How to Write a Challenge Brief That Attracts Serious Applicants (Not Just Noise)

Published on 30/07/2026

A vague brief gets vague answers. If your challenge description says something like "we're looking for innovative solutions to improve efficiency," you won't attract serious startups, researchers, or students ; you'll attract everyone with a PowerPoint and five spare minutes. The best innovators self-select out of poorly defined challenges, because they know a fuzzy brief usually means a fuzzy follow-through on the company's side too.

The good news: writing a brief that filters for quality isn't about writing more, it's about writing more precisely. Here's what that looks like in practice, with real examples of companies that got it right.

1. Name the real problem, not the buzzword

Serious applicants want to solve something specific. Compare "help us innovate in healthcare" to a brief that names the actual pain point, the population affected, and the constraints. Novo Nordisk's "Actors of Diabetes" challenge is a good reference point: rather than a generic call for "digital health ideas," it targeted innovations that improve the patient journey specifically in diabetes care. That specificity is exactly why it pulled in a manageable, relevant pool of applicants instead of a flood of unrelated pitches ; the challenge drew around 38 startup submissions rather than hundreds of noisy, off-target ones .

2. Give context, not just a question

Applicants build better solutions when they understand why the problem matters to you. NASA's Centennial Challenges program is a strong model here: each challenge brief explains the mission-level relevance of the problem : why solving it matters for space exploration and the broader public ; before it ever gets to submission requirements . Background data, market research, or a short explanation of "why now" signals to applicants that you've done your homework, and invites them to do theirs.

3. Define what "good" looks like “precisely”

A brief should describe the target outcome clearly enough that an applicant could self-assess before submitting. NEC's 2022 Innovation Challenge is a useful example of scale done well: with a tightly defined co-creation focus, it drew 324 participants from 66 countries ; proof that specificity doesn't shrink your funnel, it sharpens it.

FADERCO's Positive Innovation Awards is another good example. The brief was explicit about the target group, the sustainability and carbon-impact criteria applicants needed to meet, and even flagged that ideas already at prototype or operational stage would be prioritized in selection. That kind of clarity helps applicants know immediately whether they're a fit.

4. Set real judging criteria and publish them

If applicants don't know how they'll be evaluated, they'll guess and most guesses default to "make it sound impressive" rather than "make it solve the actual problem." Publishing clear, weighted judging criteria up front (feasibility, impact, team readiness, alignment with the brief) does two things: it improves submission quality, and it builds trust that the process is fair, which matters more than most companies realize for attracting repeat-quality applicants.

5. Show the follow-through

Nothing kills serious participation like a challenge that seems to end at "thanks for participating." Applicants , especially experienced startups and researchers want to see what happens after they win: funding, mentorship, a pilot, access to your network. The Unilever Foundry is a strong model here: its briefs are built around a clear pitch-pilot-partner path, so applicants know upfront that a strong submission can lead to a funded pilot with one of Unilever's brands, not just a certificate. That kind of clarity turns a one-off submission into a genuine pipeline of talent.

6. Keep it short, then link out for depth

The strongest briefs tend to fit on a single page: the goal, the timeline, who it's for, and what "good" looks like ; with links or attachments for anyone who wants the full context, data, or technical specs. This respects busy applicants' time while still giving thorough ones a way to go deeper.

The takeaway

A challenge brief isn't a marketing document : it's a filter. Every vague sentence widens the funnel to include people who aren't a real fit; every specific, well-reasoned sentence narrows it toward the applicants who are. If you want fewer, better submissions instead of more, noisier ones, write the brief like you're talking to the five teams you actually want to hear from.

Want help turning this into a launch-ready challenge brief for your next Soolvit or SoolvIn program? That's exactly what our team can support with.

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