Frequently Asked Questions
KeY Questions
The T Challenge is our platform for recognizing digital innovators and providing them the opportunity to transform their ideas into reality alongside Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile US. By leveraging our network of experts and offering attractive prize money, we aim to foster long-term collaborations that cultivate growth and development. This year’s challenge focuses on placing AI at the heart of telecom, transforming networks, and elevating customer experience.
Up to 12 nominees will be invited to pitch their solutions on stage and showcase them in an exhibition space in front of senior executives and decision-makers of Deutsche Telekom/T-Mobile US. This provides an excellent opportunity to explore various cooperation opportunities with one of the world’s largest telecommunication companies.
Additional benefits for the nominees:
- Access to top management, experts and mentorship from Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile US
- Travel expenses to the award ceremony
Prize money for the best teams in the following top award categories:
- 1st prize: EUR 150,000
- 2nd prize: EUR 75,000
- 3rd prize: EUR 50,000
Additionally, a special prize up to EUR 25,000 will be awarded for exceptional achievements.
The T Challenge is a global invitation for researchers, developers, and startups from academia, R&D institutes, and industry to present innovative solutions for specific challenge areas.
Please note that employees of Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile US, and their affiliated companies are not eligible to participate in the T Challenge. For more detailed information, please refer to our “Rules” document.
You can submit your applications online by filling out our submission page (apply.t-challenge.com) until January 31, 2025 at 23:59 CET. Make us curious about your idea and describe what you will achieve during the following development phase. The contest language is English. Only ideas submitted in English will be considered. Those selected will then be notified via email by end of February 2025.
EXPECTATIONS FOR WINNERS
We strive to offer each nominee the flexibility needed to perfect their final solution. However, the results should adhere to the following core guideline:
AI at the Heart of Telecom – Transforming Networks and Elevating Customer Experience: Develop a tangible prototype or solution specifically designed for Telekom/T-Mobile US during the development phase. Your solution should clearly demonstrate the benefits and improvements it brings to the network or customer experience.
At the end of this phase, you will present your ideas to a distinguished grand jury of top executives in Bonn, Germany. You will need to prepare a pitch deck during the preparation phase and demonstrate your tangible solution. Additionally, you will showcase your solution during the exhibition.
SUBMISSION & SELECTION
Yes, it will be possible to save your application, edit and delete it until the end of the respective submission phase. Once the submission deadline arrives, your application will be automatically submitted, and it will be locked from editing. Please note that we will only consider applications that include all required information before January 31, 2025, 23:59 CST.
The challenge application will take place in two phases. In the submission phase you should make us curious about your idea and describe what you will achieve in the development phase. The applications will be accepted from November 19, 2024 until January 31, 2025, 23:59 CET. The selected ideas will be notified via email by end of February 2025 and admitted to the development phase.
In the development phase from March until May 2025, we are expecting you to work on the development of a prototype or solution.
The pitch session and award ceremony will be held on June 2-3, 2025 in Bonn, Germany.
All nominees in the development phase (up to 12 teams) are eligible to be (additionally) awarded with a special award.
The evaluation and selection process of the T Challenge is designed to create an open, accountable, multi-step selection process based solely on the merit of the submitted ideas. All submissions shall receive the same opportunity.
Each eligible submitted idea shall be evaluated by expert evaluators from DTAG, TMUS or selected partners. The main selection criteria are a clearly expressed concept, which in the view of the evaluators holds the most promise to have significant impact on the customer experience and has the best fit with Deutsche Telekom’s and T-Mobile USA’s strategic goals.
After the idea submission phase, a qualification jury will nominate up to 12 teams to enter the “development phase”. During the development phase, each team should focus on further developing/adapting the idea to be able to present a tangible solution during the final pitch- and demo day. A grand jury will select one winner for each “top award category”. Additionally, we would like to honor the best performing teams with one “special award”.
All nominees in the development phase (up to 12 teams) are eligible to be (additionally) awarded with a special award. This means that you could win a special award in addition to your nomination.
To submit your idea, you have to register with a password. The provided information will be used for challenge purposes only. Your personal data will be deleted 6 months after the award ceremony in Bonn. The implementation partner Schaltzeit GmbH will support Deutsche Telekom AG for administration of the submitted material according to German law. The Personal Data is stored in a datacenter in Germany; the transmission path will be secured by TLS/SSL-coding. By submitting your idea within this challenge, you consent that T-Mobile US, Deutsche Telekom AG, and its subcontractors Schaltzeit GmbH will collect, process, and store your data according to the T Challenge Rules.
This list is not limited. If you have questions, write us at challenge@telekom.de.
