1. DATES

  • Event Begins: 4 December 2026

  • Submission Deadline: 11 December 2026, AoE

  • Judging Period: 12th to 25th December

  • Winners Announcement: 27th December 2026

All deadlines will follow the official timezone specified on the FRONTIER//26 Devpost page. Participants are responsible for submitting their projects before the deadline.

2. ELIGIBILITY

  • FRONTIER//26 is an international online innovation challenge open to participants aged 13 and above.

  • Students, developers, researchers, designers, and aspiring innovators from around the world are welcome to participate.

  • Participants may register individually or as part of a team, subject to the team-size requirements announced by the organisers.

  • Participants under 18 years of age, or below the legal age of majority in their country of residence, must obtain permission from a parent or legal guardian before participating.

  • Participants must comply with applicable local laws and Devpost's Terms of Service.

  • Participants must provide accurate registration and team information.

  • Organisers reserve the right to verify eligibility and request confirmation of parental or guardian consent where necessary.

  • LovHack organisers and individuals directly involved in evaluating submissions may not participate as competitors.

Participation and prize eligibility may be restricted in certain countries or regions where required by applicable law.

3. PROJECT AND SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Participants must select one of the two official tracks:

SPARK — THE IDEATHON

  • Develop an original idea or proposal addressing a meaningful real-world problem.

  • Demonstrate problem understanding, research, creativity, feasibility, and potential impact.

  • A working prototype is not required.

  • Submit a project description and a PDF, presentation, or other suitable visual proposal through Devpost.

SHIP — THE BUILDATHON

  • Develop a functional prototype or working technology solution addressing a real-world problem.

  • Projects may use AI, software, APIs, or other relevant technologies.

  • Demonstrate the project's core functionality.

  • Provide a project description, demonstration materials, and an accessible prototype or demo link.

  • Include a source-code repository where available.

GENERAL PROJECT RULES

  • Projects must be original work created by the participating individual or team.

  • Previously developed projects may be used as a starting point only if new work and contributions made during the challenge are clearly identified.

  • Participants must disclose relevant third-party tools, datasets, APIs, open-source components, and AI-generated resources.

  • Participants must have the necessary permissions to use third-party materials.

  • Plagiarism, misrepresentation, fraudulent submissions, and unauthorised use of others' work are prohibited.

  • All required submission materials must be uploaded or linked through Devpost before the deadline.

  • Submissions must be accessible to the organisers and judges.

  • Participants may not submit the same project to multiple tracks unless explicitly permitted by the organisers.

4. PRIZES

Prizes and recognition will be announced by the FRONTIER//26 organising team through official event channels.

  • Winners will be selected based on the published judging criteria.

  • Prize categories, amounts, distribution details, and eligibility conditions will be communicated before the final submission deadline.

  • Prizes are subject to verification of the winning participant's or team's eligibility.

  • The organisers reserve the right to withhold or reallocate a prize if a submission is found to violate the event rules.

  • Any applicable taxes, transfer fees, or other obligations associated with prizes are the responsibility of the recipient, subject to applicable law.

5. JUDGING CRITERIA AND WINNER SELECTION

All eligible submissions will be evaluated using criteria relevant to their selected track.

SPARK — IDEATHON JUDGING CRITERIA

  • Problem Identification and Understanding — 20%

  • Innovation and Originality — 25%

  • Feasibility and Practicality — 20%

  • Potential Impact — 20%

  • Research and Presentation Quality — 15%

SHIP — BUILDATHON JUDGING CRITERIA

  • Problem Identification and Relevance — 15%

  • Innovation and Originality — 20%

  • Technical Implementation and Functionality — 25%

  • Practical Application and Impact — 20%

  • Presentation and Demonstration — 20%

WINNER SELECTION

  • Each track will be evaluated independently.

  • Judges will assess submissions according to the published criteria and scoring weights.

  • Projects will be judged on the quality of their work rather than the size or reputation of their institution or team.

  • Judges' decisions will be final, subject to the organisers' verification of eligibility and compliance with the rules.

  • The organisers reserve the right to disqualify submissions that violate the rules or contain misleading information.

6. CODE OF CONDUCT

FRONTIER//26 aims to maintain a respectful, inclusive, and collaborative international environment.

All participants are expected to:

  • Treat fellow participants, organisers, mentors, and judges with respect.

  • Avoid harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or abusive behaviour.

  • Communicate professionally across all event platforms.

  • Respect intellectual property and the contributions of others.

  • Avoid spam, disruptive behaviour, and attempts to manipulate judging or voting.

The organising team reserves the right to investigate reported violations and take appropriate action, including removal from the event.

7. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  • Participants retain ownership of the original intellectual property they create.

  • By submitting a project, participants grant LovHack permission to display, showcase, and promote their submitted project materials for event-related publicity, with appropriate attribution.

  • Participants are responsible for ensuring they have the rights to all materials included in their submissions.

  • Participation does not automatically transfer ownership of a project to LovHack, sponsors, judges, or other participants.

8. ORGANISER RIGHTS AND EVENT CHANGES

  • LovHack reserves the right to clarify or update event rules when necessary.

  • Any significant changes will be communicated through official FRONTIER//26 channels.

  • The organisers reserve the right to disqualify participants or submissions that violate the rules.

  • The organisers may modify event arrangements where necessary due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control.

By registering for FRONTIER//26, participants acknowledge that they have read and agree to follow the official event rules.