DATES
Registration Open: Now – November 12, 2026
Hackathon Period: November 15–20, 2026
Project Submission Deadline: November 20, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT
Judging Period: November 21–26, 2026
Winners Announced: November 27, 2026
(All times listed in Pacific Time)
ELIGIBILITY
Hack the Gap is open to all high school and undergraduate students.
Participants may compete individually or in teams of up to 4 members.
No prior hackathon experience is required. Beginners are encouraged to participate.
Participants must register through Devpost and comply with all event rules and code of conduct.
Projects must be submitted before the official deadline to be eligible for judging.
PROJECT AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Projects must be developed during the official hackathon period (November 15–20, 2026).
Submissions must include:
• Project title
• Team member information
• Short project description
• Public GitHub repository or source code
• Demo video (recommended 2–5 minutes)
• Screenshots or visuals of the project
Participants may use open-source libraries, APIs, and frameworks, but submissions must represent original work completed during the event.
Projects should align with the spirit of Hack the Gap by promoting innovation, accessibility, community impact, or expanding access to technology.
PRIZES
🏆 Grand Prize — Overall Best Project
💡 Most Impactful Solution
🚀 Best Technical Build
🎨 Best Design & User Experience
🌱 Beginner Award
Additional sponsor prizes may be announced.
JUDGING CRITERIA AND WINNER SELECTION
Innovation — 30%
Originality, creativity, and uniqueness of the solution.
Technical Execution — 30%
Functionality, implementation quality, and technical depth.
Impact — 25%
Potential usefulness and ability to create meaningful value.
Presentation — 15%
Clarity of communication, demo quality, and overall submission.
Judges will independently score submissions. Final rankings will determine winners. In the event of a tie, judges may deliberate and select a winner based on overall impact and execution.