All units of government-federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial-within the United States of America are eligible for consideration for the Innovations in American Government Awards under the following guidelines:

• Programs or initiatives must be administered under the authority of one or more governmental entities

• Programs or initiatives must have been implemented 12 months prior to the date of submission - e.g. for a 2012 Award, the program must have been launched prior to March 1, 2011.

• Programs or initiatives must be currently in operation

• Applications must be submitted by the governmental entity responsible for the innovation; nonprofit, private sector, and union initiatives are eligible only with significant governmental involvement and oversight

While Innovations in American Government Awards encompasses all levels of American government, it focuses primarily on domestic programs. Innovations that arise within defense and international agencies are eligible if they have significant domestic policy content (such as job training, base conversion, procurement reform, energy conservation, or environmental protection). Weapons systems will not be considered.