New: Citysearch, a division of IAC, wants to build out Sidewalk.com as a local guide site, and instead of launching their own coding project is testing the crowdsourcing waters. Entrants get a shot at a $10K prize and (possibly) additional funding to realize the project. Here’s the outline of the contest:
Want the opportunity to create and develop the next hot local guide app for the Web and mobile devices on someone else’s dime? Citysearch is holding a nationwide contest challenging developers to create a new local guide application for the Sidewalk.com domain. The winner will receive $10,000 and possibly, the opportunity to develop and manage a new business venture with funding of up to 1M. See the official rules for more details.
The first stage is to submit an idea. Those who submit an acceptable idea will be declared semifinalists and will be provided a developer kit to create a prototype. Finalists will be selected from those who submit prototypes. Finalists will be awarded a trip to Los Angeles to present their concept to the panel of judges.
Is this the best way to find a great new mobile app for local guidance? It might be. Nobody has really defined the ideal user experience for local guidance yet, and it’s possible that one or more entrants will have creative ideas that, even if not fully realized in the contest, can be incorporated into a final product.
The deadline for idea submission is July 17, 2009. Full contest details are here.