Idea Next Step :: Are you ready for the next step?

Contest Procedures

Welcome to Idea Next Step.Com

1. Register for your free login and password if you haven’t done so already.

2. Log In. Access My Account.

3. Click the My Inventions tab and enter the requested information,if you're entering an invention in the contest. Also, the following bullets are brief procedures for the contest. For detailed instructions continue with #4 below.

Initial round, registered members receive free votes.
Review the inventions in the invention hall.
Inventions move to the polling center at contest start.
Locate invention of your preference and cast your vote.
Round one, members get 25 votes. Inventors get 50 votes.
Members can vote for anyone in round one.
Inventors in the contest must vote for other inventions.
Top 12 entries will face three independent judges.
The independent judges will reduce entries from 12 to 5
The top 5 are now in the final round.
Members get 25 votes and can vote for their preference.
Inventors get 25 votes and can vote for their preference.
Round one, inventors can't vote for themselves.
The final round, inventors can vote for themselves.
The entry with the most votes is Champion.
The Champion receives $1000.00.
Champion invention featured in Inventors Digest Magazine.

4. There is “NO ENTRY fee” to participate in the contest, and there is "NO" fee to vote. Fellow inventors and a panel of three independent judges will primarily determine the winner. However, any member can vote so feel comfortable contacting your friends, relatives and associates and have them support you in your invention endeavor as there is "NO" fee to vote. Also, your invention is not encumbered in any way by participating in this contest. Feel free to participate in other contest while competing in the Idea Next Step Invention Contest. Idea Next Step makes NO claims, title, distribution rights, or retains interest of any kind in your invention. Our goal is to provide you with potential revenue to help you afford to move to the next step.

5. Inventions are posted in the Invention Hall from 8:00 a.m. central time the first Monday of the month, until 6:00 p.m. central time the fourth Monday of the month the contest begins. During this time members & the public are encouraged to log on and view all the entries and decide which invention is their favorite.

6. The fourth Monday of the month of the contest is polling day, round one of the primaries. The polls will be open from 7:00 p.m. central time Monday, until 4:00 p.m. central time Thursday. Before the polls actually open, all inventions will transfer from the Invention Hall to the Polling Center. Any person can visit the Idea Next Step website and register for a free login and password. You then click the Access My Account and click on the Polling Center tab. There you will review/locate and cast your vote for the invention of your preference. During each round of the contest, all registered member accounts will be automatically credited with the appropriate number of votes that can be cast per round. You can vote for one, or as many inventions as you choose as long as you have vote credits available and the polls are open. “If necessary click on the Polls tab located at the bottom of each web page for additional details concerning the procedure for voting.”

Members without inventions in the contest will automatically receive 25 free vote credits for round one. They can cast these votes on one or more inventions of their choice.
Inventors with inventions in the contest will automatically receive 50 free vote credits for round one. These votes must be cast for one or more inventions in the contest, but not your own invention. If you fail to cast your 50 votes your entry into the contest will be disqualified.

7. After 4:00 p.m. central time on Thursday, the Idea Next Step computer will calculate and eliminate all entries except those who received the top twelve vote totals. The top twelve entries will automatically become the top twelve list. Click on the top twelve list tab to view the finalist from round one.

8. Thursday @ 6:00 p.m. central time, three independent judges will debate and eliminate the contestants from (12) competitors down to (5) competitors.“Open source” Everyone will be able to witness the judges as they debate one another in their online supreme court. Click on the judging in progress tab to view the deliberations. Deliberations will be a maximum of 3 hours. (6:00 p.m. central time until 9:00 p.m. central time).

9. Thursday @ 9:00 p.m. central time the finale begins. The top five contestants and their inventions are listed in the Polling Center. The public, members and inventors are urged to view the top five inventions and vote on their preference for the Idea Next Step Inventor Champion. The polls will be open from 9:30 p.m. central time Thursday, until 6:00 p.m. central time Saturday.

Final Round: All members and inventors with inventions in the contest will automatically receive 25 free vote credits for the finals. During the finals both members and inventors with inventions in the contest can cast their votes for one or more inventions in the finale, including voting for your own invention.

10. Saturday @ 7:00 p.m. central time the Idea Next Step Inventor Champion will be named. Their bio and invention will be posted in the Idea Next Step Inventors Hall of Fame.

11. Before any winning funds are distributed, the winners must complete the AFFIDAVIT OF ELIGIBILITY and the LIABILITY AND PUBLICATION RELEASE forms. You can find these forms located in the Terms of Use tab on the home page. These forms must be mailed or faxed to Idea Next Step, LLC. (Attention Contest Department).
Certified funds will be express mailed or wired electronically within 14 business days of the finale. However,this depends upon the speed of receipt of the two aforementioned documents.

Currently The Idea Next Step Inventor Champion will receive a certified check for $1000.00. This amount will/can increase based on participation and the growth of this site.

The first Monday of each quarter the contest begins anew.

Please notice the calender in the top tool bar for future contest times and dates.

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