Fictional example

Signal Sprint 2026 · Participant guide

Build a useful civic signal

Submit by Nov 15, 4:00 PM ET

Everything participants need for this fictional one-day hackathon: schedule, rules, submission checklist, judging, and help.

Day schedule

9:00 AM
Welcome and challenge briefing
10:00 AM
Building begins · mentor desk opens
2:00 PM
Optional accessibility review
4:30 PM
Submission check desk opens
6:00 PM
Submissions close
6:30 PM
Demo round and judging

All times use Eastern Time. This page does not create calendar reminders or reserve a demo slot.

Rules that change what you build

  1. Teams may have 1-4 participants.
  2. Build work starts after the opening briefing. Prior research and reusable public libraries are allowed.
  3. Use only fictional, public, or properly licensed data. Do not include private resident records.
  4. Your demo must run from the link you submit. Judges will not install local files.
  5. List outside tools, datasets, and code you reused.
Need a ruling? Ask the rules desk before building around an assumption. A mentor suggestion does not change these rules.

Submission checklist

Check each item before the deadline. These boxes stay only on your screen and do not submit anything.

Final action: paste those items into the official submission form, then open its confirmation page. This guide is not the form.

How judging is weighted

Clear problem and user
25%
Working demonstration
30%
Usefulness and feasibility
25%
Accessibility and explanation
20%

A polished pitch does not replace a working demo. Judges use the submitted link and the rubric above for this fictional event.

Where to get help

Rules desk

Questions about eligibility, data, and allowed tools.

Mentor desk

Design and technical guidance. Mentors do not approve rule exceptions.

Submission desk

Broken links and missing confirmation before the deadline.

Fictional contact: help desk in the event lobby. No real email or personal data is used here.

Change note

Guide version 1 · Nov 8, 2026. If the organizer changes a deadline or rule, replace this note and keep the old wording in the event record.