Anyone know of any invention contests? Preferably ones that actually have cash prizes

Looks like you missed a lot of them (closed now...)


PetSafe - Idea Fetch ™
Looks like you missed this one by about 1 month

Staples Invention Quest™
Over for 2005 but will likely run in 2006...

History Channel's Invent NOW Challenge
Looks like you just missed out on this one...

Loxit Technologies InventSure™ Contest
Contest closes May 31, 2006

Hammacher Schlemmer - Search For Invention®
They suspended it for this year until further notice...

Lemelson - MIT contest
Huge cash grand prize ($500,000!) but I'm pretty sure it is only for MIT students

Intel Science Talent search
Only for high school seniors

I caught news of a new online auction service for patents yesterday. I expect that will be increasingly discussed in the coming weeks. Not a competition - in the strict sense of the word - but a kind of competition in a broader sense.

How can we know in advance about all these TV inventor shows?

Beware.

Some judges from several famous invention contests only have the interest in "comedian's" type of inventions, just to make fun of others and to pull up the TV viewing rating...

By Kids For Kids is pleased to announce the third annual Invent-a-Toy Invention Competition presented by Mattel! The competition ends April 6, 2007! All participants will receive recognition for entering! The contest is for KIDS ages 5-19.

The GRAND prize will be:
• A Licensing contract from BKFK;
• Patenting (if patentable) for the invention;
• $ 5,000 U.S. Savings Bond,
• $ 1,000 U.S. Savings Bond to the teacher (s) the Grand prize winner (s) identify as most inspirational
• A trip to NYC for the award celebration.
• National recognition.