This week we are in D.C. for the 5th anniversary of Challenge.gov, hosted by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology. As the federal government toasts public prize competition leaders, Luminary Labs is thrilled to power three challenges on the agenda:

• FDA Food Safety Challenge: The Food and Drug Administration was recognized for their competition that awarded $500,000 in prizes to concepts that advance pathogen detection in produce. The winning team from Purdue University developed a breakthrough microfiltration technology that makes it possible to process Salmonella samples in hours, rather than days.
• Reach Higher Career App Challenge: Today, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and White House launched the Reach Higher Career App Challenge, calling for mobile app solutions that will help students navigate education and career pathways as they plan for their futures. The Challenge offers a cash prize pool of $225,000, and over $240,000 in additional prizes. It is part of Ed Prizes, a series of prize competitions that seeks to spur the development of new technology, products, and resources to prepare students for high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand occupations. Watch the video of First Lady Michelle Obama calling on America’s innovators to enter the Challenge here.
• Rethink Supply Chains Challenge: The Partnership for Freedom just announced their soon-to-launch Rethink Supply Chains Challenge, with up to $500,000 in prizes.  Supporting the Partnership for Freedom’s work to end modern day slavery, the competition will call for technologies that identify and address labor trafficking in global supply chains for goods and services.

All three of these programs are tackling the problems that matter with an innovative approach to public-private partnership that offers impact and scale.