Chance to Win $75,000 at the Imagine Cup Student Contest from Microsoft 2021

Microsoft is now accepting submissions for the Microsoft Learn Imagine Cup Challenge 2021. Students from around the world are invited to make an impact through coding, collaboration, and competition. Innovate with a passion to tackle global issues and bring your ideas to life in the Imagine Cup. The 19th annual Imagine Cup is more than just a competition for students—you can work with friends, network with professionals, gain new skills, make a difference in the world, and have the chance to win great prizes.

You’re welcome to imagine any solution that you’re passionate about, but must include a Microsoft Azure component and take into consideration diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.

Eligibility:

You are eligible to enter if you meet the following requirements at the time of entry: 

• You are at least 16 years of age as of 14 October 2020 and are actively enrolled as a student at an accredited educational institution that grants high-school or college/university (or equivalent) degrees (including home schools) at any time between 19 May 2020 and May 2021; and

1. If you are 16 years of age or older but have not reached the age of majority in your legal place of residence, then you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Competition. 

• You are NOT a resident of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and the Region of Crimea; and 

1. U.S. export regulations prohibit the export of goods and services to Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and the Region of Crimea. Therefore, residents of these countries/regions are not eligible to participate. 

• You/your business has not received external funding more than $50,000 USD; and 
• You/your business has not used paid employee’s assistance in creating an Imagine Cup entry at any time between 19 May 2020 and 31 May 2021; and 
• You are not an employee or intern of Microsoft Corporation, or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, at any time between 14 October 2020 and 31 May 2021; and
• You are not involved in any part of the execution or administration of this Competition; and 
• You are not an immediate family member of (parent, sibling, spouse/domestic partner, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Competition between 19 May 2020 and May 2021.

Submission Categories:

Get started building your tech skills by completing a Microsoft Learn module in the category you’re most passionate about to advance in the competition. Each participating team member must create an account on Microsoft Learn and complete the module using that account. Each team member can complete one (1) of any of the eight (8) learning required modules using their Microsoft Learn account.

Earth:

• Track wild polar bears with AI 
• Classify endangered bird species with Custom Vision

Education:

• Learn about rocks and how to classify them 
• Intro to Python for space exploration

Health:

• Track global air quality with Azure Maps 
• Create an intelligent chatbot

Lifestyle:

• Publish an Angular, React, Svelte, or Vue JavaScript App with Azure Static Web Apps 
• Explore and analyze data with Python

Prizes:

Round 1: Twenty (20) winning teams will be selected (5 teams per monthly Entry Period) to each receive $250 USD to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the team at the time of winner selection.

Round 2: Each Local Event may offer prizes at the discretion of the local Microsoft representatives representing that competition. The existence, nature, and conditions of such prizes are subject to the rules of each Local Event. Every team who advances to round 3 will receive:

• Microsoft Azure Credits 
• Mentoring from a Microsoft employee i.e. Startup Advocate or Cloud Advocate

Round 3: At the World Finals there will be one winning team selected for each of the four (4) categories. At least one member of the team must be present virtually to win. (Mentors and associates will not be awarded any portion of the monetary prize winnings.) 

• The four (4) teams selected to advance to Round 4 will receive:

1.  $10,000 USD, to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the Team and Microsoft Azure Credits 
2. Advance to Round 4 and compete for the World Championship prize 
3. Mentors to the team are not eligible for prizes

• The two (2) runner-up teams will receive: 

1. $2,500 USD, to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the Team
2. Microsoft Azure Credits

Round 4: At the World Championship one (1) winning team will be selected. At least one (1) member of the team must be present virtually to win. (Mentors and associates will not be awarded any portion of the monetary prize winnings.) 

• World Champion: 

1. $75,000 USD, to be divided equally among each officially registered member of the Team
2. Microsoft Azure Grant
3. Mentorship call with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

About Microsoft:

Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology company with headquarters in Redmond, Washington. It develops, manufactures, licenses supports, and sells computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services. Its best-known software products are the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, the Microsoft Office suite, and the Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers.

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