HackGB 2026 Rules

Dates

HackGB 2026 will take place on October 17–18, 2026 at the STEM Innovation Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Key competition times:

  • Check-in begins: October 17 at 8:00 AM
  • Opening Ceremony: October 17 at 11:00 AM
  • Hacking begins: October 17 at 12:00 PM
  • Hacking ends: October 18 at 12:00 PM
  • Devpost submission deadline: October 18 at 12:00 PM
  • Judging & Project Expo: October 18 beginning at 1:00 PM
  • Closing Ceremony and Awards: October 18

All times are in Central Time (CT).

Projects must be submitted through the official HackGB Devpost page before the submission deadline to be eligible for judging and prizes.

 

Eligibility

To participate in HackGB:

  • Participants must be 18 years of age or older by the start of the event.
  • Participants must be currently enrolled students, including undergraduate or graduate students, unless otherwise approved by HackGB organizers.
  • Students from colleges and universities outside UW–Green Bay are welcome to participate.
  • Participants may compete individually or in teams of up to four people.
  • Each participant may be a member of only one competing team.
  • All contributors to a project must be listed as team members on the Devpost submission.
  • Participants must comply with these rules, the HackGB Code of Conduct, venue policies, and reasonable instructions from HackGB organizers and UW–Green Bay staff.

HackGB organizers, individuals directly involved in administering the competition, judges, and others with a potential conflict of interest may be restricted from competing for prizes.

HackGB organizers reserve the right to verify participant eligibility.

 

Team Formation

Teams may consist of one to four participants.

Participants may form teams before HackGB or during the event. Team formation assistance may also be available during the hackathon.

All individuals who make a meaningful contribution to a project must be included on the Devpost submission.

Team membership should not be changed after the submission deadline except with approval from HackGB organizers.

 

Project and Submission Requirements
New Work

Projects submitted to HackGB must be developed primarily during the official hacking period from 12:00 PM on October 17 through 12:00 PM on October 18, 2026.

Before hacking begins, participants may:

  • Brainstorm ideas
  • Conduct general research
  • Form teams
  • Create project plans
  • Prepare development environments
  • Familiarize themselves with tools, APIs, datasets, frameworks, or technologies

However, substantial implementation of the project submitted for judging must take place during HackGB.

Existing projects may not simply be resubmitted as HackGB projects.

If participants build upon previous work, they must clearly explain what existed before HackGB and what was created during the event.

 

Existing Code, Tools, and Resources

Participants may use publicly or legally available development resources, including:

  • Open-source libraries
  • Frameworks
  • APIs and SDKs
  • Public datasets
  • Cloud platforms
  • Developer tools
  • Sponsor technologies
  • Previously created general-purpose components
  • Generative AI and AI-assisted development tools

Use of third-party resources must comply with applicable licenses, terms of service, and other restrictions.

Participants are responsible for ensuring they have the right to use any code, assets, data, software, models, APIs, or other resources included in their projects.

Significant pre-existing work or third-party resources should be disclosed in the Devpost project description.

 

Artificial Intelligence

Use of artificial intelligence and AI-assisted development tools is permitted at HackGB.

Participants may use technologies including:

  • Coding assistants
  • Large language models
  • Generative AI APIs
  • Image-generation tools
  • AI agents
  • Machine learning models
  • AI development platforms

Teams remain responsible for understanding their project and being able to explain how it works.

Participants should disclose significant use of AI tools, models, APIs, or generated content in their Devpost submission when such tools played a meaningful role in the project.

Using AI does not remove the requirement that substantial development of the submitted project occur during the HackGB hacking period.

 

Project Content

Projects must be appropriate for a professional and inclusive student hackathon environment.

Projects may not intentionally include or promote:

  • Harassment
  • Discrimination
  • Hate speech
  • Threats or intimidation
  • Illegal activity
  • Malicious software
  • Unauthorized access to systems or data
  • Violations of another person's privacy
  • Content intended to cause harm
  • Material that violates the HackGB Code of Conduct

HackGB organizers may determine that a project is ineligible if it creates a serious safety, security, legal, ethical, or conduct concern.

 

Intellectual Property

Participants retain ownership of the original work they create during HackGB.

Participants are responsible for complying with licenses and terms associated with third-party technologies, APIs, datasets, software, media, and other materials used in their projects.

Projects must not knowingly infringe the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or other rights of another individual or organization.

HackGB, UW–Green Bay, sponsors, and event partners do not receive ownership of participant projects solely because a project is submitted to or presented at HackGB.

 

What Must Be Submitted

Each competing team must submit one project through the official HackGB Devpost page before the submission deadline.

The Devpost submission should include:

  • Project name
  • Project description
  • Explanation of the problem being addressed
  • Description of the solution
  • Technologies used
  • All team members
  • Source-code repository
  • Project demonstration or working prototype
  • Demo video
  • Applicable HackGB track or sponsor challenge
  • Disclosure of significant pre-existing work or third-party resources, where applicable

 

The submission should provide enough information for judges to understand:

  • What the team built

  • Why the project was created

  • How the project works

  • What was completed during HackGB

  • What technologies were used

 

The source-code repository and demonstration materials must be accessible to HackGB organizers and judges during the judging period.

Teams are responsible for confirming that their Devpost submission is complete and successfully submitted before the deadline.

Late or substantially incomplete submissions may be excluded from judging.

 

Demo Video

Teams must include a short video demonstrating their project.

The video should show the core functionality of the project and help judges understand what the team built.

Teams should focus on demonstrating the project rather than producing a highly polished promotional video.

If a live application or prototype is unavailable during judging, the submitted video may be used to help judges evaluate the project.

 

Source Code

Projects must provide access to the source code necessary for judges and organizers to reasonably evaluate the work completed during HackGB.

Repositories may be public or privately shared with HackGB organizers and judges.

Participants should not include passwords, API keys, credentials, confidential information, or other sensitive data in their repositories.

 

Multiple Submissions

Each team may submit one primary project for HackGB judging.

A single project may be eligible for multiple tracks, categories, or sponsor challenges where permitted.

Entering multiple categories does not guarantee eligibility for every related prize. Teams must satisfy the specific requirements of each category or sponsor challenge they enter.

 

Some sponsors may provide optional challenge statements, technologies, datasets, APIs, or prize categories.

Teams entering a sponsor challenge must follow any additional requirements listed for that challenge.

Sponsor challenge requirements will be communicated through official HackGB materials, Devpost, workshops, announcements, or sponsor documentation.

If a sponsor challenge requires the use of a particular tool, API, technology, dataset, or platform, teams must demonstrate meaningful use of that requirement to be considered for the associated prize.

 

Judging

Eligible projects will be reviewed by HackGB judges.

Projects may be evaluated based on criteria including:

  1. Innovation and creativity
  2. Technical implementation
  3. Impact and usefulness
  4. Design and user experience
  5. Completeness and functionality
  6. Quality of demonstration and presentation
  7. Relevance to the selected challenge track

Additional criteria may apply to specific sponsor challenges or special awards.

Judges may ask teams questions about:

  • Technical architecture
  • Development decisions
  • Tools and technologies used
  • AI usage
  • Pre-existing work
  • Team contributions
  • Intended users
  • Future development

Teams should be prepared to demonstrate their projects during the HackGB Project Expo.

Judging decisions are final.

HackGB organizers may resolve ties, eligibility questions, or situations not explicitly addressed by these rules in a manner intended to preserve fairness across participants.

 
Prizes

Projects must comply with these rules and any additional requirements associated with a particular track or prize to be eligible.

Participants may be asked to provide additional information to verify prize eligibility.

Prize descriptions and track-specific requirements will be listed on the HackGB Devpost site or otherwise communicated through official HackGB channels.

HackGB reserves the right to withhold, modify, or reassign an award if:

  • A winning project is determined to be ineligible
  • A participant violates these rules or the Code of Conduct
  • A sponsor challenge requirement was not satisfied
  • Fraud, plagiarism, misrepresentation, or another serious rules violation is discovered

Prize distribution may require additional information from winners as required by UW–Green Bay or applicable administrative procedures.

 

Fair Play

Participants must accurately represent their work.

The following are prohibited:

  • Plagiarizing another team's project
  • Claiming work completed before HackGB as new work
  • Misrepresenting team contributions
  • Falsifying project functionality
  • Manipulating judging
  • Interfering with another team's project
  • Stealing code, data, credentials, devices, or intellectual property
  • Intentionally disrupting HackGB systems, venue infrastructure, sponsor systems, or another participant's equipment

Participants should compete fairly while supporting a collaborative hackathon environment.

 
Organizer Decisions

HackGB organizers may make reasonable interpretations or clarifications of these rules when necessary.

Any clarification will be applied as consistently and fairly as possible.

HackGB may disqualify a participant or project for serious or repeated violations of:

  • These competition rules
  • The HackGB Code of Conduct
  • Venue policies
  • Applicable laws
  • Reasonable organizer or UW–Green Bay staff instructions

Participants should contact HackGB organizers if they have questions about whether a project, technology, resource, or planned activity complies with these rules.

 

HackGB Code of Conduct

Our Core Goal

HackGB is all about learning, building, and solving problems together.

As UW–Green Bay's first collegiate hackathon, we want to create a community where everyone feels safe, welcome, and respected.

Whether you are writing your first line of code or you are an experienced builder, this is a space for you.

 

Who This Applies To

This Code of Conduct applies to everyone attending or involved with HackGB on October 17–18, 2026.

This includes:

  • Hackers
  • HackGB organizers
  • GDG on Campus organizers
  • Volunteers
  • Mentors
  • Sponsors and sponsor representatives
  • Speakers
  • Judges
  • Guests
  • Event partners

The Code of Conduct applies throughout the HackGB venue and in HackGB-related online spaces, including the official Discord and other event communication channels.

 

What We Expect
  • Be kind and respectful. Treat everyone with basic human decency and professionalism.
  • Be helpful. If you see someone struggling or looking lost, offer a hand when appropriate.
  • Keep an open mind. HackGB brings together people with different backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and technical skill levels.
  • Collaborate respectfully. Listen to different ideas and approaches when working with others.
  • Respect personal boundaries. Be mindful of other people's comfort, privacy, and personal space.
  • Take care of yourself and the space. Get some rest, drink water, and help us keep the venue clean and safe.
  • Follow organizer and venue instructions. Participants are expected to follow reasonable directions from HackGB organizers and UW–Green Bay staff.
 
What Is Not Allowed

HackGB does not tolerate harassment, discrimination, intimidation, or bullying.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to:

  • Offensive or degrading comments related to gender, gender identity or expression, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, disability, sexual orientation, age, physical appearance, or other personal characteristics
  • Making fun of or intentionally excluding someone because of their skill level, technical experience, educational background, or choice of technology
  • Unwelcome physical contact
  • Unwelcome sexual attention
  • Sexual, discriminatory, threatening, or otherwise inappropriate images or content in public spaces, project demonstrations, presentations, or event communication channels
  • Deliberate intimidation
  • Stalking or unwanted following
  • Bullying
  • Sustained disruption of talks, workshops, judging, ceremonies, or other HackGB activities
  • Threatening or intentionally harmful behavior

Participants asked to stop inappropriate behavior are expected to comply immediately.

 
Projects and Presentations

The HackGB Code of Conduct also applies to projects, demonstrations, presentations, workshops, and other event-related content.

Projects may not be used to harass, discriminate against, threaten, or intentionally harm another person or group.

HackGB organizers may remove a project from judging if its content or operation seriously violates this Code of Conduct.

 
Photography and Recording

Photography and video recording may occur during HackGB.

Participants should respect reasonable requests from individuals who do not wish to be photographed or recorded.

Photography or recording is not permitted in locations where participants have a reasonable expectation of privacy.

 

Sponsors, Mentors, Judges, Speakers, and Volunteers

Sponsors, mentors, judges, speakers, volunteers, organizers, and event partners are also required to follow this Code of Conduct.

Promotional activities, presentations, displays, workshops, and other event materials should remain appropriate for a professional and inclusive student event.

 

How to Report an Issue

If someone makes you feel unsafe, you experience harassment, or you see concerning behavior, please tell a HackGB organizer as soon as possible.

In person: Look for a HackGB or GDG on Campus organizer wearing an official team shirt or staff identification.

Online: Contact the organizing team through the official HackGB Discord.

Email: Contact the HackGB team at [email protected].

Reports will be taken seriously and handled as privately as reasonably possible.

HackGB organizers can help participants contact appropriate UW–Green Bay personnel, campus security, emergency services, or local law enforcement when necessary.

If needed, an organizer may also assist someone in safely leaving the venue or reaching their vehicle.

 

Consequences

If someone violates this Code of Conduct, HackGB organizers may take action based on the nature and severity of the situation.

Possible actions include:

  • A verbal or written warning
  • Removal from a specific activity
  • Disqualification from judging
  • Disqualification from prizes
  • Loss of sponsor perks or event benefits
  • Removal from HackGB
  • Restriction from future HackGB events
  • Referral to appropriate UW–Green Bay personnel
  • Contacting security or law enforcement when necessary

Serious violations may result in immediate removal from the event.

Our priority is maintaining a safe, respectful, and positive environment for the HackGB community.

 
Agreement

By participating in HackGB, attendees agree to follow:

  • These HackGB Rules
  • The HackGB Code of Conduct
  • Applicable UW–Green Bay policies
  • Venue requirements
  • Applicable laws
  • Reasonable instructions from HackGB organizers and UW–Green Bay staff

HackGB organizers may clarify these rules when necessary to address circumstances not specifically covered above, provided that any clarification is applied consistently and does not unfairly disadvantage participants.