Small Business Administration and Department of Labor Mobile Challenges

One way government can produce mobile products is through contests like those on Challenge.gov. We wanted to highlight two agency mobile challenges:

First, the Small Business Administration launched the Apps for Entrepreneurs challenge this week. The SBA wants better tools for entrepreneurs and small businesses to navigate the Federal government’s programs, services, and procurement opportunities. The contest awards $20,000 to the participant(s) who develop an innovative application that makes this information easier to access via computers and mobile.

Second, the Department of Labor just awarded $68,000 in prizes to third-party developers who created innovative apps that used the department’s data. Specifically, winners created:

Occupational Employment Statistics challenge participants created visualizations using data from the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics to assist individuals in planning their education, considering a career change, moving to a new geographical area or negotiating pay and benefits.
Contestants in the informAction application challenge used compliance data from the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration and Wage and Hour Division to empower workers and consumers to make educated choices regarding the hotel, motel, restaurant and retail industries.

You can find more government contests like these at Challenge.gov.

**reposted from the Mobile Gov Blog from the Office of Citizen Services & Innovative Technologies at GSA**