HackWithSMCSS2026

About the challenge

Design and build a solution that addresses a real sustainability challenge. Your solution tackles the problem AND reflect that you understand the problem.

Demonstrate how technology and thinking outside the box can drive meaningful and practical change. Solution will be evaluated on understanding of the problem, sustainability impact, innovation, technical execution, feasibility, and scalability.

Get started

• Form a team
• Identify a sustainability problem you care about
• Start breaking down and turning your ideas into a working solution
• Use the hackathon period to research, design, narrow down and build a functional prototype that demonstrates your solution.
• Make use of all resources provided to brainstorm, design and complete the solution.
• Be ready to showcase your project during the expo and explain impact, approach,future potential and MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW IT SOLVES THE PROBLEM

Expectations

As participants of this hackathon, your team is expected to identify a problem , design and build a minimum viable product (e.g basic functioning app) for the minimum viable audience.

Do not stress! Your application does not need to meet industry standards. Identify the core problem and required feature(s). At the expo you are expected to demonstrate your solution that must simply solve a real sustainbility issue, thus showcasing your team's inguenity and ability to identify and solve problems.

This competition is an opportunity to creatively find real problems and create solutions for them, collaborate with like-minded people and most importantly learn and develop your problem-solving skills learn under the joint banner of computer, sustainability and environmental sciences.

Have an open mind, come to learn and build. Take a deep breath before you begin, and good luck!

Common Questions

• What does Identify the problem , designing and building a solution mean?

It means not to solve problems to which you already have known solutions for

• What are good principles for my first hackathon?

Solve a problem for a small group of people e.g solve it for 1-2 people . And if you are unsure - ask mentors ( Free help and a leg over other teams you can get just by asking questions)

• Can I just create slide desks?

Concept only ideas or slide desks without a working demonstration DO NOT QUALIFY

• Can i create a prototype on Figma?

Well then you have no chance of winning - sorry not sorry!

• What platforms can I build my solution/project?

Projects may be built for any platform, including web applications, mobile apps, desktop software, or command-line tools. The platform choice should be appropriate for the problem being solved and must be demonstrable in person during the exhibition. Hardware-based projects are only permitted if the software component is central to the solution.