Cochrane's closest competitor for the $50 million prize from the Smart Cities Challenge is just beyond our horizon.

The City of Calgary has launched a multi-phase public consultation in preparation of their 50-word statement.

On Thursday, Mayor Naheed Nenshi tweeted "Help us win $50 million!" as the city prepares to enter the race for the big prize Cochrane also has its eye on.

In phase one, they are asking Calgarians to submit their own 50-word statement. It will be followed by a second phase of rating the challenges and then sharing ideas prior to the city making its submission by the Apr. 24 deadline.

"You know what needs to be done and have the innovative spirit to help identify and address issues facing our community. Let’s work together to make our community stronger and create opportunities for all Calgarians," states their webpage dedicated to their submission.

Calgary’s submission will focus on economic opportunity and empowerment and inclusion. Through extensive engagement and citizen feedback, these two areas have arisen as priority challenges within our community that will benefit from focused energy and support through smart solutions.

Earlier this week, Mayor Jeff Genung declared Cochrane would also be seeking the top prize. There are also $5 and $10 million prizes also available but municipalities must declare which prize they are seeking when they file their initial Smart Cities statement.

Interesting enough, the three Alberta communities to be considered among the top 21 in the world doesn't include Calgary. St. Albert, Olds and Parkland County made the list released at the Intelligent Community Forum in New York City, NY in October 2017.

There's a long lineup of municipalities who have declared they will be competing for the money. Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver-Surrey are also among those seeking the $50 million prize. Others seeking lesser prizes or haven't yet declared include Airdrie, St. Albert, Strathcona County and Olds in Alberta as well as Penticton and Squamish, B.C. and Fredericton, NB.

With the size of these prizes, there are likely many more across Canada.