Abstract: This invention relates to methods and a system for compensating contestants for participating in development competitions. In one embodiment, a method for compensating contestants for participating in development competitions includes conducting development competitions in which contestants each submit a development, and for each competition evaluating contestants' submissions; based on the evaluation, assigning a score to contestants' submissions, identifying a number of submissions having a score above a threshold value, designating the contestant who submitted a submission having a score above the threshold value that is the highest score to be the winner of that competition, and awarding performance points to contestants who submitted the identified submissions. The method further includes periodically awarding prizes to the contestants who receive the greatest number of performance points during the period.