Dates

  • Opening Ceremony: Friday 21 August 2026
  • Submission Deadline: Monday 24 August 2026, 11:59pm AEST
  • Round 1 Judging (Asynchronous Screening): Tuesday 25 August – Thursday 27 August 2026
  • Finalists Announced: Thursday 27 August 2026 (evening)
  • Closing Ceremony & Live Finals: Friday 28 August 2026

Eligibility

  • All participants must register for Melbourne Hack 2026 and hold a valid HackMelbourne membership.
  • All participants must be university students physically located in Melbourne.
  • Teams may consist of 1–4 participants.
  • Each participant may only join one team.
  • Teams competing for the Best First Year award must complete the first-year registration process and meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the event rules.

Code of conduct:

1. Purpose

Melbourne Hack 2026 challenges participants to build projects that advance sustainable development, drawing on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (sdgs.un.org/goals). Every project must address one of three tracks:

  • Accessible Education

  • Climate Action

  • Financial Inclusion (this track may be replaced by a sponsor-proposed theme)

The event aims to foster collaboration and provide an engaging experience for beginner and experienced programmers alike. By registering for Melbourne Hack 2026, all participants agree to abide by this Code of Conduct and the participation rules outlined below.

2. Respect and Inclusivity

  • Treat all participants, mentors, volunteers, sponsors, judges, and organisers with respect.

  • Discrimination, harassment, or offensive behaviour (verbal, written, or visual) will not be tolerated — in person at any event venue or online.

  • We celebrate diversity: participants of all backgrounds, identities, and skill levels are welcome.

Examples of unacceptable behaviour include, but are not limited to:

  • Intimidation, threats, or abusive language

  • Offensive jokes, gestures, or imagery

  • Unwelcome sexual attention or advances

  • Disrespect of differing opinions, experiences, or technical skill levels

These standards are consistent with the codes of conduct used across the wider hackathon community, including the Major League Hacking (MLH) community standards.

3. Eligibility and Registration

  • Participants must be university students physically located in Melbourne.

  • All participants must register for the event and sign up for a HackMelbourne membership.

  • Teams intending to compete for the Best First Year award must also complete the first-year registration form.

  • Team rosters must be finalised before the submission deadline. No roster changes are permitted after submission.

4. Teams and Fair Play

  • Team size: teams consist of 1–4 registered participants. Each participant may join only one team.

  • First-year teams: a first-year team may include at most one non-first-year member. A participant competing alone must themselves be a first-year student to qualify.

  • Original work: all project code must be written during the hack window — from the opening ceremony (Friday 21 August) to the submission deadline (Monday 24 August, 11:59pm AEST). Ideation, research, and planning beforehand are allowed; pre-written project code is not.

  • Permitted resources: open-source libraries and frameworks, public APIs, and public datasets may be used, provided they are attributed in the submission.

  • AI-assisted development: AI coding tools (e.g. GitHub Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT) are permitted and must be disclosed in the Devpost submission. Your team must understand, and be able to explain, every part of the submitted work — judges may probe this during Q&A.

  • Plagiarism: copying existing projects without attribution, or misrepresenting others' work (or pre-existing work) as work completed during the event, is not allowed.

  • Verification: organisers may inspect repository commit history to confirm work falls within the hack window.

  • Collaboration between teams is encouraged in spirit, but submissions must be the original work of your team.

  • Respect venue rules, equipment, and provided resources at all event locations (Malaysian Theatre; Arts West).

5. Communication and Conduct Online

  • Official announcements and livestream links will be shared on the HackMelbourne Discord server.

  • Use channels responsibly: keep discussions relevant and respectful; no spam, hate speech, or disruptive behaviour.

  • The same conduct standards apply on Devpost and any other event platform.

  • Report any issues to moderators or organisers immediately.

6. Support and Reporting

If you experience or witness a breach of this Code of Conduct:

  • Contact an organiser or volunteer in person during the event; or

  • Report privately via the designated Discord channel or email.

All reports are handled with discretion. Organisers will investigate and take appropriate action, which may include warnings, removal from the event, or escalation to authorities if necessary.

7. Consequences

Violating these guidelines may result in:

  • A warning from organisers

  • Removal from the event and/or HackMelbourne community spaces

  • Disqualification of your team's project

Decisions by the organising committee are final.

8. Acknowledgement

By participating in Melbourne Hack 2026, you agree to uphold these values of respect, fairness, and collaboration.