Build Nepal

Build Today. Transform Tomorrow.

Build Nepal is a national youth innovation hackathon organized by Mid-Valley International College (MVIC) that empowers the next generation of innovators to solve Nepal's most pressing challenges through technology.

Over two days, students, developers, designers, engineers, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers will collaborate to build innovative solutions that can create meaningful social, economic, and environmental impact.

Unlike traditional hackathons that focus solely on software development, Build Nepal welcomes projects across multiple technology domains including Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Cloud Computing, Data Science, GIS, AR/VR, Embedded Systems, and other emerging technologies.

Theme

Build for Nepal. Digital Nepal.

How can technology transform Nepal over the next decade?

Participants are encouraged to identify real challenges faced by communities, industries, government, or society and develop practical solutions that can contribute to Nepal's digital future.

Participants are encouraged to identify real-world challenges and opportunities arising from national and international digital strategies, government policies, regulations, and public initiatives, and transform them into practical, scalable solutions. The focus should be on developing innovations that bridge the gap between policy and implementation while creating measurable social, economic, or technological impact.

For example, if a government policy mandates the installation of CCTV systems in public vehicles, participants could go beyond basic compliance by developing intelligent surveillance solutions that analyze driver behavior, detect rash or distracted driving, identify unsafe driving patterns, and generate actionable insights to improve road safety. This illustrates the type of problem-solving approach expected throughout the hackathon building solutions that extend beyond fulfilling requirements to delivering meaningful impact at local, national, and global levels.

Challenge Tracks

Participants may choose to solve problems in areas such as:

  • Education & Learning

  • Smart Agriculture

  • Smart Cities

  • Tourism & Heritage

  • Digital Economy(Fintech)

  • Cybersecurity

Projects may also address interdisciplinary challenges that combine multiple domains.

Who Can Participate?

The hackathon is open to young innovators aged 16–24, including:

  • Secondary & Higher Secondary Students

  • Diploma Students

  • Undergraduate Students

  • Developers

  • Designers

  • Engineers

  • Researchers

  • Entrepreneurs

Participants will compete in multidisciplinary teams while receiving mentorship from industry professionals and academic experts.

What Makes Build Nepal Different?

At Build Nepal, success isn't measured by flashy presentations alone.

We value:

  • Real-world impact

  • Technical excellence

  • Innovation

  • Feasibility

  • User-centered design

  • Collaboration

  • Responsible use of technology

Teams are encouraged to build working prototypes that have the potential to be developed beyond the hackathon and create lasting impact for Nepal.

Event Schedule Day 1

  • Registration & Check-in begins at 8:30 AM

  • Opening Ceremony

  • Hackathon begins at 9:45 AM

  • Team Setup

  • Mentor Sessions

  • Snacks and Lunch Breaks

  • Hacking continues until 7:00 PM

  • Participants return home at 7:00 PM

Day 2

  • Participants arrive at the venue by 10:00 AM

  • Final Development and Coding

  • Mentor Support

  • Project Submission at 4:30 PM

  • Judging and Evaluation

  • Closing by by 7:00 PM

Whether you're building with AI, hardware, software, robotics, or emerging technologies, Build Nepal is your opportunity to turn ideas into solutions that matter.

Build Today. Transform Tomorrow.

Requirements

Submission Requirements

To be eligible for judging, every team must submit their project on Devpost before the submission deadline.

Required Deliverables 1. Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Teams must develop a functional Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that demonstrates the core idea and key features of their solution. The MVP should clearly showcase how the proposed solution addresses the selected problem.

Both software and hardware projects are welcome, provided they demonstrate a working prototype or proof of concept.

2. GitHub Repository

Each team must submit a public GitHub repository.

For software projects, the repository should include:

  • A well-structured and organized codebase.

  • A meaningful commit history demonstrating active collaboration among team members throughout the hackathon.

  • A comprehensive README explaining:

    • The problem being solved

    • The proposed solution

    • Technologies used

    • Installation and setup instructions

    • Team member contributions (recommended)

For hardware, robotics, IoT, embedded systems, or other non-software projects, a GitHub repository is still required. The repository should contain:

  • All source code, firmware, scripts, or configuration files developed for the project.

  • Hardware documentation, schematics, wiring diagrams, CAD files (if applicable), and supporting documentation.

  • A README describing the hardware components used, system architecture, setup instructions, and how the prototype works.

While hardware projects may not have extensive Git commit histories like software projects, teams are encouraged to use GitHub throughout development whenever practical.

3. Prototype Demo Video

Teams must upload a 3–5 minute prototype demonstration video to YouTube (Public or Unlisted) and submit the video link on Devpost.

The video should include:

  • The problem statement.

  • Your proposed solution.

  • Key features of the MVP.

  • A live demonstration of the working prototype.

  • The expected impact of your solution.

For hardware projects, the video must clearly demonstrate the physical prototype in operation, including its functionality, hardware components (where relevant), and how it solves the identified problem.

4. Devpost Submission

Your Devpost submission must include:

  • Project title.

  • Project description.

  • Selected challenge track.

  • Technologies used.

  • Team member information.

  • Public GitHub repository link.

  • YouTube demo video link.

Presentation

Teams are expected to prepare their own presentation slides for the final judging session.

Presentation slides are not required to be uploaded to Devpost. They will only be used during the live project presentation to the judging panel.

Original Work

Projects should be primarily developed during the hackathon. The use of open-source libraries, APIs, frameworks, hardware modules, and publicly available datasets is permitted, provided they are properly acknowledged and the final solution represents the team's original work.

Hackathon Sponsors

Prizes

$484 in prizes
Winner
$324 in cash
1 winner

Runner up
$160 in cash
1 winner

Judges

TBD

TBD

Judging Criteria

  • Engineering Excellence (40%)
    System Design & Architecture — 10% Technical Implementation — 15% Development Practices — 8% Documentation — 4% Reliability & Engineering Quality — 3%
  • Innovation & Impact (60%)
    Problem Understanding & Research — 15% Innovation & Creativity — 15% Impact & Scalability — 15% Feasibility & Sustainability — 10% Presentation & Communication — 5%

Questions? Email the hackathon manager

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