Frequently Asked Questions

  • To register for a Solver account and join the Wazoku Crowd:

    • Go to the Wazoku Challenge Center registration page.
    • Enter an email address, which will be used to login to your account.
    • Complete the remaining required fields including: (1) Name, (2) Display Name and (3) Address.
    • Create a password. You will be guided to ensure you create a strong password to protect your account.
    • Click the Register button.
    • After you complete the registration form, you will receive an email notification confirming your registration and containing instructions to activate your account.
    • Click the link in the email. You will be asked to accept the Wazoku Terms of Use to complete the account activation process.

  • If you have been a member of the Wazoku Crowd Solver community for a while you can access your account on our Challenge Center.

    To access your existing account:

    1. Go the Forgotten Password page or click the Login or Register link in the header and then click ‘Forgotten your password?’
    2. Enter the email address you used when registering as a Wazoku Crowd Solver at challenge-center.community.wazoku.com.
    3. Click the Reset my password button.
    4. You will receive an email with a link to reset your password.
    5. Follow the instructions in the email to reset your password.
    6. Login to the Wazoku Crowd Challenge Center platform using your email address and the newly reset password.

    If you do not receive the email with instructions for resetting your password, please contact support@wazoku.com for assistance.

  • To submit a Solution to a Wazoku Crowd Challenge as a member of the Solver community:

    1. Go to the Wazoku Crowd Challenge Center login page.
    2. Log in using your email address and password.
    3. Select the Challenge from your list of Challenges saved to your Profile or click on one of the Challenges in the Challenge Center.
    4. Click the View Challenge Details button and agree to the Challenge Agreement (CA), which opens a Project Room for the Challenge.
    5. Create a solution document in one of the following accepted formats, as directed in the Challenge statement: Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx), Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx) or PDF (.pdf). If you need to submit your solution in a different format, you can also submit a Zip file (.zip, .tar, .gz, .rar).
    6. Click the Add Solution button and enter a name for your solution (please do not include personally identifying information in the title) and upload your solution file. You can upload additional attachments as required.
    7.  Click Publish to submit your solution.

    You will receive an email confirmation of receipt of your solution to your registered email address.

  • Use the Challenge Message to ask any Challenge-related questions. Please be sure to access the correct Challenge Message Center to ensure you receive a timely and accurate response.

    To submit a Challenge-related question:

    1. Access the specific Challenge.
    2. Click the Messages tab on the Challenge page.
    3. Enter your message and click the Submit button.

    The Challenge Manager will receive a notification of the message and respond through the Message Center.

  • A Team Project Room (“TPR”) is a secure online workspace that allows a group of Solvers to collaborate as a team to solve a Wazoku Crowd Challenge. The team’s solution is developed and agreed among team members in the TPR, and is submitted to the Wazoku Crowd Platform as a single proposal by the Team Leader.

  • The Challenge Agreement (formerly Challenge Specific Agreement or CSA) is a legal document that outlines a Solver’s rights and responsibilities if they elect to submit a solution in response to a Wazoku Crowd Challenge. The CA specifies if and how IP will be transferred between Solver and Seeker; it may also specify any special rules, such as exclusionary rules for categories of Solvers, that apply to the Challenge.

    You must accept the CA to be able to submit a solution to the Challenge. Be sure to read and understand the CA for each Challenge because you will be subject to the applicable Challenge conditions.

    Challenge Agreements (CAs) and Challenge Specific Agreements (CSAs) provide Solvers with clear details around participation, legal IP transfer (if applicable), and details around Prize and Scouting Challenges.

  • Prize Challenges: The Award

    Prize Challenges are any Challenge where a Solver can be awarded a cash prize. These may differ in their treatment of IP transfer or criteria for award – please read the Challenge Agreement you accept and the text of the Challenge thoroughly.

    Scouting Challenges: The Collaboration

    Scouting Challenges are designed to find innovative partners, start-ups, and relevant collaboration opportunities.

    Challenges may contain reference to a desired ‘Technology Readiness Level (TRL)’ of solution, a measurement system used to show the maturity or commercial readiness of a particular solution.

    Formerly, Wazoku Crowd Challenges were broken down into four categories: Ideation (the brainstorm); Theoretical (the design); Reduction to Practice (the prototype); and Electronic Request for Proposal (the collaboration).

    Ideation: The Brainstorm

    A global collaboration for producing a breakthrough idea. This could include ideas for a new product line, creative solutions to technical problems, a new commercial application for a current product, or even a viral marketing idea for recruiting new customers.

    Ideation Challenges guarantee that at least one Solver will win an award. Additionally, the posting period is typically shorter than with other Challenge types, resulting in quicker time-to-solution. Ideation Challenges involve intellectual property licensing; a Solver grants the Seeker a non-exclusive license to use solution, awarded or non-awarded.

    Theoretical: The Design

    A feasible design that may not yet be reduced to practice. A solution to a Theoretical Challenge will solidify the Solver’s concept with detailed descriptions, specifications, supporting precedents, and requirements necessary to bringing a good idea closer to becoming an actual product, technical solution, or service.

    A Solver can expect a substantial financial reward if their submission is chosen as the winning solution by the Seeker, but an award need only be made if all the Challenge criteria are met. Depending on the Challenge requirements, Solvers will be required to either transfer or license the IP in their solutions to the Seeker.

    Reduction to Practice (RTP): The Prototype

    A prototype that shows an idea in actual practice (though on a non-commercial scale). In an RTP Challenge, in addition to a detailed description, Solvers are asked to present physical evidence that proves their solution will work within the Seeker’s specific needs, decision criteria, or manufacturing parameters. Solvers are given more time to generate data needed to support their proposals and prepare a response, and the financial awards are typically larger to reward the greater commitment required to work on these Challenges.

    Like the Theoretical Challenge, an award need only be made if all the Challenge criteria are met. Depending on the Challenge requirements, Solvers will be required to either transfer or license the IP in their solutions to the Seeker.

    Electronic Request for Proposal (eRFP): The Collaborator

    A request for a partner or supplier to provide materials or expertise to help solve a business Challenge. Seekers use the InnoCentive marketplace to find businesses or consultants that have already developed the technology they need or have the experience to help them develop it.

    Unlike other Challenges where a cash award is granted for the winning solution, eRFP winners typically negotiate the terms of the contract directly with the Seeker.

  • To view your existing Solutions:

    1. Go to the Wazoku Crowd Challenge Center login page.
    2. Log in using your email address and password.
    3. In the header, click on the Profile icon.
    4. Click ‘My Solutons’ from the menu.
    5. A list of all of your solutions will display. To view a specific solution, click the Solution name.

    Please note: If you access your My Solutions while in a Showcase, you will only see the solutions submitted for Challenges in that Showcase. To see all solutions across all Challenges, you must access ‘My Solutions’ from the Challenge Center.

  • If you have been a member of the InnoCentive Solver community for a while you can access your existing account on our new Challenge Center launched in July 2020

    When we moved to the new Challenge Center platform powered by Wazoku in July 2020 all Solver accounts and the applicable data was migrated.

    To access your existing account:

    1. Go the Forgotten Password page or click the Login or Register link in the header and then click ‘Forgotten your password?’
    2. Enter the email address you used when registering as an InnoCentive Solver at innocentive.com.
    3. Click the Reset my password button.
    4. You will receive an email with a link to reset your password.
    5. Follow the instructions in the email to reset your password.
    6. Login to the new InnoCentive Challenge Center platform using your email address and the newly reset password.

    If you do not receive the email with instructions for resetting your password, please check your spam/junk folder or contact support@wazoku.com for assistance.

  • Are you interested in creating a Challenge on the Wazoku Crowd Platform and becoming a Seeker?

    For further information on how to run a Challenge on the Wazoku Crowd Platform please visit the Wazoku website and find out how you can harness the power of our global crowd.