Windows 8 Contest Launched!

Calling all developers, hackers, social do-gooders, and activists: want to develop Windows 8 apps for social good? Well, you’re in luck - the Microsoft Windows 8 Contest is ON!

Microsoft has teamed up with NetSquared to support you in generating apps for nonprofits and activists on the Windows Marketplace. The Contest is about YOUR great ideas and projects, and we’re here with tools, resources, and incentive prizes to get (and keep) you going.

What is an app for “social good”?

An app (or other good or service) that is designed to benefit to the general public and doesn’t solely exist to provide the maximum possible return to shareholders. Some classic examples of social good are: clean water, literacy, food security, healthy and safe environment and digital inclusion, among many others. For the purposes of this contest, we’re accepting apps on any topic within TechSoup’s Hacker Helper Wiki.

What are the prizes?

There are 3 categories of prizes:

1. Best Overall Windows 8 App wins $15,000
2. Best Overall Windows 8 Phone App wins $15,000
3. People’s Choice App wins $10,000

Ready to get started? Here’s how to proceed:

1. Check out the Contest Page for all the details
2. Create an app on Windows 8 (or Windows 8 Phone) that positively impacts the social good (collaborations encouraged!)
3. Add your project to the NetSquared platform
4. Submit your app for consideration in the Windows Marketplace
5. Check out the other apps, share yours with the world, then vote on your favorites

After the project is submitted, any interested person will be able to provide feedback by:

• reviewing published projects
• sharing compelling and locally relevant projects via social media
• publishing comments to existing projects and ideas for refinement
  ...and voting!

Important Dates

Project submissions: November 5 - February 28
Public voting: March 1 - March 15
Winners announced: March 25

You can find more information, including participant criteria and other “fine print” details here.

Show the world how a great idea, a few lines of code, and Windows 8 can change lives for the better.