If you're looking for the Alexa Skills Challenge: Kids (deadline: Jan. 10, 2018 @ 5pm EST), please go here!

 

Alexa, the voice service behind the Amazon Echo and Echo Dot, is changing how we interact with the world.Through the Alexa Skills Kit, a set of free, self-service, public APIs, developers can easily create new experiences for Alexa. We want you to create unique new skills that make Alexa smarter.

Alexa can be a concierge, sous chef, fitness coach, personal shopper, and DJ — every time you add a new skill, Alexa gets a new ability. Alexa skills enable voice-activated interactions that let users crank up Bon Iver, order flowers, turn on your dishwasher, cool down with your A/C, or geek out on Star Trek, all without lifting a pinkie.

And that’s just scratching the surface! Amazon has designed the Alexa Skills Kit so you can easily teach Alexa new ways to make life more convenient, organized, and fun.

Sign up for the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge and help build the future of personal AI.

 

 

First Certified Skills Published Award

$100 Gift Card will be sent to the first 200 makers who submit an eligible entry AND complete Certification for their Alexa Skill. (Limit one First Certified Skills Published Award per maker.)

Eligibility

This hackathon is open to: 

  • Individuals, and teams of individuals, who have reached the age of majority in their eligible jurisdiction of residence at the time of entry; and
  • Organizations that, at the time of entry, have been duly organized or incorporated and validly exist, and employ 50 or fewer people

The competition welcomes submitters from most countries around the globe. However, individuals or organizations may be disqualified if they are based in a nation, state, province, or territory where U.S. or local law prohibits participating in the competition or receiving a prize. This includes individuals, who are residents of, and organizations domiciled in Brazil, Quebec, Cuba, Sudan, Iran, North Korea, Mexico, Syria or any other country designated by the United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

Employees of Amazon, Devpost, and contractors currently under contract work for Amazon or Devpost are not eligible.

Software partners and those receiving funding or assistance from Amazon for application development are not eligible. Any application that is or was funded or compensated, partially or fully, by Amazon for its development is not eligible for entry.

Requirements

Main Requirement

Build a new voice-activated Alexa skill that makes life more enjoyable, organized, and / or convenient. To be eligible for prizes, skills must have passed certification by June 13, 2017, and be available in the Alexa Skills Store.

Hardware and Testing

No hardware is required! You don't need an Amazon Echo to participate. Test your skill using EchoSim: the Alexa Skill Testing Tool by iQuarius Media, a browser-based interface to Alexa, the cloud-based voice service that powers the Echo. EchoSim responds visually, aurally, and programmatically like a real Echo. 

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$43,620 in prizes

Grand Prize Award

Chosen from the Finalists, this award includes:
• $5,000 USD
• Amazon Echo Dot
• Amazon Tap
• Promotion of the winning skill in the Alexa Developer newsletter
• 30-minute meeting with an Alexa leader

Second Prize Award

Chosen from the Finalists, this award includes:
• $3,000 USD
• Amazon Echo Dot
• Amazon Tap
• Promotion of the winning skill in the Alexa Developer newsletter
• 30-minute meeting with an Alexa leader

Best Skill Built by a Student Team

Chosen from the Finalists, this award includes:
• $1,500 USD
• Amazon Echo Dot
• Amazon Tap

Popular Choice Award

Chosen from the Finalists, this award includes:
• Amazon Echo Dot
• Amazon Tap

Finalist Award (20)

• $500 Gift card
• Amazon Echo

Large Organization Recognition Award

Non-cash recognition award for organizations over 50 employees.

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

How to enter

  1. Register for the Amazon Alexa Skills Challenge on Devpost
  2. Sign up for an Amazon Developer Account
  3. Check out the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK) developer portal and Getting Started Guide
  4. Review the Resources page for links to the ASK tutorials and the Alexa skills certification checklist
  5. Build your skill!
  6. Host your skill on AWS Lambda (recommended), or another hosting service of your choice.
  7. Include Skill ID from the Skill Information tab in your developer account. Here's where to find that.
  8. Shoot your demo video and take screenshots of your functioning skill.
  9. Submit your skill on Alexa.Devpost.com AND submit your skill for Alexa Skill Store certification before 5:00pm ET on May 9, 2017. Here’s how to do that.

Judges

David Isbitski

David Isbitski
Chief Evangelist, Alexa and Echo at Amazon

Memo Doring

Memo Doring
Alexa Developer Evangelist

Marion Desmazières

Marion Desmazières
Partner Program Manager, Alexa

Cheryl Simmons

Cheryl Simmons
Sr. Technical Writer, Alexa

Andy Beatman

Andy Beatman
Sr. Alexa Developer Marketing Manager

Glenn Cameron

Glenn Cameron
Alexa Developer Marketing Manager

Judging Criteria

  • Quality of the Idea
    Includes creativity and originality of the skill idea.
  • Implementation of the Idea
    Includes how well the skill idea was executed by the developer and the extent to which Voice User Interface (VUI) best practices were used.
  • Potential Value
    Includes the extent to which the skill provides value to Alexa users.

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