About the Hackathon
What is HackForge'26?
HackForge’26 is a 24-hour hackathon built around real-world impact. Inspired by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we challenge you to build tech that actually solves hard problems — using smart systems, automation, and human-centred thinking.
The goal isn’t just to ship something cool. It’s to ensure your solution is accessible, inclusive, and genuinely makes life easier for real people.
Choose Your Arena
Challenge Domains
Quality Education
Build tools that bridge the gap — break language barriers, help struggling students, or create smart resources for underserved communities.
Health & Well-being
Create tech for when care is out of reach — early warning systems, accessible health guidance, or tools for healthier daily decisions.
Smart Sustainability
Make going green effortless — smarter energy and water use, minimizing food waste, or building cleaner urban environments.
Gender Equality & Safety
Ensure everyone can navigate physical, digital, and financial spaces safely and independently — without fear or barriers.
Decent Work & Growth
Level the playing field — help small businesses thrive, connect gig workers with fair opportunities, and build financial literacy.
The Race
24-Hour Timeline
Hackathon Begins
Zero-hour registration, GitHub repo creation & Pre-Event form submission within 30 minutes.
Ideation Pitch
Present pitch deck: problem, audience, solution & tech stack. Mentors review your initial repo and wireframes.
Midnight Check-in
Technical check-in on core development. Verify natural commit flow and project progress.
Final Submission
Code freeze at 8:00 AM Day 2. Submit repo, working demo, and final pitch deck. No late entries.
Play Fair
Rules & Regulations
Start from Scratch
- Zero pre-written code — all development starts at the buzzer.
- No upcycling old projects or prior submissions.
- Brainstorming, wireframes, and environment setup allowed beforehand.
GitHub Mandate
- Create a new public repo exactly at the official start time.
- Submit Pre-Event Setup Form with repo link within 30 minutes.
- Commit regularly — one massive final dump may disqualify you.
Tools & Resources
- AI assistants (Copilot, ChatGPT, etc.) allowed for debug & boilerplate.
- You must deeply understand and explain your entire codebase.
- Open-source libraries, public APIs, and frameworks are fair game.
Disqualification
- Plagiarism or claiming another team's work.
- Falsifying Git commit timestamps.
- Sabotaging other teams' projects or workspaces.
- Harassment, discrimination, or Code of Conduct violations.