Congressional App Challenge
- Organization: Internet Education Foundation, for the U.S. House of Representatives
- Type: Competition
- Location: United States
- Deadline: October 26, 2026
- Funding: No Funding
The Congressional App Challenge is the official coding competition of the U.S. House of Representatives for middle and high school students, run for the House by the nonprofit Internet Education Foundation. Students build an original app on any topic, in any programming language and for any platform, and the Member of Congress for their district picks the winner. Winning apps can be displayed in the U.S. Capitol and featured on House.gov, and winners are invited to #HouseOfCode on Capitol Hill. **What you get:** - The winning app in each participating district is eligible to be displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building (the About page says for one year) - The winning app is featured on House.gov and on the Congressional App Challenge website, with a press release on the challenge website - An invitation to #HouseOfCode, the spring celebration at the U.S. Capitol where winners demo their apps to their Representatives (next one in Spring 2027) - Waived copyright registration application fees through the ARTS Act - Possible district prizes of nominal value and additional sponsor prizes still to be announced **What you'll do:** - Build an original, working app on any topic, in any language (block code included) and for any platform - Record a public 1 to 3 minute demonstration video on YouTube or Vimeo explaining the app, its audience and the tools used - Answer short written questions about your inspiration, the technical problems you solved and what you learned - Register online, pass the eligibility quiz and submit by the deadline, alone or as a team of up to four **Key dates:** - Student pre-registration opened January 1, 2026 - Challenge launched May 1, 2026 - Registration and app submission close October 26, 2026 at 12:00 pm ET (EDT) - Judging by Member offices in November 2026 - Winners announced by Members of Congress from December 2026 - #HouseOfCode celebration at the U.S. Capitol in Spring 2027 **More information:** - Complete 2026 rulebook (PDF) on the official site - Check whether your Representative is hosting on the Participating Districts page; if not, the site offers a template letter asking them to host - Only apps created after October 30, 2025 are eligible - AI tools are allowed if every use is disclosed, but AI cannot do the whole build
