Democratizing Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge

The CyberBay Team is excited to announce a new feature for the 2026 Summit: The Democratizing Cybersecurity Innovation Challenge! The Innovation Challenge’s goal is to nurture startups in the Greater Tampa Bay Region that are working to democratize cybersecurity for the masses, making it a utility. The program aims to identify, foster, and support as many credible startups as possible that align with the mission. Startups are invited to join a rapid mentorship program, operating from January to March 2026, to prepare them to pitch their ideas at the CyberBay Summit 2026. This opportunity will provide startups with the chance to win investment capital, with a cumulative prize total of $100,000 courtesy of Bellini Capital.

How It Will Work

Separate competitions will be held for

  1. Idea Category: Individuals or teams with an idea.
  2. Prototype Category: Companies that have advanced beyond the idea stage to the prototype stage.

Prize money will be awarded as follows:

  1. Idea Category: total prize money up to $30,000 to be split among winners.
  2. Prototype Category: total prize money up to $70,000 to be split among the winners.

Treatment of intellectual property

The company is responsible for any intellectual property protection associated with the effort out of its own resources. The CyberBay Team will neither assist, nor take any interest, in any intellectual property or patents resulting from the effort.

HOW TO APPLY

The Innovation Challenge is open to startups in the Greater Tampa Bay Region, headquartered within 100 (give or take) miles of the 33602 zip code, and will operate according to the following timeline:

  1. The call for applications will be posted in early December, with applications due by January 23, 2026. The written application includes a white paper and brief company/team details.
  2. Shortlisted startups will be invited to present their ideas to a virtual panel of judges, and the results will be announced by February 1, 2026.
  3. Teams and startups selected to move forward will be enrolled in a January-March mentorship program and receive $2,500 each to assist with pitch preparation. They will be required to attend at least three (3) mentorship meetings (using an online platform such as Teams or Zoom) with their designated mentor, lasting up to an hour each, during the January-March mentorship period. These meetings will help teams and companies refine their ideas and practice their pitches for the live competition at the CyberBay Summit 2026 event on March 12, 2026, in downtown Tampa.

White Paper Instructions

Please prepare a white paper, using the following format to include in your application to the Democratizing Cybersecurity startup mentorship and competition. The paper must be no more than five (5) pages, single-spaced, 12-point font, including all appendices, references, figures, tables, etc.

Cover Sheet

Provide the name of the team or corporate entity, the technical area of focus, and a list of keywords for the proposal. Provide the name, address, phone number, and email address of the technical and administrative points of contact for the proposal. Proposals with incomplete cover sheets will not be reviewed.

Executive Summary (15 points)

Clearly describe what you intend to do and, if successful, what difference it will make (quantitatively and qualitatively). In particular, focus on how the concept can help achieve the CyberBay goal of democratizing cybersecurity by making it accessible to as many organizations as possible—either through affordable pricing, ease of understanding, rapid time-to-value, and/or your solution’s ability to interoperate with other key cybersecurity applications. Not all factors need to be addressed, but those that can will increase the chances of selection.

Technical Concept (30 points)

What is the big idea being proposed? How is it being done currently? How is this proposed technical concept different? What are the interim milestones that provide evidence of success? How long will it take to reach a minimum viable product (MVP)? What is the impact on advancing cybersecurity? How will it lower the costs of cybersecurity?

Business Process (25 points)

How will the team or business be structured? What is the market analysis for the proposed technical concept? Who are the competitors in this area? What are the sources of additional funding that will be pursued initially (contracts, grants, investments)? What will be the cost to reach a minimum viable product (MVP)?

Leadership Team (20 points)

Who are the members of the initial leadership team? What other talent/teammates will you need to add to the team within the first year?

Prize utilization plan (10 points)

Specifically, how will the prize money be spent? How long will the money last? Are there other resources that can be brought to bear immediately?

Timeline of the Application & Review Process

  1. Application Launch: December 10, 2025
  2. Application Due Date: January 23, 2026
  3. Judge Presentation: Tentatively w/o January 26, 2026.

Please note: An Employer Identification Number (EIN) and a Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) code are required to receive the prize money. If you have not yet obtained these documents and are selected for the mentorship program, please visit the provided links to begin the application process. It is essential to initiate these processes as early as possible, as obtaining an EIN and CAGE code may take several months. Failure to get these items in advance may result in prize delays if selected as a prize winner.

Apply for EIN: https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/how-to-apply-for-an-ein

Register at SAM.gov: https://usfcr.com/sam-registration/

If you encounter any difficulties with the form, you can access the native version here: https://share.hsforms.com/1k6ymQO7iQbex_kNyjL1F-Aeiakw.