Rules, terms, and conditions

To be eligible to win a prize under this Challenge, a Participant (whether a team or entity) —

a) Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge as a team, or entity under the rules and instructions promulgated by HHS as published in this announcement, including but not limited to, the “Prize Payment Rules” and the “How to Enter” section of this announcement.

b) Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;

c) In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the case of an individual registering as part of a group (team), shall be a citizen of the United States;

d) Shall not be a Federal entity or Federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;

e) Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;

f) Who is employed by a Federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), shall consult with that agency’s Ethics Official to determine whether the Federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge;

g) Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, stepparent, child, or stepchild).

h) Shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission.

(1) Participants (whether teams or entities) may not use Federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.

(2) Federal contractors may not use Federal funds from a contract to develop Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of Challenge submissions. Costs associated with such activities are unallowable and are not allocable to Government contracts.

(3) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether a team or entity) agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.

(4) Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no Participant (whether a team or entity) participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability insurance, or demonstrate financial responsibility, or agree to indemnify the Federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities in order to participate in this Challenge.

(5) A Participant (whether a team or entity) shall not be deemed ineligible because the Participant used Federal facilities or consulted with Federal employees during the Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all Participants participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.

(6) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether a team or entity) warrants that they are the sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware.

(7) By participating in this Challenge, each Participant (whether a team or entity) grants to HHS an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the solution throughout the world. Each Participant will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the Challenge, each Participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the Participant’s rights to the Federal government. To receive an award, Participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to HHS, but Participants must grant to the Federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein.

(8) Each Participant (whether a team or entity) agrees to follow all applicable Federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.

(9) Each Participant (whether a team or entity) participating in this Challenge must comply with all rules and requirements included in this announcement, and participation in this Challenge constitutes each Participant’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by the rules and requirements. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.

(10) As a condition for receiving a cash prize in this Challenge, each Participant (whether a team or entity) that has been selected as a winner must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents to HHS. Failure to return all required verification and payment documents by the date specified in the formal winner notification may be a basis for disqualification of a cash prize winning submission.

(1) For each eligible Participant under the “Eligibility Rules,” HHS will use that Participant’s registration as a team or entity on the “HHS Challenge Participant Registration Form” to determine who receives payment of any HHS prize money.

• For a winning Participant registered as a team with an eligible Team Leader, HHS will pay the entire prize for that team to the Team Leader. Division of the prize money is at the discretion of the Team Leader.
• For an eligible winning Participant registered as an entity, HHS will pay the entity.

(2) Prizes awarded under this Challenge by HHS will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to Federal income taxes. HHS will comply with Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.

(3) Entities participating in this Challenge are encouraged, but not required, to request and obtain a free Unique Entity ID (UEI), if they have not already done so, via SAM.gov as this may expedite prize payment. Additional information can be found at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

HHS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge, or any part of it, for any reason, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no submissions are deemed worthy.

An individual or entity may not receive more than one prize. If a submission qualifies for multiple awards, HHS will determine and issue only the highest-ranking or highest-value prize.

Submissions must be original and owned by the participant team or submitted with appropriate rights. It must use evidence-based information about Lyme and tickborne disease diagnostics from federal sources, the LymeX Innovation Accelerator, or peer-reviewed literature, with appropriate citations (see Resources section).

Submissions must be complete and received during the open submissions period of the challenge in order to be eligible. Participants may update and refine their submissions at any time during the open submission period. Only the final version submitted by the deadline will be reviewed and evaluated by HHS.

Submissions must present information that is accurate, evidence-based, and appropriately contextualized. Participants are responsible for ensuring that their materials do not contain misleading, unsubstantiated, or inaccurate claims related to Lyme or tickborne disease diagnostics. Submissions are for educational and informational purposes only and must not be construed as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations.

Submissions are intended solely for educational and informational purposes and do not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. Participation in this Challenge does not create a clinician-patient relationship.

Submissions must not use the HHS name, logo, or official seal, or claim endorsement by the Federal government.

Participants acknowledge that winning and selected submissions may be shared publicly by HHS to promote awareness and improve understanding of Lyme and tickborne disease diagnostics.

The LymeX community brings together patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, technologists, entrepreneurs, innovators, and problem-solvers to turn data into real-world solutions that improve the health and lives of the American people. The views expressed by participants do not necessarily reflect those of HHS, NIH, or the federal government.

Participants are expected to engage with respect, professionalism, openness, and a shared commitment to constructive collaboration guided by the following principles.

RESPECT: Everyone is valued
We foster an environment that values lived experiences, disciplines, and perspectives. Constructive dialogue and differing viewpoints are encouraged, provided they are expressed with professionalism and courtesy.

INNOVATION: Advancing better solutions
Participants are encouraged to think creatively, challenge assumptions, and explore new approaches. The goal of the sprint is to accelerate meaningful, real-world solutions using open data, evidence, and collaboration.

INTEGRITY: Grounded in truth and evidence
We expect participants to engage honestly and responsibly, using data and evidence to inform ideas and discussions. Misrepresentation of data, manipulation of facts, or misleading claims are not permitted.

EXCELLENCE: Data-driven and user-centered
Solutions should prioritize rigor, usability, and real-world impact. We value approaches that incorporate lived experience, clinical insight, and high-quality data to drive meaningful outcomes.

COMPASSION: Centering the patient experience
This work is grounded in improving lives. Participants should approach all interactions with empathy, recognizing the real-world impact of invisible illness on patients, families, and communities.

COLLABORATION: Co-creating in the open
LymeX is built on open innovation. Participants are encouraged to collaborate across disciplines, share insights, and build on one another’s ideas to maximize public health impact.

ACCOUNTABILITY: Responsible participation
Participants are responsible for their contributions and must comply with all platform rules, challenge requirements, and applicable laws and policies. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and personal health information shared in compliance with applicable laws and policies is permitted. Any PII or personal health records shared in violation of applicable laws, policies, or platform rules may result in content removal and immediate account termination.

Participation in this Challenge does not create a clinician-patient relationship, and content shared on the platform does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, guidance, or instruction regarding any disease or health condition. Participants should consult qualified healthcare professionals regarding personal medical decisions or health conditions.

The views expressed by participants do not necessarily reflect those of the HHS, NIH, LymeX, the Federal CDO Council, or the federal government.

Participants retain ownership of all intellectual property in their submissions.

By participating, each Participant represents and warrants that their submission includes only materials they own or have the legal right to use and does not infringe any third-party rights. By submitting, Participants agree to make their submissions available under a Creative Commons license, as specified in the Challenge rules, and grant HHS a non-exclusive, irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, publish, display, share, and practice the submissions on its behalf.

Submissions must be original, lawful, and free of malicious code or security risks. Participants must comply with all eligibility, participation, and prize requirements outlined in the official Challenge rules.

This challenge is conducted under the America COMPETES Act and is designed to accelerate real-world, data-driven solutions—not to provide grants or financial assistance.