Small AI for Development Hackathon Challenge
- Organization: World Bank Group
- Type: Competition
- Location: Global
- Deadline: September 26, 2026
- Funding: Partially Funded
The World Bank Group's Digital and AI Vice Presidency is running a weekend competition for young innovators building AI that works where connectivity is thin and the hardware is a basic phone rather than a data centre. It runs on October 3 and 4, 2026 with Hack-Nation managing the platform, and three winning entries, one each in agriculture, health and tourism, are flown to Seoul to present at the Global AI and Digital Summit. **What you get:** - A place in a two day competition managed by Hack-Nation, free to enter - World Bank sector briefs mapping the existing digital tools and the preconditions each challenge depends on - Three winning entries, one each in Agriculture, Health and Tourism, get a trip to Seoul with travel, accommodation and designated event related expenses covered in full - A High Impact Talk during a sectoral breakout session at the Global AI and Digital Summit on October 21, 2026 - Possible facilitated meetings with investors, private sector representatives, MSMEs and government officials at the Summit - A letter of support and visa guidance for winners **What you'll do:** - Register through the Hack-Nation platform, on your own or in a team of up to four people - Pick one sector challenge in health, agriculture or tourism - Spend the weekend of October 3 and 4, 2026 building a working small AI solution that runs in a constrained environment, on basic phones, sensors or microcontrollers, with limited connectivity - Submit the entry through the competition portal during the official window, including the referral code WBGSmallAIGADS - Answer the question the organisers put to every applicant: what does localizing AI development mean for you **Key dates:** - Applications close September 26, 2026 - Competition weekend October 3 and 4, 2026 - Winners notified and prepared October 5 to 6, 2026 - Winners travel to Seoul by October 18, 2026 - Winners present at the Global AI and Digital Summit on October 21, 2026 **More information:** - Full terms, eligibility and key dates sit on the Small AI Hackathon Challenge tab of the World Bank's Summit event page - Registration and submission are handled on the Hack-Nation platform, which runs its own earlier rolling batch cut-offs, so applying well before September 26 is safer - Winners are responsible for their own visa application and any associated fees; the World Bank provides a letter of support but covers no visa cost
