Participating in the contest is easy and free: Among other requirements, the company must be a small business as determined by SBA's size standards, have successfully completed at least one export transaction and used at least one federal program or service to support such transaction. In order to participate, contestants must register and create an account with www.challenge.gov, the contest portal that also will serve as repository for the video entries. For information on SBA size standards for small businesses, visit http://www.sba.gov/content/summary-size-standards-industry.
The videos must meet several criteria that include duration no longer than three minutes and a high-resolution format. Content must be educational, not promotional. A panel of judges chosen by SBA will select five videos to be awarded cash prizes directly by Visa, Inc.
The prizes are:
- First place - $10,000
- Second place - $8,000
- Third place - $6,000
- Fourth place - $4,000
- Fifth place - $2,000
The contest is open from Feb. 25 to April 22 to small businesses in the U.S. and its territories, including the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Winners will be announced no later than May 31, 2013.
For more information, submission procedures and requirements please visit http://exportvideo.challenge.gov/.
