APPLY: AI Hackathon — National Challenge for Smarter Cities

Terms and conditions

• Open to applicants aged 18 and over who are resident in in the Kurdistan Region & Iraq.
• Registration opens 9 September and closes 28 September. Late or incomplete applications are not considered.
• Selection is by The Foundation at each stage: Apply (9–28 September), Pitch Day (30 September), Build (8–9 October) and Demo Day (10 October). Places are limited and progression to the next stage is not guaranteed.
• Teams are 2–5 people.
• Team composition may not change after Pitch Day without written approval from The Foundation.
• Attendance in person at The Foundation Hub, Culture Factory, Slemani is required for Pitch Day, both Build days and Demo Day. 
• Participants cover their own travel, accommodation and living costs unless otherwise notified in writing.
• Work submitted must be built by the team during the hackathon. Pre-existing ideas and research are allowed; pre-existing code, designs or products are not, beyond publicly available libraries, open-source components and commercial AI tools. 
• Teams must be able to explain what they built and how.
• Solutions do not have to be software. A service, a process or a physical product is equally eligible, provided something works by Demo Day.
• Teams retain full ownership of the intellectual property they create. 
• By entering, participants grant The Foundation a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to describe, photograph, film and publish their work for reporting and promotional purposes.
• Participants consent to being photographed and filmed at all stages, and to the use of their name, likeness and project in The Foundation's communications.
• Judging is on what works, not presentation polish. Judges' decisions are final and no correspondence will be entered into.
• Prizes are awarded per team and paid to a single nominated team member, who is responsible for distribution. Any tax liability rests with the recipients.
• Non-cash benefits — mentorship, office space at The Foundation Hub, admission to The Foundation programmes — are offered at The Foundation's discretion and are non-transferable and non-exchangeable.
• Participants must behave respectfully towards other participants, mentors, judges and staff. Harassment, discrimination, plagiarism or misrepresentation results in immediate disqualification and removal from the venue.
• Personal data provided at registration is processed by The Foundation for the administration of this programme and for related communications, and is not sold or shared with third parties for marketing.
• The Foundation may amend the schedule, format, criteria or these terms, or cancel the hackathon, at any time. Material changes will be communicated to registered applicants.
• Submitting an application confirms acceptance of these terms.