We are Australia's premier student hackathon!

Teams have roughly 48 hours to design and build something awesome. It can be anything - a website, a mobile application, a video game, or even something hardware. The important thing is that it needs to work when it is presented to the judges.

Whether you are an avid programmer or a first-time hacker, UNIHACK welcomes everyone, regardless of skill level. You will have the opportunity to build, collaborate and learn from your fellow hackers and mentors at the event. The event will also have a number of tech talks throughout to help participants learn new or extend their existing skills.

Detailed info @ https://unihack.net

NOTE: You must register you and your team on the UNIHACK Hackerspace App. If your team is not registered on Hackerspace, your entry is not valid.

 

Eligibility Requirements

Please note that UNIHACK only accepts participants that meet the eligibility criteria:

  • you must be 18 years old;
  • you must also be either:
    • a student studying at an accredited university or TAFE college in Australia or New Zealand at the time of the event;
    • or, university student currently residing in Australia or New Zealand

If you have completed your studies but have not had your graduation ceremony yet, you are still eligible to compete at UNIHACK.

If you do not meet this criteria, then your entry is not valid.

Requirements

Submissions from people who do not meet the UNIHACK eligibility criteria will not be included.

In addition to details about your project and how you built it, you must also provide the following:

  1. A list of all third-party material and APIs, including anything that was purchased. This also includes any AI/ML tools used.
  2. A public link to your repository.
  3. Images and/or screenshots of your project.
  4. A video that features your pitch and demonstration of your project in action.

Your video and link to the repository must be accessible between the judging period.

Whilst optional, we strongly suggest having a live working copy of your hackathon project available during the judging period, allowing the judges to actually visit and try the app for themselves. It will only need to be up during the judging period. Afterwards, you can tear it down again.

You must also fill in the required fields with your DevPost submission to help us speed up the judging process. The information you provide will be used to create summary cards for the judges, allowing you to focus on the more important things during your pitch.

Video

You are required to produce a video for of your project. This video will be considered as your pitch to the judges and must:

  • be three minutes maximum; and
  • include a demonstration of your hackathon project (i.e. it cannot solely be a video with you talking to slides).

If your video is longer than the maximum allocated time, then judges will stop watching your video after the first three minutes.

We also strongly encourage you keep the video up after the event. This will help us for marketing and promotion of future UNIHACK competitions.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$7,000+ in prizes
+ other prizes
MAIN PRIZE - First Place
$5,000 in cash
1 winner

The ultimate winner of UNIHACK 2026! The best idea that best meets the judging criteria.

- $5000 in cash
- Bose QuietComfort headphones per person
- NOMAD Tracking Card Air per person

MAIN PRIZE - Second Place
$2,000 in cash
1 winner

The runner up.

- $2000 in cash
- Crumpler Communal Dwelling bag per person

MAIN PRIZE - Third Place
1 winner

The bronze medal.

Bellroy Pack Well Travel Kit per person

The EU Shared Future Prize (by the European Union)
1 winner

Projects that work towards a secure & stable future, and reflect the spirit of cooperation. (Open to AU-based participants only)

To be announced

First Timers Prize (by Atlassian)
1 winner

The best project created by first-time hackathon participants.

Deltahub Reusable To-Do List Stand per person

Best Use of Elastic Technology
1 winner

Demonstrate the most innovative and effective use of Elastic technology in their project.

$100 Prezzee Gift Card per person

AI Solutions Prize (by Quantium)
1 winner

Awarded to the team that best uses AI as an impactful part of your solution.

To be announced

Best Design
1 winner

Awarded to the most usable and best looking user interface.

Ostritchpillow Go Neck Pillow per person

Most Creative Idea
1 winner

The project that has the most original idea or reinvention.

Twelve South AirFly Pro 2 per person

Social Impact Prize
1 winner

The best idea that addresses an issue in your local community.

Blunt Metro Compact Umbrella per person

Most Fun Idea
1 winner

Create the most fun and delightful experience, whether that be a game, a bot, or something else entirely.

LEGO Super Mario Game Boy per person

Most Entertaining Pitch
1 winner

Can you summarise your pitch in three minutes - whilst also being engaging and entertaining?

Kodak CHARMERA Digital Keyring Camera per person

People's Choice Award
1 winner

The project that wins the hearts and votes of the people.

Amazon Echo Pop per person

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

TBA

TBA

Judging Criteria

  • Polish, Design, and Execution
    What does the project look like? Is it intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, and accessible? And most importantly, does it actually work?
  • Technical Difficulty
    Does the hack look technically interesting or challenging? Is it simply putting a pretty frontend on an existing API or does it do something more?
  • Originality and Creativity
    How unique is the hack? Does it solve a new problem, or have a new take on an existing problem?
  • Wow Factor
    Does it spark joy? Would this be something you use and show to your friends? Yes, this is totally subjective. But that’s what makes it fun.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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