Official Rules
Cada SBIR Scholarship Sweepstakes
Last Updated: January 6, 2025
Promotion Period:January 8, 2025 – January 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM PT
1. Sponsor
The Cada SBIR Scholarship Sweepstakes ("Sweepstakes") is sponsored by Cada Partners ("Cada," "Sponsor," "we," "us," or "our").
Contact: hello@getcada.com
2. Eligibility
The Sweepstakes is open to businesses that meet all of the following criteria:
- US-Based Entity: The company must be legally organized and operating in the United States.
- US Ownership: The company must be at least 51% owned and controlled by U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens.
- US R&D: The company's primary research and development activities must be conducted in the United States.
- Small Business: The company must have fewer than 500 employees at the time of entry.
- Innovation Requirement: The company must be engaged in research and development activities involving genuine technical innovation (not incremental improvements to existing products or services).
The person submitting the entry ("Entrant") must be at least 18 years of age and authorized to enter on behalf of the company.
Employees, officers, and directors of Cada Partners and their immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, children) and household members are not eligible to participate.
3. How to Enter
To enter the Sweepstakes:
- Visit the Sweepstakes entry page at https://www.getcada.com/sweepstakes
- Complete all required fields on the entry form, including:
-Contact information (name, email)
-Company information (name, website, employee count, industry)
-Eligibility verification (US ownership, US R&D)
-Innovation description (250 words maximum) - Read and agree to these Official Rules by checking the required checkbox
- Submit your entry before the deadline
Limit:One (1) entry per company. Multiple entries from the same company will be disqualified. If multiple individuals from the same company submit entries, only the first entry received will be considered.No Purchase Necessary:No purchase or payment is required to enter or win.
4. Promotion Period
The Sweepstakes begins on January 8, 2025 at 12:00 AM Pacific Time and ends on January 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time ("Promotion Period").
Entries received before or after the Promotion Period will not be eligible.
5. Prizes
Grand Prize (1 Winner)
"The Cada Launchpad" — Approximate Retail Value (ARV): $22,000
The Grand Prize includes:
- Custom Grant Roadmap (ARV: $500): A personalized analysis of federal grant opportunities aligned with the winner's technology, market, and business stage.
- Complete NSF SBIR Phase I Application (ARV: $9,000 base value + estimated $13,500 success fee value): Full-service grant writing from Project Pitch through final proposal submission, including:
- Initial Project Pitch development and submission
- Full proposal writing upon NSF invitation
- Budget preparation and compliance review
- Submission management - 60-Minute Strategy Session (ARV: $500): One-on-one consultation with Cada's founding team to discuss grant portfolio strategy beyond the NSF application.
Important:
The Grand Prize covers Cada's services only. Any costs incurred by the winner in connection with the grant application (such as subcontractor quotes, third-party services, or post-award compliance) are the responsibility of the winner.
Promotional Offer (All Qualified Non-Winners)
All entrants who meet the eligibility requirements but are not selected as the Grand Prize winner will receive:
- Free Custom Grant Roadmap (ARV: $500)
- $3,000 Scholarship toward any Cada service package
See Section 8 for terms governing the Promotional Offer.
6. Winner Selection & Notification
Selection Criteria
The Grand Prize winner will be selected by Cada's team based on the following criteria:
- Technical Innovation (40%): Degree to which the technology represents a genuine advance over existing solutions
- SBIR Fit (30%): Alignment with NSF SBIR program priorities and likelihood of competitive application
- Market Potential (20%): Clarity of commercial application and path to market
- Team Capability (10%): Evidence that the team can execute on the proposed R&D
Selection is at the sole discretion of Cada Partners. This is a skill-based evaluation, not a random drawing.
Notification
The Grand Prize winner will be notified via email on or about February 3, 2025. The winner must respond to accept the prize within five (5) business days of notification. Failure to respond within this timeframe may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner.
The winner will be publicly announced via Cada's website and social media channels after prize acceptance is confirmed.
Verification
The potential winner may be required to verify eligibility by providing documentation confirming US ownership, employee count, and other eligibility criteria. Prize award is contingent on verification and compliance with these Official Rules.
7. Build in Public Agreement (Grand Prize)
⚠️ Important: Please Read Carefully
By accepting the Grand Prize, the winner agrees to participate in Cada's "Build in Public" program as described below. This is a mandatory condition of receiving the Grand Prize.
What "Build in Public" Means
The Grand Prize winner agrees to allow Cada to document and share their grant application journey as a case study and marketing content. This includes:The Grand Prize winner will be selected by Cada's team based on the following criteria:
- Company Identification: Cada may publicly use the winner's company name, logo, and general business description in connection with the Sweepstakes and subsequent case study content.
- Progress Updates: Cada may share general progress updates about the grant application process (e.g., "Company X submitted their Project Pitch this week" or "Company X received an invitation to submit a full proposal").
- Interviews: The winner agrees to participate in one to two (1-2) interviews with Cada during or after the grant application process.
These interviews may be:
- Recorded (audio and/or video)
- Used in whole or in part for Cada's marketing, educational content, social media, website, and promotional materials
- Edited for length and clarity - Outcome Sharing: Cada may publicly share the outcome of the grant application (whether funded or not), including award amounts if applicable.
What Cada Will Keep Confidential
Cada agrees to maintain confidentiality regarding:
- Technical Details: Proprietary technology, trade secrets, patents (pending or issued), and technical specifications
- Project Concept: The specific R&D project being proposed, including research objectives, methods, and anticipated results
- Business Strategy: Commercialization plans, customer information, financial projections, and competitive positioning
- Proposal Content: The actual text and content of grant applications submitted
In interviews and public content, Cada will work with the winner to ensure descriptions of their technology are general enough to protect proprietary information while still telling a compelling story.
Content Approval
Before publishing any case study content (excluding routine progress updates and Sweepstakes announcements), Cada will provide the winner with an opportunity to review and request reasonable modifications to ensure confidential information is not disclosed. The winner will have five (5) business days to review and provide feedback. If no response is received within this period, Cada may proceed with publication.
License Grant
By accepting the Grand Prize, the winner grants Cada a perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide license to use their company name, logo, approved quotes, interview content, and general business description for marketing, educational, and promotional purposes related to Cada's grant writing services.
Opting Out
If a potential Grand Prize winner does not wish to participate in the Build in Public program, they may decline the Grand Prize. In this case, they will still be eligible for the Promotional Offer (free roadmap + $3,000 scholarship) available to all qualified entrants.
8. Promotional Offer Terms
All entrants who meet the eligibility requirements (Section 2) but are not selected as the Grand Prize winner qualify for the Promotional Offer.
What's Included
- Free Custom Grant Roadmap: A personalized analysis of federal grant opportunities
- $3,000 Scholarship: A credit toward any Cada service package
How to Claim
- Book a discovery call with Cada using the link provided in the email
- Complete the discovery call to receive your custom Grant Roadmap
- If you choose to engage Cada for grant writing services, the $3,000 scholarship will be applied to your package
Expiration
The Promotional Offer must be claimed (discovery call booked) within fourteen (14) days of the winner announcement email. Unclaimed offers expire and cannot be reinstated.
The $3,000 scholarship, once claimed, must be applied to a Cada engagement initiated within ninety (90) days of the discovery call.Cada agrees to maintain confidentiality regarding:
Limitations
- The scholarship has no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash
- The scholarship cannot be combined with other offers or promotions
- The scholarship is non-transferable
- One Promotional Offer per company
9. Referral Program
After submitting an entry, entrants will receive a unique referral link.
Referral Bonus
If a referred entrant (someone who entered using your referral link) is selected as the Grand Prize winner, both the referred entrant AND the referring entrant will receive the Grand Prize, subject to:
- Both parties meeting all eligibility requirements
- Both parties agreeing to the Build in Public terms
- Verification of the referral relationship through our tracking system
Limitations
- Referrals must be made using the unique referral link provided
- Self-referrals are not permitted
- Cada reserves the right to disqualify referrals it reasonably believes to be fraudulentIf you choose to engage Cada for grant writing services, the $3,000 scholarship will be applied to your package
- In the event of disputes regarding referral credit, Cada's determination is final
10. General Conditions
By entering, each entrant agrees to:
- Be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of Cada, which are final and binding
- Release Cada, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any and all liability arising from participation in the Sweepstakes or acceptance/use of any prize
- Allow Cada to use their entry information for Sweepstakes administration and marketing purposesVerification of the referral relationship through our tracking system
Cada reserves the right to:
- Disqualify any entrant who violates these Official Rules or attempts to interfere with the Sweepstakes
- Modify, suspend, or terminate the Sweepstakes if fraud, technical issues, or other factors impair its integrity
- Interpret these Official Rules in its sole discretion
11. Privacy
Information collected from entrants is subject to Cada's Privacy Policy, available at https://www.getcada.com/privacy-policy.
Entry information will be used for:
- Sweepstakes administration
- Eligibility verification
- Winner notification
- Marketing communications (with consent)
Cada will not sell entrant information to third parties.
12. Limitations of Liability
Cada is not responsible for:
- Lost, late, incomplete, misdirected, or illegible entries
- Technical failures of any kind, including website malfunctions
- Any injury or damage to persons or property arising from participation
- The outcome of any grant application submitted as part of the Grand Prize
Grant Outcome Disclaimer:
The Grand Prize provides grant writing services only. Cada does not and cannot guarantee that any grant application will be funded. Funding decisions are made solely by the relevant government agency. The Grand Prize winner understands and accepts this risk.
13. Disputes & Governing Law
These Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, without regard to conflict of law principles.
Any disputes arising from the Sweepstakes shall be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association. By entering, entrants waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration.
14. Contact Information
For questions about the Sweepstakes or these Official Rules, contact:
Cada Partners
Email: hello@getcada.com
Subject Line: "SBIR Scholarship Sweepstakes Inquiry"