring?
• Contribute to more sustainable local consumption patterns, such as better resource efficiency, sourcing, pricing or waste?
• Contribute to improved work and economic life in the city by e.g. offering opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship or better access to employment?
• Add to the accessibility and robustness of information technologies in the city?
• Contribute to reduce or mitigate wealth inequality in the city?

Evaluates to what extent the Showcase contributes to the culture, integration and wellbeing of citizens.

Possible issues to be considered. Does the solution...

• Strengthen local identities and strengthen cultural dialogue?
• Broaden the local artistic and cultural expression through e.g. events, performances?
• Engage with the city’s history or contribute to its vision of the future?
• Contribute to citizen’s sense of purpose and meaning?
• Improve gender equality, in particular by offering improvements and opportunities for women & girls?
• Broaden the offer and strengthen the quality and participation in learning activities in the city?
• Improve the level of health and well-being for all citizen groups in the city, including mental health?

Evaluates to what extent the Showcase contributes and preserves the ecology of the city.

Possible issues to be considered. Does the solution...

• Improve the sustainability of production and sourcing of energy, materials and food?
• Improve the air and water quality in the city?
• Mitigate climate change or its effects?
• Contribute to greater bio-diversity in flora and fauna in the city and its surrounds?
• Improve land-use efficiency and mitigate destruction of habitat?
• Strengthen a sustainable urban spatial development and reduce spread?
• Contribute to a more sustainable built environment?
• Reduce pollution, improve waste management and recycling?

Evaluates to what extent the Showcase makes a contribution to the political environment of the city.

Possible issues to be considered. Does the solution...

• Contribute to building a better system of governance for citizens?
• Contribute to a more transparent, effective and accountable legal system?
• Broaden political expression and communications?
• Improve participation by citizens and groups in decisions and political processes?
• Improve the security and peace, including domestic violence, shelter for homeless or disadvantaged?
• Provide a voice, access or communication for marginalized groups?
• Improve ethics, transparency and counter corruption?

Evaluates the uniqueness, newness and audacity of the product, service or solution of the Showcase.

Innovations can:

• Be reconfigurations of existing ideas or new ideas.
• Range from smaller incremental innovations to radical, game-changing, or revolutionary insights that enlarge our understanding and expand our perception of reality.

Evaluates the potential of the Showcase to reach new and international markets.

Showcases should:

• Be relevant international markets, not only have potential in one city.
• Be flexible enough to fit into multiple contexts outside of the original implementation or home market.
• Be scalable either through growth, or replication.

Evaluates whether the Showcase can actually be implemented in a real-life setting of the city affected.

Showcases must:

• Have realistic expectations or prerequisites in terms of infrastructure, financing or investment needed, political climate, response from competitors, acceptance by users.
• Ensure the process from prototype, over pilot, to sustainable long-term implementation.