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Registration for this event will be online at www.gsa.gov/technology/government-it-initiatives/federal-ai-hackathon (“event website”), and remain open until Monday, July 29, 2024, 9 a.m. EDT. Each location has limited space and only one registration is allowed per person. Participants will receive a confirmation email after completing the online registration. Once registration is full for a particular site, GSA will place you on a wait list. Those placed on the waitlist will be contacted when a space becomes available based on when they registered. On-site registration will not be allowed.
Teams may be formed in three ways. First, individuals may choose to register a team with as few as one, and no more than five, individuals. Second, registrants have the option (upon request) to be randomly assigned to a team with up to five individuals. Third, a team registered with less than five individuals may request additional people be randomly assigned to their team, up to a total of five persons, by contacting the event organizers. Requests to be randomly assigned to a team and/or for additional team members is not guaranteed. The exact number of participants available for random assignment will depend on the number who show up in person on the day of the event at a particular location. GSA will try to randomly assign teammates in the same location; however, your randomly assigned team may be located at another event location. If you are randomly assigned teammates in another location, GSA will provide video conferencing software for you to collaborate during the hackathon. GSA will not provide video-cameras, headphones, or microphones.
As a condition of participation, participants who require a reasonable accommodation may request one at hackathon@gsa.gov, or via the registration form page when registering, up until the registration deadline.
All participants are required to check in with security upon arriving at the applicable GSA location. A U.S. government-issued ID, such as a valid driver’s license or passport, is required to gain access to our buildings. Following the security check-in, participants must check in at the event registration table. Visitors will be issued a one-day GSA visitor badge, which must be worn at all times and returned when departing the building. Participants may be issued an event name tag with additional participation information. All visitors must pass through a magnetometer, and their possessions may be x-rayed. A GSA employee must escort visitors through the hallways at all times, except when in their assigned hackathon space.
Participants should plan to arrive in a reasonable amount of time to go through all security protocols, gain entry into the building, and register with organizers. The full event schedule is available on the event website.
In order to be eligible to win any prize, participants must be on-site (exclusive of lunch) at one of the three event locations from 9 a.m. until the conclusion of the event, estimated to be no later than 6:30 p.m. Participants should be mindful that the event will begin promptly at 9 a.m. Late admission, and eligibility to win prizes, will be at the sole discretion of the event organizers and is not guaranteed. The decision to admit people after 9 a.m. will be based on whether the admission would contribute to a successful and equitable event.
As a condition of participation in the hackathon, all participants must sign a form agreeing to a photo release and the performance of gratuitous (unpaid) services without compensation for these services. This form will be provided in advance via an emailed Docusign link and the event website. Participants may print the form and bring a signed copy to the event, may sign it in person on the day of the event, or submit it digitally via Docusign (preferred method).
The Federal AI Hackathon will take place simultaneously in the following cities:
Atlanta, GA
Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Building
77 Forsyth St SW, Atlanta, GA 30303
Special instructions: Participants will follow all security procedures stated and be escorted by a hackathon representative to Conference Room 1. Participants may arrive no earlier than 8 a.m.
New York City, NY
One World Trade Center [PDF]
285 Fulton St, New York, NY 10007
Special instructions: Participants will follow all security procedures stated and be escorted by a hackathon representative to Room 55S08. Participants may arrive no earlier than 8 a.m.
Washington, D.C.
U.S. General Services Administration Headquarters
1800 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20405
Special instructions: Main entrance located on F Street NW. Entrance on E Street is not permitted. Turn left past security and proceed to the registration table, and then to the auditorium. Participants will follow all security procedures stated onsite. Participants may arrive no earlier than 8 a.m.
All teams will be randomly assigned to work on one specific federal website to “hack” on the day of the event. Using the tools provided, participants will address the challenge:
Federal websites serve users, but what about artificial intelligence as a user? As large language models are trained to interpret websites, people will increasingly depend on these tools to navigate government services. How should the federal government optimize its websites to ensure LLMs generate reliable, authoritative answers while continuing to meet individual user needs and expectations? This Federal AI Hackathon challenges you to reimagine specific federal websites in a way that optimizes them for “AI as a user,” while maintaining (and/or enhancing) the human user experience.
The event co-sponsors will provide participants free access to some of the most widely used AI and cloud tools to use on the day of the event. The specific tools will be identified on the event website before the day of the hackathon. Using those tools, participants will leverage LLMs and other technologies to write code, propose development standards, and/or develop other novel approaches to address the problem statement.
Additional event and challenge parameters (such as the specific websites) will be revealed on or closer to the date of the event.
Through this competition, GSA anticipates awarding four cash prizes, for a $10,000 total prize purse. The first prizes will be as follows:
The dollar amount for any given prize will not vary by team size. Instead, the prize amount will be divided equally among eligible team members. If one member of a team is deemed ineligible, the prize money will be equally divided among eligible team members. If an entire team is deemed ineligible, the fourth-highest-point scorer will be awarded the third place prize, and the other winners will be elevated to the corresponding prize level.
Funding for this hackathon will come from GSA. Prizes will be distributed to the eligible winners via electronic funds transfer, within 60 business days of the final announcement of the winner(s). Participants must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents to GSA within three business days of it being requested. Failure to return all required verification documents by the date specified in the notification may be a basis for disqualification of the winning entry. Winners are responsible for all taxes or other fees connected with the prize received.
At 3 p.m. EDT, the competition will end. Participants must submit their solutions according to our submission guidance. We will not allow changes to submissions after this time.
Judging may occur both virtually through video conferencing software and in-person at 1800 F St NW, Washington, DC 20405. GSA will provide video conferencing software (Google Meet). Participants are responsible for providing their own functioning webcams and microphones.
Judging will be based on the following criteria, with each judge independently scoring each category based on the total number of available points. The highest possible score will be 130 points:
To be eligible to win a cash prize, participants must:
Additionally, to participate at all, participants must:
While federal employees are eligible to participate, they may not win a cash prize. If a federal employee competes as part of a team with cash prize-eligible teammates, those teams will not be assigned to a website from the agency employing any federal team member.
Participation and eligibility to win a cash prize is subject to all U.S. federal, state or local laws and regulations.
By participating in the hackathon, each participant warrants that he or she is the sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any intellectual property that the solution comprises, that the works are wholly original with the participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the solution does not violate or infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which participant is aware, as protected under applicable intellectual property law.
Participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to GSA, but must grant to the federal government a nonexclusive license to practice their solutions and use the materials that describe them. By submitting an entry, this license grants to the federal government a nonexclusive, non-transferable, irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free license to practice or have practiced for or on behalf of the United States throughout the world any protected work made by the participants that covers the submission. In addition, the license grants to the federal government and others acting on its behalf, a fully paid, nonexclusive, irrevocable, worldwide license in any intellectual property that the submission comprises, including, but not limited to: the right to use, reproduce, or prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, and publicly perform and display said intellectual property. To participate in the challenge, each participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of participants rights to the federal government.
GSA is under a strict duty not to give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual. As such, participants must agree to take diligent care to avoid the appearance of government endorsement of competition participation and participant submissions. By participating in the hackathon, participants agree not to refer to GSA’s use of their solution in any commercial advertising or similar promotions in a manner that could imply that the GSA or the federal government endorses, prefers, sponsors, or has an affiliation with participant or participants’ products or services. Participants agree that GSA’s trademarks, logos, service marks, trade names, or the fact that GSA awarded a prize to a participant, shall not be used by the participant to imply direct GSA endorsement of participant or participant’s submission. Both participants and GSA may list the other party’s name in a publicly available customer or other list so long as the name is not displayed in a more prominent fashion than any other third-party name.
Participants will not be permitted to receive assistance, or help, from any individual or entity outside of the registered participant list at the time of the event, except from the support materials and/or personnel provided by GSA and its co-sponsors. Registered participants can help other registered participants through advice and collaboration.
In order to facilitate better submissions, GSA’s private sector co-sponsors are providing access to a number of software tools at no cost to participants during the event. GSA and its co-sponsors will endeavor to provide equitable access to all participating teams. Participants may only leverage these tools for the purposes of addressing the challenge in this event. Participants are expressly prohibited from using these tools for personal, commercial, or other purposes outside of this challenge. Further, GSA and its co-sponsors make no warranties or representations with respect to the availability or performance of these tools during the event. Any failures or malfunctions of those tools is deemed to be part of the challenge, and creates no obligation for GSA or the event co-sponsors to remedy such issues. GSA similarly makes no guarantees about the performance of the federal websites being used in the event.
The event’s private sector co-sponsors (AWS, Cohere, Google, Groq, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Slack) may provide expert assistance regarding the use of the software tools via dedicated Slack channels. These co-sponsors will not provide advice or guidance on participants’ submissions. GSA will endeavor to provide answers to participants’ questions to all participants via the use of Slack channels. Questions posed to these experts have no expectation of confidentiality.
The event’s federal co-sponsors (GSA, Department of Commerce Census Bureau, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and the United States Department of Agriculture) may provide expert advice regarding the specific websites being used for the event. GSA will endeavor to provide answers to participants’ questions to all participants assigned to the same website via the use of Slack channels. Questions posed to these experts have no expectation of confidentiality.
Participants may not use software or hardware obtained from any of the event co-sponsors that has not been made available to all participants. This provision does not apply to freely available software from the co-sponsors.
As a condition of participation, all participants must agree to indemnify the federal government against third-party claims for damages arising from or related to competition activities. Participants are not required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in the competition. By entering the contest, participants agree to hold GSA and any other agency or body of the federal government harmless from all legal and administrative claims to include associated expenses that may arise from any claims related to their participation, their entry, or use of their entry.
Any violation of these rules will be grounds for disqualification from the competition, in GSA’s sole discretion. GSA reserves the right for any reason, including but not limited to an insufficient number of qualified entries, to modify or cancel the competition at any time before or during the event. GSA reserves the right to modify these rules by publishing updates on the event website and by notifying contestants of the change.
By participating in the event, each participant agrees to comply with and abide by all event rules, terms, and conditions, and the decisions of GSA and/or the individual judges. All judging panel decisions are final and binding in all respects and may not be appealed. Determinations regarding the event rules by the event chair and/or co-chair are final and binding in all respects, and may not be appealed.
Reference to any non-federal entity, including co-sponsors, anywhere in this document or anywhere else in association with this event does not constitute or imply GSA endorsement, recommendation, or favoring.
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Rates for Alaska, Hawaii, and U.S. territories and possessions are set by the Department of Defense.
Rates for foreign countries are set by the Department of State.
Rates are available between 10/1/2022 and 09/30/2025.
The End Date of your trip can not occur before the Start Date.
Traveler reimbursement is based on the location of the work activities and not the accommodations, unless lodging is not available at the work activity, then the agency may authorize the rate where lodging is obtained.
Unless otherwise specified, the per diem locality is defined as "all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city, including independent entities located within those boundaries."
Per diem localities with county definitions shall include"all locations within, or entirely surrounded by, the corporate limits of the key city as well as the boundaries of the listed counties, including independent entities located within the boundaries of the key city and the listed counties (unless otherwise listed separately)."
When a military installation or Government - related facility(whether or not specifically named) is located partially within more than one city or county boundary, the applicable per diem rate for the entire installation or facility is the higher of the rates which apply to the cities and / or counties, even though part(s) of such activities may be located outside the defined per diem locality.
An SBA program that helps provide a level playing field for small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged people or entities that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 124 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
From 5 USC 5701(6), "continental United States" means the several states and the District of Columbia, but does not include Alaska or Hawaii.
A multiple-award IDIQ governmentwide acquisition contract offering complete and flexible IT solutions worldwide. A best-in-class GWAC and preferred governmentwide solution, Alliant 2 offers:
It provides best-value IT solutions to federal agencies, while strengthening chances in federal contracting for small businesses through subcontracting.
An agreement established by a government buyer with a Multiple Award Schedule contractor to fill repetitive needs for supplies or services.
Types of funds to use on specific expenses.
The work done to make a structure or system ready for use or to bring a construction or development project to a completed state.
Negotiated firm-fixed pricing on airline seats for official government travel. The locked-in ticket prices for the fiscal year save federal agencies time and money. Federal employees enjoy flexibility to change their plans without incurring penalties or additional costs. All negotiated rates have:
Use the CPP search tool to find current fares.
A space where individuals work independently or co-work collaboratively in a shared office. The work environment is similar to a typical office, usually inclusive of office equipment and amenities. Typical features of co-working facilities include work spaces, wireless internet, communal printer/copier/fax, shared kitchens, restrooms and open seating areas. May also be referred to as a “shared office.”
A system that is bought from a commercial vendor to solve a particular problem, as opposed to one that a vendor custom builds.
An employee who negotiates and awards contracts with vendors and who has the sole authority to change, alter or modify a contract.
An employee whose duties are to develop proper requirements and ensure contractors meet the commitments during contract administration, including the timeliness and delivery of quality goods and services as required by the contract.
A request of GSA where a federal agency retains and manages all aspects of the procurement process and is able to work with the selected vendor after award.
An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
The primary regulation for federal agencies to use when buying supplies and services with funds from Congress.
Use acquisition.gov to browse FAR parts or subparts or download the full FAR in various formats.
The travel and relocation policy for all federal civilian employees and others authorized to travel at government expense.
A program that promotes the adoption of secure cloud services across the federal government by providing a standardized approach to security and risk assessment.
A GSA business line that provides safe, reliable, low-cost vehicle solutions for federal agency customers and eligible entities. Offerings include:
A charge card for U.S. government personnel to use when paying for fuel and maintenance of GSA Fleet vehicles. Find out where the Fleet card is accepted, how to use it and more.
A Department of Homeland Security program that allows members to use expedited lanes at U.S. airports and when crossing international borders by air, land and sea.
A charge card for certain U.S. Government employees to use when buying mission-related supplies or services using simplified acquisition procedures, when applicable, and when the total cost does not exceed micro-purchase thresholds.
A charge card for U.S. government personnel to use when paying for reimbursable expenses while on official travel. Visit smartpay.gsa.gov for more.
A vehicle used to perform an agency’s mission(s), as authorized by the agency.
A pre-competed, multiple-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract that agencies can use to buy total IT solutions more efficiently and economically.
A ceremony marking the official start of a new construction project, typically involving driving shovels into ground at the site.
An online shopping and ordering system at gsaadvantage.gov that provides access for federal government employees and in some cases, state and local entities, to purchase from thousands of contractors offering millions of supplies and services.
An online auction site at gsaauctions.gov that allows the general public to bid on and buy excess federal personal property assets such as:
Real property for which GSA is responsible. It can be either federally owned or leased from a public or private property owner.
An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to business that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 126 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
A type of contract when the quantity of supplies or services, above a specified minimum, the government will require is not known. IDIQs help streamline the contract process and speed service delivery.
A fee paid by businesses who are awarded contracts under Multiple Award Schedule to cover GSA’s cost of operating the program. The fee is a fixed percentage of reported sales under MAS contracts that contractors pay within 30 calendar days following the completion of each quarter.
A law that provides $3.375 billion for us to:
This includes $2.15 billion for low embodied carbon materials in construction projects, $975 million to support emerging and sustainable technologies, and $250 million for measures to convert more buildings into High Performance Buildings.
An investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The law provides funding for LPOE modernization projects that will create new good-paying jobs, bolster safety and security, and make our economy more resilient to supply chain challenges.
A written agreement entered into between two federal agencies, or major organizational units within an agency, which specifies the goods to be furnished or tasks to be accomplished by one agency (the servicing agency) in support of the other (the requesting agency).
A facility, also known as a border station, that provides controlled entry into or departure from the United States for persons or materials. It houses the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and other federal inspection agencies responsible for the enforcement of federal laws related to entering into or departing from the U.S.
An employee who is responsible for preparing, negotiating, awarding and monitoring compliance of lease agreements.
Criteria used to select the technically acceptable proposal with the lowest evaluated price. Solicitations must specify that award will be made on the basis of the lowest evaluated price of proposals meeting or exceeding the acceptability standards for non-cost factors.
The rate of reimbursement for driving a privately owned vehicle when your agency authorizes it. Current rates are at gsa.gov/mileage.
Long-term governmentwide contracts with commercial firms providing federal, state, and local government buyers access to more than 11 million commercial products and services at volume discount pricing. Also called Schedules or Federal Supply Schedules.
The standard federal agencies use to classify business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data related to the U.S. business economy.
A family of six separate governmentwide multiple award, IDIQ contracts for management and advisory, facilities, technical and engineering, logistics, intelligence services, research and development, environmental, and enterprise solutions.
A formal, signed agreement between GSA’s Public Buildings Service and a federal agency for a specific space assignment.
Services performed under a contract with a federal agency that include:
The per day rates for the lower 48 continental United States, which federal employees are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on official travel. Per diem includes three allowances:
An identification card that allows credentialed government personal to access facilities, computers, or information systems. May also be referred to as HSPD-12 card, LincPass, Smart Card, or CAC.
Furniture and equipment such as appliances, wall hangings, technological devices, and the relocation expenses for such property.
Information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual. Get our agency's privacy policies and practices as they apply to our employees, contractors, and clients.
You should only drive a privately owned vehicle for official travel after your agency evaluates the use of:
When your agency has determined a POV to be the most advantageous method of transportation, you are authorized reimbursement for mileage and some additional allowances (parking, bridge, road and tunnel fees, etc.).
Approvals from GSA’s congressional authorizing committees, the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for proposed capital and leasing projects that require funding over an annually established threshold.
Region 1 (New England): Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Region 2 (Northeast and Caribbean): Northern New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
Region 3 (Mid-Atlantic): Delaware, parts of Maryland, Southern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, parts of Virginia, West Virginia
Region 4 (Southeast Sunbelt): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee
Region 5 (Great Lakes): Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin
Region 6 (Heartland): Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Region 7 (Greater Southwest): Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Region 8 (Rocky Mountain): Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
Region 9 (Pacific Rim): Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada
Region 10 (Northwest Arctic): Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington
Region 11 (National Capital): Washington, D.C., area including parts of Maryland and Virginia
Formal agreements between GSA and a federal agency customer where GSA agrees to provide goods, services, or both, and the federal agency agrees to reimburse GSA’s direct and indirect costs. The customer portal for RWA information is called eRETA at extportal.pbs.gsa.gov.
A document used in negotiated procurements to communicate government requirements to prospective contractors (firms holding Multiple Award Schedule contracts) and to solicit proposals (offers) from them.
A document used to communicate government requirements, but which do not solicit binding offers. Quotations submitted in response are not offers. The Multiple Award Schedule order is the offer, and then the contractor can do something to show acceptance, like ordering supplies or contacting subcontractors.
An SBA program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 128 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
An SBA designation for businesses that meet size standards set for each NAICS code. Most manufacturing companies with 500 employees or fewer, and most non-manufacturing businesses with average annual receipts under $7.5 million, will qualify as a small business.
See Title 13 Part 121.201 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
To improve and stimulate small business utilization, we award contracts to businesses that are owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. We have contracting assistance for:
A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to business that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Section 124.1001 of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
The basis for the lease negotiation process, which becomes part of the lease. SFOs include the information necessary to enable prospective offerors to prepare proposals. See SFO minimum requirements.
Specific supply and service subcategories within our Multiple Award Schedule. For the Information Technology Category, a SIN might be new equipment or cloud services.
An online system at sam.gov, which the U.S. Government uses to consolidate acquisition and award systems for use by contractors wishing to do business with the federal government. Formerly known as FBO.gov, all contracting opportunities valued over $25,000 are posted at sam.gov.
When you use a government purchase card, such as the "GSA SmartPay" travel card for business travel, your lodging and rental car costs may be exempt from state sales tax. Individually billed account travel cards are not tax exempt in all states. Search for exemption status, forms and important information.
The finishes and fixtures federal agency tenants select that take a space from a shell condition to a finished, usable condition and compliant with all applicable building codes and standards.
A statute that applies to all Multiple Award Schedule contracts, unless otherwise stated in the solicitation or contract, which requires contractors to sell to the U.S. Government only products that are manufactured or “substantially transformed” in the U.S. or a TAA-designated country.
An option for vendors to report transactional data — information generated when the government purchases goods or services from a vendor — to help us make federal government buying more effective.
See our TDR page for which SINs are eligible and which line-item data to submit.
A unique number required to do business with the federal government.
An indicator of how efficiently a federal agency is currently using space, it is traditionally calculated by dividing the usable square feet of the space, by the number of personnel who occupy the space.
A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
A governmentwide acquisition contract exclusively for service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses to sell IT services such as:
The amount of solid waste, such as trash or garbage, construction and demolition waste, and hazardous waste, that is reused, recycled or composted instead of being put in a landfill or burned.
A GSA program designed to promote recycling and reuse of solid waste.
A Small Business Administration program that gives preferential consideration for certain government contracts to businesses that meet the following eligibility requirements:
See Title 13 Part 127 Subpart B of the Code of Federal Regulations for more information.
U.S. General Services Administration