SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
What Do I Send?
We are looking for submissions that visually communicate the functionality, positioning, and branding of the product. Please send us for the following for EACH idea you submit:
- Concise Summary: Brief summary of your idea—we should be able to understand the concept you’re pitching in just a few sentences.
- Detailed Description: Detailed typed description of the item. ONE INVENTION PER PAGE, PLEASE. Address specific issues such as:
- What is it?
- What is the competition for your idea?
- What are the key benefits of your idea?
- What is the actual product like? What is it made of and how does it function?
- You don’t need to provide an actual recipe, although that is welcome. However, do tell us what might be some of the ingredients. If possible, address nutritional value by researching comparable products on the web and giving a rough estimate about fat, sugar, carbs, etc. If you’re more comfortable with a range, give that.
- How does it succeed in doing the job?
- How will it appeal to the target audience of active women?
- What is the main marketing message of your idea?
- What is the suggested packaging and branding?
- Distribution: where and how it would be sold, and to whom
- Price
- Platform extensions or next-generation ideas (not just additional flavors)
- Competitive Search and Intellectual Property. While having applied for your own intellectual property protection is not a requirement of this Hunt, we encourage you to look for existing products on the market via search engines (text and image results) and to do a preliminary patent and trademark search via the www.uspto.gov web site or another intellectual property search site. Please indicate the results of your searches.
- Visuals/Models: We also want good visual support of your concept. Include drawings and/or photos. ONE IDEA PER PAGE, PLEASE. You can have more than one visual; in fact, this is encouraged. If design/style is key to your invention, we recommend that you submit a color visual. Make sure you put your name on every supporting item you submit.
- Specs: More detailed information, such as material and branding illustrations or production information, are not required but are highly encouraged. The more relevant information you provide, the better the chance of your idea moving forward.
- Entry Agreement: One completed Entry Agreement. One agreement will cover all your entries, unless different inventor partners contributed to different submissions.
To see examples of submissions, click on these samples:
IMPORTANT: (a) Please include your complete information on every page and/or physical item you submit. (b) All materials submitted should be duplicates. We can’t return material, so please don’t send originals unless you don’t need them returned.
Who Can Participate?
The Kraft Energy Snacks for Active Women Hunt is open to both professional and amateur inventors. Participants under age 18 must have a parent or legal guardian complete the Entry Agreement and sign all agreements. Ideas created by multiple inventors are welcome, though you must indicate that on the entry form. Employees, immediate families, members of the same household, or affiliates and agents of Big Idea Group or Kraft are not eligible to participate.
What Does It Cost to Enter?
Entry is free.
How Many Ideas Can I Submit?
You can submit as many ideas as you like. You must submit a separate summary and description for each idea. However, one Entry Agreement will cover multiple entries if the contributing inventors remain the same for all submissions.
How Will My Idea Be Evaluated?
BIG will review the ideas based on the following criteria supplied by our client:
- How well it meets the Invention Guidelines criteria
- Marketability of idea (including perceived target consumer interest, uniqueness, proprietary position, competition, ease of communicating concept/benefits, retail-friendliness, initial potential, longevity, extendibility, defensibility, price vs. perceived value)
- Stage of concept development (anywhere from sketch to prototype to final product)
- Development time and costs
- Manufacturing issues and costs
- Legal issues
- Inventor (skill set, experience/history)
Who Will Evaluate the Ideas?
BIG will review ideas and present the ones that best meet the criteria to our client.
What Can I Win?
The top candidates will be considered for product development and will receive additional compensation if we go forward with your concept. These terms are negotiated by the inventor and Kraft and are generally a reflection of the originality and ownability and other intellectual property assets of the idea. Regardless of whether Kraft proceeds with any innovation from this project, the top seven submissions will each receive a monetary award. The top three submissions will each receive a $1,000 monetary award, and four runners-up will receive $500 each.
Will You Accept a Submission I Have Entered in Another Hunt?
You are welcome to submit ideas from previous Hunts as long as they are a fit and are not being considered by the previous Hunt sponsor. Please note that prior submissions will not automatically be considered for this Hunt. You must resubmit your previous entries with a new Entry Agreement.
What Is the Submission Deadline and Where Do I Send Materials?
Entries are due on or before March 28, 2008. (Entries must be postmarked by deadline but can arrive at our offices after deadline.) Please mail your submission(s) to
Kraft Energy Snacks for Active Women Hunt
Big Idea Group
175 Canal St., 5B
Manchester, NH 03101
Or you can fax your submissions to
Kraft Energy Snacks for Active Women Hunt
603-641-5995
Note: Due to expected response level, WE CANNOT ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF YOUR IDEAS. If you wish to make sure that we receive your entries, please send your material by a delivery service that provides confirmation. We can’t be responsible for illegible, incomplete, late, lost, stolen, postage due, incorrect, misplaced, damaged or undelivered mail, notices, agreements, correspondence or other inventor materials. We regret that we cannot return any materials to inventors.
What Can I Expect to Hear Results from the Hunt?
BIG will only contact those inventors with ideas that are of interest. We estimate making that decision by May 2008. For competitive and client confidentiality reasons, the exact nature of accepted concepts cannot be revealed to the general pool of participants.
How Will I Know When My Idea Is No Longer Being Considered?
After Kraft selects the ideas it is interested in pursuing, we will post an announcement on the Hunt page of the Big Idea Group website releasing all other submissions http://www.bigideagroup.net/inventors/ideahunts_home.htm. Unfortunately, due to the volume of submissions, we can only contact those participants directly whose ideas are being considered for development.
IMPORTANT NOTE
The Inventor must understand and agree that our client and BIG are involved in the business of researching and developing many ideas for new products and that either our client or BIG may have previously received, or may receive, third party ideas similar or identical to the Inventor’s idea (“Similar Ideas”) and that the Inventor’s participation in this Hunt will not in any way limit our client’s or BIG’s right to use any such Similar Ideas as they deem appropriate and without any compensation to the Inventor.
Still Have Questions?
Questions regarding this Hunt can be emailed to Info@bigideagroup.net. PLEASE REFERENCE THE NAME OF THE HUNT IN YOUR EMAIL.
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