Google is offering $10 million as prize money in a competition aimed at transforming the world's best ideas into useful products.

As part of the company's 10th anniversary celebrations, Project 10 to the 100th asks people to submit ideas in seven categories to the project's website, www.project10tothe100.com.

"Never in history have so many people had so much information, so many tools at their disposal, so many ways of making good ideas come to life," said an announcement Thursday on the website. "Yet at the same time, so many people, of all walks of life, could use so much help, in both little ways and big."

The competition is open to anyone. The seven categories include sustainable energy use, environment, health, education, shelter, encouraging communities, and building opportunities to help people better provide for themselves and their families. An eighth category is simply titled "everything else".

Ideas can be submitted through a form available on the website, which poses questions including, "If your idea were to become a reality, who would benefit the most and how?" and "Describe the optimal outcome should your idea be selected and successfully implemented".

A panel of independent judges will choose the best ideas and divide the prize money equally among the winners.

The website says that Google is looking for simple ideas that will help large numbers of people, especially those with urgent needs.

Among the products cited on the website is the Hippo Water Roller, a 90-liter container that holds water and can be easily rolled on the ground with a handle, taking some of the burden off people in areas where clean water is scarce, such as parts of Africa.