MelbourneHack 2026 is here, bringing together students, innovators, problem-solvers, and aspiring developers for an exciting challenge focused on creating meaningful impact through technology.

This year, participants will be tasked with developing a solution that addresses one of three global challenges inspired by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Accessible Education, Climate Action, or Financial Inclusion. Whether your idea is a mobile app, web platform, AI-powered tool, or something entirely different, this is your opportunity to turn creative thinking into a practical solution.

Throughout the hackathon, you'll collaborate with teammates and connect with like-minded participants. Whether you're attending your first hackathon or you're an experienced hacker, MelbourneHack 2026 provides an inclusive environment to build your skills, explore new ideas, and challenge yourself.

Teams will have the chance to present their solutions to a panel of judges, who will evaluate projects based on their impact, innovation, and potential to address real-world challenges. Finalists will showcase their work at the closing ceremony, with prizes and recognition awarded to outstanding submissions.

MelbourneHack 2026 is an opportunity to create, learn, and collaborate while tackling issues that affect communities around the world. Join us for a weekend of innovation and see how your ideas can help shape a better future.

Requirements

What to Build

Develope any solution that addresses Accessible education, Climate actions or Financial inclusion from the Sustainable Developement Goals listed out by the UN.

What to Submit

  1. A description of the project: the problem, the solution, and how it was built

  2. The selected track (Accessible Education, Climate Action, or Financial Inclusion)

  3. A video of no more than 3 minutes, with commentary, demonstrating the working project

  4. A link to the team's public GitHub repository

  5. Disclosure of AI-assisted development and any pre-existing libraries, assets, or datasets used. A first-year team flag (where applicable), matching the first-year registration form

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$900 in prizes
Financial Inclusion Track Winner
$250 in cash
1 winner

Climate Actions Track Winner
$250 in cash
1 winner

Accessible Education Track Winner
$250 in cash
1 winner

Best First Year Team
$75 in cash
1 winner

Runners Up
$75 in cash
1 winner

Devpost Achievements

Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:

Judges

HackMelbourne

HackMelbourne

Judging Criteria

  • Impact & Track Relevance
    Does the project address a real problem within its chosen track? Who benefits, and how much?
  • Creativity & Innovation
    Originality of the idea and approach relative to existing solutions
  • Technical Execution
    Quality and completeness of what was built within the hack window. Does it work?
  • Feasibility & Viability
    Could this realistically be deployed? Practicality, adoption path, awareness of cost/data/regulatory constraints.
  • Presentation & Design
    Clarity of the pitch and demo/video; user experience and visual quality; storytelling.

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

Tell your friends

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.