Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone above the age of 18 can participate in the Community Hackathon. Citizens, PRs or foreigners studying or working in Singapore are welcome to join the Community Hackathon.

Whether you're a developer, designer, problem solver, community advocate, or just someone passionate about improving Singapore, you're welcome to join.

No, you don’t need a team to sign up! You can register as an individual or with a team.

If you're joining solo, don’t worry—you’ll have the opportunity to meet other participants and form teams at the kickoff. Teams should consist of 3-5 members, and we highly encourage diverse skill sets and backgrounds to build well-rounded solutions.

While team applications are welcome, please note that each participant will be screened and shortlisted individually.

To ensure fairness, teams are not allowed to bring in an existing solution that was built before the hackathon.

Should we find that the solution was already built or commercialised before the hackathon, the organising committee has the right to request for the team to pivot to a new solution or withdraw from the hackathon.

Unlike traditional hackathons, we do not prescribe challenge statements, and teams will get the freedom to decide on a community problem that they feel strongly about. Community problems can range from healthcare, education, environmental sustainability, mental health, to vulnerable communities and more. To get some inspiration, you may check out DoGood, a crowdsourced problem statements bank.

All solutions need to have a demonstrated working prototype that’s validated through user testing. At the finale, you will be required to outline the problem you identified and how your solution tackles it.

Teams will have the opportunity to pitch their solutions to a panel of government and industry leaders.

The Community Hackathon spans over 4 weeks, with weekly sessions happening in-person on Saturdays. There are currently no hybrid options available.

• Kickoff: 11 June, Wed, 7 - 9.30pm
• Weekly session 1: 14 June, Sat, 10am - 5pm
• Weekly session 2: 21 June, Sat, 10am - 5pm
• Weekly session 3: 28 June, Sat, 10am - 5pm
• User testing session: Week of 30 June (1 x 2h session)
• Weekly session 4: 5 July, Sat, 10am - 5pm
• Finale: 12 July, Sat, 10am - 5pm

These in-person sessions are compulsory to attend and will ensure that you make steady progress towards the finale. After the hackathon, winning teams move on to take part in an 8-week accelerator programme, which will help them launch their solutions to real users.

After registration, we will be screening through the applications and will shortlist participants based on these four core attribute:

1. Commitment: Is the applicant able to commit to all in-person weekly sessions, and willing to continue working on the solution beyond the hackathon?

2. Initiative: Has the applicant demonstrated that he/she has thought through the problem space, and even proposed possible solutions to the problem?

3. Values: Are there any past projects / involvement that demonstrates the applicant's commitment to public good?

4. Ability: What's the level of expertise the applicant has in his/her own field?

This is to ensure that the opportunity is given to people who have the ability to commit and the drive to do public good. We will send you an email regarding your application results by end April 2025.

Throughout the Community Hackathon, participants will be given hands-on guidance through mentorship, workshops, and access to resources and clinics to bring your solutions to life.

We also have the PA’s Community Innovation Taskforces (CIT) and Community Innovation Spaces (CIS) that will be supporting your team along the way!

The Community Innovation Taskforce comprises of Grassroots Leaders who will be able to provide insights to local issues and concerns of the community.

🔗Click here to find out more

Under the Sparks@CC initiative, ten pilot CCs are selected to redesign part of their spaces to enable residents, volunteers, community and corporate partners to come together to dream up ideas, share insights and test out innovative solutions to address the community concerns and bring collective aspirations to fruition.

🔗Click here to find out more

Projects will be judged based on community impact, prototype execution, user-centricity, feasibility and innovation. A judging panel consisting of government leaders and industry experts will evaluate the projects.

The accelerator is an 8-week programme designed to equip teams with the skills, knowledge, and networks needed to scale their solutions and bring them to real users.

Participants will gain access to experienced mentors, workshops, and talks by entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Additionally, teams can receive funding of up to S$20,000 to support their development.

The programme runs from 19 July to 6 September 2025.