Short Circuit Design Challenge – Official Rules​

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN THIS CONTEST. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. PARTICIPATION IS SUBJECT TO OFFICIAL RULES. CONTEST IS GOVERNED BY SKILL-BASED JUDGING.

1. Sponsor
The Short Circuit Design Challenge (the “Contest”) is sponsored by Short Circuit LLC (“Sponsor”), located at 1961 Creek Bank Drive, Columbus, IN 47201.

2. Eligibility
2.1. The Contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia who are at least eighteen (18) years old at the time of entry.
2.2. Employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, judges, advisors, and immediate family members (spouse, parents, siblings, children) and those living in the same household of Sponsor, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, and promotion agencies are not eligible.
2.3. The Contest is void where prohibited or restricted by federal, state, or local law or regulation.

3. Contest Period
The Contest begins on January 1, 2026, at 12:00:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) and ends on June 30, 2026, at 11:59:59 p.m. ET (the “Contest Period”). Entries submitted before or after the Contest Period will not be eligible.

4. How to Enter
There are two (2) methods of entry:
4.1. Standard Entry (Kit Purchase): Purchase an official Short Circuit project kit. Complete an original project. During the Contest Period, submit your entry by uploading all required materials (e.g., documentation, code, photos, a demonstration video) via the official submission form on www.shortcct.com.
4.2. Free Alternative Method of Entry (No Purchase Necessary): To enter without a purchase, send an email to support@shortcct.com with the subject line “Design Challenge Free Entry.” The email must include a complete project description, schematic diagrams, photographs or screenshots of a functionally comparable project built by you using similar components, and any code or documentation that fulfills the submission requirements as if a kit had been purchased.
4.3. Entry Requirements & Limits:

• All entries must be the original creation of the entrant and must not infringe upon any third-party rights.

• Limit one (1) entry per person, regardless of entry method.

• Entries that are incomplete, illegible, corrupted, or submitted through unauthorized means are void.

5. Submission Requirements & Originality
5.1. By submitting an entry, you represent and warrant that: (a) the entry is your own original work; (b) it has not been previously published or won a prior award; (c) it does not violate any law or the intellectual property, privacy, or publicity rights of any third party; and (d) its use by Sponsor as permitted herein will not require payment to any third party.
5.2. Entries must not contain material that is inappropriate, indecent, obscene, hateful, defamatory, or otherwise objectionable, as determined by Sponsor in its sole discretion.

6. Judging Criteria & Winner Selection
6.1. Judging Panel: Eligible entries will be judged by a qualified panel selected by Sponsor. All decisions of the judges and Sponsor are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest.
6.2. Judging Criteria: Entries will be scored based on the following skill-based criteria:

• Technical Quality & Functionality (40%): Complexity, robustness, and successful operation of the project.

• Creativity & Innovation (30%): Originality of the concept, design, and application.

• Documentation & Presentation (20%): Clarity, completeness, and professionalism of supporting materials.

• Real-World Application & Impact (10%): Practical usefulness or educational value of the project.
  6.3. The three (3) entries with the highest aggregate scores will be declared the potential winners.

7. Prizes
7.1. Prize Distribution:

• First Place: One (1) cash prize of $1,000.00 USD.

• Second Place: One (1) cash prize of $750.00 USD.

• Third Place: One (1) cash prize of $500.00 USD.
  7.2. Prize Terms: Prizes are non-transferable and no cash equivalent or substitution is permitted, except at Sponsor’s sole discretion in the event of prize unavailability. Sponsor reserves the right to award a substitute prize of equal or greater value. Prizes will be awarded provided a sufficient number of eligible entries are received. Any federal, state, and local taxes, and all other costs associated with prize acceptance and use not specified herein are the sole responsibility of the winners.

8. Winner Notification & Verification
8.1. Potential winners will be notified via email to the address provided on the entry form within ten (10) business days after the conclusion of judging.
8.2. To claim a prize, the potential winner must respond within seventy-two (72) hours of notification and may be required to complete, sign, and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability and Publicity Release (where legal), and an IRS W-9 Form (for prizes valued at $600 or more) within five (5) business days.
8.3. Failure to comply with these requirements, the return of any notification as undeliverable, or a determination that a potential winner is ineligible or has violated these Official Rules will result in disqualification and the prize being awarded to the next highest-scoring entrant.

9. Intellectual Property & License
9.1. Entrant Ownership: Subject to the license granted below, each entrant retains ownership of all intellectual property rights in their original project design and code.
9.2. License to Sponsor: By entering the Contest, you grant Sponsor, its affiliates, and its designees a perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, display, distribute, and create derivative works from your entry (including your name, likeness, project description, photos, and video) for any promotional, marketing, advertising, or educational purpose in any media, without further compensation or notification.

10. Liability Release, Indemnification & Assumption of Risk
10.1. Release: By entering, you release and hold harmless Sponsor, its members, managers, employees, agents, judges, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, liabilities, injuries, losses, damages, costs, or expenses arising from: (a) your participation in the Contest; (b) the construction, assembly, modification, or use of any project (including your Short Circuit kit or components); (c) any technical errors; or (d) your acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of any prize.
10.2. Assumption of Risk: You acknowledge that working with electronics, batteries, and related components involves inherent risks of personal injury and property damage. You voluntarily assume all such risks associated with your participation in this Contest and project construction.
10.3. Indemnification: You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold the Released Parties harmless from any and all third-party claims arising from your entry, your violation of these Rules, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third party.

11. Privacy & Publicity
11.1. Information collected from entrants is subject to Sponsor’s Privacy Policy (available at www.shortcct.com/privacy-policy) and will be used solely for Contest administration, winner notification, and tax reporting purposes.
11.2. By accepting a prize, winners consent (except where prohibited by law) to Sponsor’s use of their name, city/state of residence, photograph, voice, likeness, and/or prize information for promotional purposes without further compensation.

12. General Conditions
12.1. Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the Contest if any fraud, technical failure, or other factor beyond Sponsor’s control impairs the integrity or proper administration of the Contest.
12.2. Governing Law & Dispute Resolution: These Official Rules are governed by the laws of the State of Indiana, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. Except where prohibited, all disputes arising from this Contest will be resolved individually, without resort to class action, and exclusively by the appropriate state or federal court located in Bartholomew County, Indiana. All entrants consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.
12.3. Winner’s List: For the names of the winners (available after August 15, 2026), send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Short Circuit LLC, Winner List – Design Challenge, 1961 Creek Bank Drive, Columbus, IN 47201.