The U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office has launched the GUIDE-H2 competition to address challenges in the deployment of commercial-scale hydrogen projects. The competition aims to provide tools, training, and local support to ensure the success and sustainability of hydrogen projects. Many projects face delays or cancellations due to a lack of comprehensive assessment methods that consider various factors like water use, infrastructure impacts, and job creation. GUIDE-H2 seeks to promote the development and application of robust analytic methods to assess the benefits and impacts of hydrogen deployment projects. Through this initiative, best practices will be shared, transparency and optimization will be enhanced, and economic, social, and environmental benefits will be maximized. The competition offers awards totaling up to $200,000 for competing teams to develop approaches for assessing commercial-scale hydrogen projects. Successful teams will provide training tools, lessons learned, and best-practice guidance to improve future assessments. Various stakeholders, including project developers, end users, communities, and investors, will benefit from the hands-on application of assessment tools and resulting guidance. The initiative aligns with the U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap and supports the H2 Twin Cities program, aiming to strengthen global collaboration in the hydrogen sector. By fostering a community of practice and promoting successful hydrogen deployments, GUIDE-H2 plays a crucial role in advancing sustainable hydrogen ecosystems.