DETROIT – Verizon on April 3 launched its Powerful Answers Award, a $10 million challenge to find innovative ideas in three core focus areas – healthcare, education and sustainability. Entries must use Verizon networks and technology (wireless, cloud, broadband, etc.) to help deliver solutions that address societal challenges, deliver social benefit and grow markets.

With the award, Verizon is challenging the best minds in technology and beyond to develop transformational ideas that deliver powerful answers in the areas of education, health care and sustainability.

The Powerful Answers Award is open to individuals who are at least 18 years old (or the age of majority in their jurisdiction, whichever is older) as of date of entry and to all validly formed legal entities, except as prohibited, regulated or restricted by law, decree or regulation. Employees of Verizon are not eligible to enter the Award.

The Award program will happen in three phases: 1) concept submission; 2) proposal submission which will happen over the summer; and 3) pitches to a blue-ribbon panel of judges between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15. There will be five winners selected in each of the three core focus areas, with the top prize of $1 million. The other four winners, as determined by the judges, will receive $850,000, $700,000, $500,000 and $285,000 respectively.

Entries in the contest should use one or more of Verizon?s core capabilities, such as broadband networking, wireless or cloud solutions, or others described on Verizon?s website.

Judges will be looking at how entrants? innovations or products use one or more of Verizon?s core capabilities and applies them to solve problems and create solutions in one of the Award?s core focus areas. Other criteria include, but are not limited to, how the solution addresses a societal challenge, the strength of the product or innovation, and the feasibility of bringing that product to market.

Through June 30, people are invited to submit concepts that focus on the three core areas. Entrants will be selected to submit full proposals of their ideas to address the social challenges no later than July 15 and proposals for the second phase of the contest must be submitted by August 15.

On or about Oct. 1, 2013, the final phase of the Powerful Answers Award will begin with the submitters of the top 10 proposals in each core focus area (healthcare, education, sustainability) being asked to pitch their idea to a panel of judges. The pitches will take place between Oct. 15 and Nov. 15, 2013, with winners expected to be announced at or around CES in early 2014.

The rules, and other information including how to submit a concept, can be found at Click on PowerfulAnswersAward.Com