Rules for Participation in Sohjo Hacks 2026

1. Intellectual Property Rights (IPR)

• The IPR rules are based on the principle of open innovation
• Any material shared publicly without explicit protection is considered free to copy and use by others

2. Eligibility and Team Composition

• Solo participants are allowed, or teams of up to 5 physical representatives
• Online participants are allowed, but the physical representatives must attend the event in person; at least one physical representative must be present at the event
• Teams can apply to multiple challenges with either different or the same idea, and if they win in multiple challenges, they can receive prizes in multiple challenges
• Company teams are not allowed to participate in student challenges, while student teams can apply for company challenges

3. Application Process

• The deadline for submitting applications is March 13, 2026
• Applications are accepted at any time during the application period
• Participants apply individually and may use the team matchmaking tool to form groups
• Selecting a specific challenge is not mandatory at the time of application, though expressing interest is recommended for better matching
• All applications undergo a review process to ensure participant motivation and compatibility
• Participant acceptance is based on:
  1. Motivation and track record
  2. Relevant skills
  3. Fit to the challenge
• The total number of participants is limited to 60

4. Coding and Planning Rules

• Teams are allowed to start coding, ideating, and planning as soon as the challenges are launched
• Teams must ensure time-stamp markings in their code repositories are accessible for review during and after the competition

5. Originality Requirements

• The final pitch and source code must be an original composition
• The demo must directly relate to the submitted source code. Failure to meet these requirements will result in disqualification
• The jury reserves the right to propose an examination of the source code if there is reasonable doubt regarding the realism of the demo

6. Evaluation Criteria

During the final demo/pitch evaluation on 26th March 2026 at 18:00, the following criteria will be used:

1. Idea fit to the challenge
2. Readiness of the solution
3. Innovativeness of the solution
4. Quality of the demo/pitch delivery

7. Award Ceremony

Sohjo Day: 26th March 2026

The award ceremony will take place on Sohjo Day, March 26, 2026, at 6 PM.