The All-American Fitness Challenge Competition 

Phase 0 registration period: Opens on 09/30/25 and closes on 12/31/25

Phase 1 submission period: Opens on 01/17/26 

Challenge type:  Ideas, Software and apps, Creative (multimedia & design), Scientific

Overview

The All-American Fitness Challenge Competition (the “Challenge”) is a challenge competition to engage with America’s youth to encourage healthier lifestyles and reduced chronic disease risk factors. Through this competition, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) calls on innovators, schools, educators, community organizations, youth organizations, and health champions to develop solutions that help motivate and improve fitness outcomes in school-aged children (grades K-12).

Winning submissions will provide scalable models that can be adopted nationwide.

This competition is expected to launch in January 2026, with the following anticipated phase structure:

Phase 0 – Registration.  Please email OASH.Competitions@hhs.gov to register your interest starting on September 30, 2025.

Phase 1 – Open call for concepts   

Subsequent Phases – Development and expansion

HHS is conducting this prize competition under the authority of and in accordance with the America COMPETES Act, as amended, 15 U.S.C. § 3719.

Prize Pool

The total anticipated prize pool is approximately $10 million of monetary or non-monetary prizes. 

Final prize amounts will be determined at the discretion of HHS and are subject to availability and obligation of future funds. Details regarding the amount and distribution of both monetary and non-monetary prizes will be posted upon launch of Phase 1. 

Timeline

09/30/2025: Phase 0: Registration opens

12/31/2025 11:59 PM EST: Phase 0: Registration closes

01/17/2026: Phase 1: Submissions open

Rules & Eligibility

1. To be eligible to win a prize under the Challenge, a participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) — 
    
   1. Shall have registered to participate in the Challenge under the rules promulgated by HHS as published in this announcement;
       
   2. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
       
   3. In the case of a private entity, shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States, and in the case of an individual, whether participating singly or in a group, shall be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States. However, non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents can participate as a member of a team that otherwise satisfies the eligibility criteria. Non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents are not eligible to win a monetary prize (in whole or in part). Their participation as part of a winning team, if applicable, may be recognized when the results are announced.
       
   4. May not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment;
       
   5. May not be a federal employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity;
       
   6. May not be an employee of the HHS contractors participating in the Challenge;
       
   7. Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this Challenge;
       
   8. May not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the Challenge or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child).
       
2. Federal grantees may not use federal funds to develop their submissions for the Challenge unless use of such funds is consistent with the purpose of their grant award and specifically requested to do so due to the Challenge design as described in this announcement. Federal grantees who use federal funds to develop their Challenge submissions must also obtain written prior approval from the appropriate grants management or program officer and provide documentation of prior approval upon request by HHS.
    
3. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their Challenge submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions.
    
4. Submissions must not infringe upon any copyright or any other rights of any third party.
    
5. By participating in the Challenge, each participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the Federal government and its related entities (as defined in the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act, as amended), except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this Challenge, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise.
    
6. Based on the subject matter of the Challenge, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from Challenge participation, no participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) participating in the Challenge is required to obtain liability insurance or demonstrate financial responsibility in order to participate in this Challenge.
    
7. By participating in this Challenge, each participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) agrees to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to Challenge activities.
    
8. A participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) shall not be deemed ineligible because the participant used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the Challenge if the facilities and employees are made available to all participants participating in the Challenge on an equitable basis.
    
9. By participating in the Challenge, each participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) warrants that they are the sole author or owner of, or has the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission 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 submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the participant is aware. In addition, each participant grants to the HHS an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the solution throughout the world. Each participant will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the Challenge, each participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the participant’s rights to the federal government. To receive an award, participants will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to HHS, but participants must grant to the federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein.
    
10. HHS reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the Challenge, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no entries are deemed worthy.
     
11. Each participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
     
12. Each participant (whether an individual, group of individuals, or entity) participating in the Challenge must comply with all eligibility requirements, rules, and terms and conditions. Participation in the Challenge constitutes each such participant’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these requirements. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.

Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions for the prize competition will be posted upon launch of Phase 1 at Challenge.gov. The requirements provided here are for information only and will be superseded by the Official Rules, Terms, and Conditions.

Judging

Submissions will be evaluated by a judging panel, using official evaluation criteria. Additional information about the evaluation process and criteria will be posted upon launch of Phase 1.

FAQ

Point of contact for inquiries: OASH.Competitions@hhs.gov