Artists, educators, makers, entrepreneurs, inventors, musicians, scientists and anyone with great ideas looking to connect with the resources needed to make them a reality are invited to apply for One Spark 2016. One Spark, The World’s Largest Crowdfunding Festival, is now accepting applications for Creators interested in sharing their ideas at the April 7-9, 2016 festival held annually in Jacksonville, Fla.

Those interested in sharing their ideas at One Spark 2016 should visit OneSpark.com and complete the Creator application process no later than January 29, 2016. Applicants must be at least 18 years old or apply only with the consent and accompaniment of a parent or legal guardian. Ideas and projects may be in any stage of development, however, must contain an operating budget of less than $1 million to qualify for entry.

At One Spark 2016, Creators will be grouped into categories and co-located in unique districts: Art & Culture, Education, Lifestyle & Sports, Health & Wellness, Social Good, and Tech & Engineering in Creator Districts. Districts allow Creators an opportunity to display and demonstrate their Projects and invite attendees to support their crowdfunding campaigns. Districts, which will each house up to 50 Creators, are a key element of the One Spark experience and allow attendees, contributors and investors to easily identify and interact with projects.

Also new for 2016, One Spark Creators will be selected by a jury including local experts, industry thought-leaders, District sponsors and investors. The jury selection process is designed to improve the quality and likelihood of success for Creator Projects. Jurors will evaluate all Projects based on a compelling application, well-conceived goals, and crowdfunding reward structure, and probability of success at making progress toward or achieving crowdfunding goals. The Jury will select the top 50 Creators to showcase applicants in each District and will announce select participants on February 24, 2016.

“For three years, One Spark has served as a forum to connect people, ideas and resources.  In that time, the festival has blossomed into one of the Top 300 festivals in the world, allowed hundreds of creators market test their ideas and served as a springboard for dozens of companies and organizations to find success far beyond the festival,” said Elton Rivas, One Spark CEO.

“The Creator selection process has been enhanced for One Spark 2016 with the inclusion of a juried panel of experts for each category that will select the projects to showcase in the festival.  For those selected for participation, the smaller number of Creators in each area allows attendees to more easily become contributors and form personal relationships with their favorite Creators.”

True to the nature of crowdfunding, Creator support is based on attendee financial contributions. One Spark Creators will begin crowdfunding campaigns March 28, 2016, helping them to gain momentum before the One Spark Festival and allowing those unable to attend in person to contribute to Projects. Crowdfunding campaigns will conclude following the festival as set by the Creators, allowing Creators to continue raising funds for weeks after the festival.

“A successful crowdfunding campaign can be considered an early indicator of success for venture capitalists and angel investors,” said Rivas. “One Spark is continuing talks with a number of venture groups that are eager to learn more about creator projects. As in the past, these investors will select several One Spark creators to pitch their projects during the festival in April and will identify projects for investment and support.”

About One Spark

One Spark is a non-profit committed to fostering environments of creativity and innovation through crowdfunding.  The company does this by connecting artists, entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world with the human and capital resources they need to move their ideas forward at in-person crowdfunding festivals.  The One Spark festival is one of the most efficient ways for individuals, teams and large companies to receive market validation.  The event is The World’s Largest Crowdfunding Festival that brings together hundreds of thousands of people to support ideas and projects that inspire them via rewards-based crowdfunding. One Spark Jacksonville 2016 takes place April 7 – 9, 2016 in Downtown Jacksonville, Fla.