Bidet AI — promotion + contest + event opportunities

For: Mark Barnett. Goal: exposure first, fit second, prize money welcome but not the point. Cast wide. Built around Bidet's actual shape: 100% on-device Android (LiteRT-LM 0.11 + Gemma 4 + Whisper-tiny), three-view output (RAW / Clean for me / Clean for others), Apache 2.0 open-source, born from a teacher with attention-related learning differences who couldn't write report-card comments.

TL;DR

The three highest-leverage moves this week are: (1) a clean Show HN launch of the open-source repo (free, viral, takes one careful afternoon), (2) opening a "Built with Gemma 4" / "Write about Gemma 4" submission on DEV that runs alongside the Kaggle entry and reuses the same writeup, and (3) submitting the Apache 2.0 model + demo as a Hugging Face Space to enter the Spaces-of-the-Week curation pipeline. Beyond that, the strongest fit opportunities sit in the assistive-tech and learning-disability conference calendar — ATIA 2027 (deadline June 3, 2026, fits perfectly), the Tools Competition 2027 cycle (opens fall 2026, $50K Catalyst tier), Closing The Gap 2026, and AHEAD 2027. CSUN 2027 just closed but the 2028 cycle reopens in September 2026.

Top 3 actions THIS WEEK

Each scoped to a 30-minute window. Mark just hits "go" — Claude does the typing.

1. Show HN launch of `bidet-phone` repo (this Saturday morning, 9-10am ET window is HN-prime)

Why: Zero cost. HN audience overlaps perfectly with Bidet's secondary market (developers building accessibility tooling). Pattern-match: "100% on-device Whisper + Gemma, Apache 2.0, three-view output, built by a teacher who couldn't write report-card comments" is exactly the kind of personal-stakes builder story HN rewards.
Title rule: Neutral. No exclamation, no superlatives. Pre-draft: Show HN: Bidet – on-device Android brain-dump app (Whisper + Gemma, Apache 2.0).
Repo as landing page (HN explicit guidance — don't send to a marketing site). README needs a 90-second GIF and apk install path.
First comment, by Mark, the personal story in 3 sentences max. (HN rewards backstory, hates marketing.)
Effort: 30 min for me to polish README + GIF; Mark clicks Post.
Likely outcome: even a non-front-page Show HN puts ~500 readers in the funnel and surfaces 5-10 substantive comments worth more than any prize. Front page = 5K-50K eyeballs and durable GitHub stars.
Sources: Show HN guidelines, How to launch a dev tool on HN.

2. Open the DEV.to "Build with Gemma 4" submission alongside the writing-track entry (deadline 2026-05-24)

The Gemma 4 Challenge has two tracks: "Build with Gemma 4" (project showcase) and "Write about Gemma 4" (the writeup-as-Bidet-output piece Mark already planned). They are separate entries. We're already doing one — adding the other costs us almost nothing.
"Build" track wants: working demo + repo + 1-min video + writeup. We have all of that already shot for Kaggle. Reformat for DEV.
5 winners on each track of $3K prize pool, plus a profile badge that follows Mark's DEV account forever (visible in his DEV profile sidebar).
Effort: 30 min to repackage the Kaggle writeup into DEV's submission template.
Likely outcome: badge + DEV community exposure (DEV gets ~6M monthly readers; the Gemma tag is a curated landing page).
Source: Gemma 4 Challenge - DEV.

3. Publish a Hugging Face Space for Bidet's "Clean for others" demo

HF Spaces of the Week is a curated weekly slot run by HF staff. Selection is based on popularity + functionality. A demo Space — even a Gradio wrapper around the cleaning prompt + a tiny on-device model — is the entry ticket to that curation queue. Won't replace the Android app; it's the public petting-zoo version.
Lets people who'll never install an APK still try the cleaning prompt, paste in their own brain dump, and feel the core value.
Effort: 30 min Gradio interface + model card with the personal story. Repo already exists; this is just the Space wrapper.
Likely outcome: durable URL that becomes Mark's "try it without install" link in every other submission. Long-tail: featured-Space spot is a 10-100K-impression boost.
Source: Hugging Face Spaces overview, Spaces of the Week.

The list — 12 ranked opportunities

Ranking is fit-first, then exposure, then money. Honest fit-quality ratings; no padding.

1. ATIA 2027 Conference — Call for Presentations (HIGH FIT, deadline 2026-06-03)

URL: https://www.atia.org/call-for-presentations/
Type: Conference presentation slot
Schedule: Conference Jan 22-24, 2027 (Orlando). CFP launched 2026-04-29, closes 2026-06-03.
What they want / how Bidet fits: Themes include Social Inclusion & User Perspectives (literally "AT from a practitioner or user perspective… case study, demonstration… tips and techniques"). Mark IS a practitioner. Bidet IS a demonstration. The "Maker" theme rewards independently-built solutions. This is the best-fit conference in the world for what Bidet is.
Effort: Medium — abstract draft + bio is a 90-min Mark-facing task; rest is mine.
Likely outcome: Audience of 1,500+ AT practitioners (SLPs, OTs, special-ed teachers, accessibility consultants) — Bidet's core users. Vendor & SLP networking is high-value.
Fit quality: HIGH.

2. The Tools Competition 2027 cycle — Catalyst tier (HIGH FIT, opens fall 2026)

URL: https://tools-competition.org/
Type: Funded edtech innovation competition (XPRIZE-affiliated, formerly ASU/MIT-backed)
Schedule: 2026 cycle is closed (winners announced summer 2026). 2027 cycle launches around September 2026 — set a watch.
What they want / how Bidet fits: Catalyst tier ($50K) is for early-stage tools demonstrating impact potential. Tracks include Accelerating K-12 Learning and Building Pathways to Postsecondary Success. Bidet maps cleanly to the postsecondary track ("college lectures" is the existing public framing per the family-privacy rule) without forcing the K-12 framing.
Effort: High — full app with learning-engineering plan. But submission is reusable across cycles.
Likely outcome: $50K seed money + admission into the LEER (Learning Engineering Research) community. Past Catalyst winners get ongoing mentorship.
Fit quality: HIGH.

3. Closing The Gap 42nd Conference — Exhibit / present (HIGH FIT, schedule TBD May 13)

URL: https://www.closingthegap.com/conference/
Type: Annual AT conference (Minneapolis, October 20-22, 2026)
Schedule: 2026 presenter list published May 13, 2026 (this Tuesday). 2027 CFP typically opens spring 2027 — set a watch. For 2026, the exhibit hall remains open as a way in.
What they want / how Bidet fits: "Assistive Technology in Special Education, Rehabilitation and Everyday Living." 160+ presentations. Audience is literally Mark's user base.
Effort: Low for exhibit (booth fee), high for full presentation slot in 2027.
Likely outcome: Direct B2B-style intro to AT specialists who write IEPs/504s — the policy hook Mark identified in the brain dump ("get it approved as an accommodation").
Fit quality: HIGH.

4. AHEAD 2027 — Association on Higher Education And Disability (HIGH FIT, deadline likely March-April 2027)

URL: https://www.ahead.org/events-programming/conferences
Type: Higher-ed accessibility conference
Schedule: AHEAD 2026 was Providence, RI (July). 2026 CFP closed April 29, 2026. 2027 cycle reopens January-March 2027.
What they want / how Bidet fits: Disability service providers in higher ed — exactly the people who would approve Bidet as a college-classroom accommodation. The "college lecture" public framing is tailor-made for this audience and stays clear of K-12 family-privacy territory.
Effort: Medium.
Likely outcome: Lands Bidet on disability-services-office radar at hundreds of universities.
Fit quality: HIGH.

5. Show HN launch (HIGH FIT, can ship this Saturday)

URL: https://news.ycombinator.com/show
Type: Free press / community launch
Schedule: Anytime. Best: weekday morning ET, especially Tuesday-Thursday 9-11am.
What they want: "Things people can run on their computers or hold in their hands." Apache 2.0 source on GitHub + APK = perfect fit. The personal-stakes story (teacher who can't write comments) is exactly the texture HN rewards.
Effort: Low — already covered above.
Likely outcome: 500-50K readers depending on traction. GitHub stars = durable signal.
Fit quality: HIGH.

6. DEV.to Gemma 4 Challenge "Build with Gemma 4" track (HIGH FIT, deadline 2026-05-24)

URL: https://dev.to/challenges/google-gemma-2026-05-06
Type: Hackathon writeup competition
Schedule: Deadline 2026-05-24 (running parallel to Kaggle deadline 5/18).
What they want / how Bidet fits: Project showcase using Gemma 4. Bidet IS a project using Gemma 4. Two-for-one with the Kaggle submission.
Effort: Low — 30 min repackaging.
Likely outcome: Permanent DEV badge + Gemma-tag landing page exposure. ~6M monthly DEV readers.
Fit quality: HIGH.

7. Hugging Face Space + Spaces-of-the-Week curation (HIGH FIT, anytime)

URL: https://huggingface.co/spaces, https://huggingface.co/docs/hub/en/spaces-featured
Type: Open-source AI showcase
Schedule: No deadline; Spaces-of-the-Week selected weekly by HF staff.
What they want / how Bidet fits: Functional, popular demos. A web demo of "Clean for me" / "Clean for others" prompt logic. Gives non-Android users a try-before-install path. Mark's HF account BreezyB16 exists already.
Effort: Low (30 min Gradio).
Likely outcome: Durable demo URL + chance at curated visibility (10-100K impressions if featured).
Fit quality: HIGH.

8. CSUN Assistive Technology Conference 2028 cycle (HIGH FIT, opens September 2026)

URL: https://www.csun.edu/cod/conference/general-call-presentations
Type: Premier global accessibility conference (Anaheim, March 8-12, 2027 for the 42nd; 43rd in 2028)
Schedule: 2027 CFP EXPIRED (closed September 22, 2025). 2028 CFP reopens around September 2026 — set a watch and be first in.
What they want / how Bidet fits: The accessibility-tech industry's flagship event. ~5,000 attendees. Educator + practitioner + vendor mix. Bidet's "Clean for others" output as accommodation framing fits the General Call.
Effort: Medium-high.
Likely outcome: Tier-1 reputation signal in accessibility space. Lands Bidet in front of every major AT vendor.
Fit quality: HIGH for fit, but timing means it's a fall-2026 to-do, not a now item.

9. Microsoft Ability Summit 2026 (MEDIUM FIT, attend May 19-20 free)

URL: https://abilitysummit.event.microsoft.com/
Type: Free hybrid summit (Redmond + digital), May 19-20, 2026.
Schedule: Registration is open. Next week.
What they want / how Bidet fits: No formal hackathon/contest currently advertised, but the summit is the largest disability-tech networking event of the year and routinely surfaces partnership opportunities with featured-partner orgs. Watch the call list on the registration page.
Effort: Low — register, attend digital, network in chat. No submission needed.
Likely outcome: Industry awareness; potential Microsoft accessibility-team contact as enabler partner. Build relationships now → enter their hackathon when it comes back.
Fit quality: MEDIUM (no contest slot, but high-value relationship event).

10. Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards 2027 (MEDIUM FIT, opens January 2027)

URL: https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/innovation-by-design
Type: Major design-press award with an explicit Accessibility category
Schedule: 2026 cycle closed April 10, 2026. 2027 cycle expected to open January 2027.
What they want / how Bidet fits: "Projects that put accessibility front and center." Judging on functionality, logic, impact, beauty. The Bidet brain-fountain logo + the impact story scores well; the polish bar is high.
Effort: Medium-high (entry fees range $395-$945, polished video required).
Likely outcome: If shortlisted, a Fast Company writeup is durable mainstream press. Honest read: needs the kaggle/DEV video to be production-grade first.
Fit quality: MEDIUM — fit is there but cost-benefit only works if the video is already polished from Kaggle.

11. ASU+GSV Summit 2027 — GSV Cup 50 (MEDIUM FIT, applications open fall 2026)

URL: https://asugsvsummit.com/gsv-cup
Type: Early-stage edtech startup pitch competition
Schedule: 2027 Summit April 2027 (San Diego); applications usually open fall 2026.
What they want / how Bidet fits: AI-native edtech with traction. Bidet is AI-native. "Traction" depends on whether we get downloads on the Play Store / GitHub stars between now and then.
Effort: Medium.
Likely outcome: ASU+GSV finalist status is a recognized credential in the edtech investor world even without taking money.
Fit quality: MEDIUM — the startup-pitch framing isn't quite Mark's lane (he's not raising), but the Education Innovation Showcase track might be — worth a closer look when the 2027 application opens.

12. CEC 2027 Convention — Council for Exceptional Children (MEDIUM FIT, deadline TBD around June 2026)

URL: https://cecconvention.org/2027
Type: Special education professionals' premier US conference (Columbus, March 10-13, 2027)
Schedule: 2027 CFP timing typically May-June. 200+ exhibitors, 300+ sessions.
What they want / how Bidet fits: Special-ed teachers + researchers. Technology Playground is a session format. Bidet as accommodation for typing/handwriting fits, but the public framing rule says soften the K-12 angle — pitch it on the adult/college side and let the audience map it back.
Effort: Medium.
Likely outcome: Direct line to special-ed teachers nationally.
Fit quality: MEDIUM because of the K-12 framing constraint.

Long-tail / passive promotion (do once, reap forever)

These don't require winning anything. They're durable platform signals that compound over months.

Move	URL	Effort	Reap
Apply for Google Developer Expert (GDE) — Machine Learning	https://developers.google.com/community/experts	High (need referral from existing GDE or Googler)	Permanent credibility badge, early Gemma access, speaking slots, Google-funded travel. Worth the slow burn.
A11Y Project blog post	https://www.a11yproject.com/contributing-guidelines/	Low (Markdown PR to GitHub)	Permanent SEO-juicy link from a respected accessibility URL. Audience: accessibility engineers everywhere.
Built-with-Gemma showcase via Google Developers blog	https://developers.googleblog.com/ — pitch via the Gemma team Twitter/X	Low (one DM with the Kaggle entry link after submission)	Past projects featured at https://blog.google/innovation-and-ai/technology/developers-tools/developers-changing-lives-with-gemma-3n/ — Bidet's narrative is exactly that genre.
Indie Hackers profile + product post	https://www.indiehackers.com/	Low	Solo-builder community. Story-driven; Mark's "teacher who can't write" framing fits.
Product Hunt launch (when v1.0 ships)	https://www.producthunt.com/	Medium (need launch-day hunters)	One launch-day spike of 5-30K visitors. Best after Show HN, not before — different audiences, both useful.
GaETC 2026 (Atlanta)	https://conference.gaetc.org/present-at-gaetc/	Low-Medium	Local Georgia educator audience Nov 4-6, 2026. Mark is in-state. Even attending without presenting is one-day networking.
TechCrunch tip line	tips@techcrunch.com	Low	Cold pitch. Low hit rate but zero cost.

Honestly skipped / not-a-fit

For the record, evaluated and rejected: - CHADD/ADDA International Conference on ADHD (Dec 3-5, 2026, Baltimore) — strong adjacent audience but the CFP for 2026 has closed; 2027 will reopen around April 2027. Hold for next cycle. - IDA DyslexiaCon 2026 — call for papers closed April 10, 2026. Watch for 2027. - ISTELive 26 — CFP closed; co-located with ASCD in Orlando June 28-July 1. Watch for ISTELive 27 CFP. - Apache Community Over Code 2026 Glasgow / Asia — wrong audience for Bidet (infrastructure devs, not end users); Apache 2.0 license alone doesn't make it a fit. - Mozilla Common Voice "Our Voices" — competition is dataset/model focused, not application focused. - Samsung Solve for Tomorrow — student-team competition (grades 6-12), not adult-built apps. - Anthropic Build hackathons — Bidet uses Gemma, not Claude. Wrong vendor stack. - LEROBOT, OpenEnv — wrong domain (robotics / RL environments).

Sources

Compiled 2026-05-10. Cross-refs: project_bidet_video_concept_2026-05-09.md, reference_brain_dump_research_2026-05-09.md, feedback_bidet_phone_narrative_for_college_lectures_2026-05-07.md (public framing rule).