Dates

📅 Registration Opens: September 1, 2026

📅 Project Submission Deadline: October 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT

📅 Judging Period: October 2–20, 2026

📅 Winners Announced: October 21, 2026

Participants may register and begin brainstorming or building as soon as registration opens. All submissions must be uploaded to Devpost before the submission deadline. Projects will be reviewed by our judging panel during the judging period, and winners will be announced on October 21.

Eligibility

🚀 GatewayHacks 2026 is open to developers, designers, and innovators worldwide.

  • Participants of all skill levels are welcome, from high school students to seasoned professionals.

  • Teams may consist of 1–4 members.

  • Individual submissions are absolutely welcome.

  • No prior hackathon experience is required.

Project and Submission Requirements

Submissions must:

  • Address a real challenge within one of our Cause Pillars (Accessibility & Health, Equity in Education, or Open Impact).

  • Be original work created by the participants for this event.

  • Include a completed Devpost Project Page with a clear explanation of the problem and proposed solution.

  • Include at least one visual element (screenshots, designs, or prototype images).

  • Include a demo video or pitch (maximum 5 minutes).

  • (Optional) Include a link to a code repository (GitHub) or a live website.

Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist in development

Projects may be working code prototypes, no-code applications, or pure design mockup presentations.

Prizes

🏆 Best Overall - $100

🏆 2nd Place - $50

🏆 3rd Place - $35

🏆 4th Place

Judging Criteria and Winner Selection

Projects will be evaluated by a panel of judges using the following criteria:

Social Impact (40%) Does this project solve a real-world problem effectively?

Technical Execution (30%) Does the prototype, no-code app, or design function as intended and clearly demonstrate the idea?

Innovation (20%) Is this a creative, unique, or highly original approach to solving the problem?

Design & UX (10%) Is the tool intuitive, visually appealing, and accessible to the end-user?

Projects receiving the highest overall scores across all categories will be selected as winners. Judges’ decisions are final.