The judges helped to select eight (8) finalists according to official Stage 1 selection criteria. Each finalist was awarded an equal share of the $800,000 prize pool. As part of their acceptance of the cash prize, finalists agreed to participate in Stage 2. If any potential finalist is found to be ineligible, has not complied with the Official Rules, Terms and Conditions, or declines the cash prize for any reason prior to award, an alternate finalist may be selected. DHS and its partnering agencies may consider awarding nonmonetary recognition(s) to any submission(s) which are of high interest to the government, but not selected as finalists.

During Stage 2, finalists from Stage 1 competed for an additional $750,000 in cash prizes. The grand prize winner is awarded $500,000, and the runner-up is awarded $250,000. The cash prizes in Stage 2 were distributed based on the review of the Stage 2 submissions by the judges according to the Stage 2 selection criteria. Please refer to the Official Rules, Terms and Conditions for further details.

This Challenge is open to international and domestic participants, as defined in the Rules, Terms and Conditions. Cash prizes awarded under this Challenge will be paid to the Team Lead directly by Luminary Labs through electronic funds transfer. Finalists are responsible for any applicable local, state and federal taxes and reporting that may be required under applicable tax laws.