OSF × Andela hackathon

Information you can trust

Use AI software development tools to build people-centric technology that makes reliable information about civic life and opportunity visible, accessible, and actionable for communities.

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Prize pool
USD 6,000
Submissions close
21 September 2026
Time remaining
5d 21h 45m

Win a share of USD 6,000

Five winners share the prize pool. All five also receive flights and accommodation to attend the OSF event in Kenya in October 2026.

First place

USD 3,000

Plus flights and accommodation to Kenya.

  • 2nd placeUSD 1,500
  • 3rd placeUSD 500
  • 4th placeUSD 500
  • 5th placeUSD 500
  • Every winner travels to the OSF event in Kenya in October 2026, with flights and accommodation covered.

Key dates

Submissions close on 21 September 2026 at 23:59 UTC.

  1. Hackathon kickoff (current)

    10 September 2026

    Now

  2. Submission deadline

    21 September 2026

  3. Project grading

    22–24 September 2026

  4. Winners announced

    25 September 2026

  5. OSF event in Kenya

    October 2026

Choose from three challenge tracks

Build a working proof of concept in one or more of these areas. Cross-track entries are welcome.

Stability & Social Cohesion

Technology that reduces everyday friction and prevents tensions from escalating into conflict. Focus on practical use cases resolving local disputes, improving access to shared resources, strengthening coordination during crises, or enabling trusted communication between communities.

Transparency & Accountability

Build tools that make decisions by governments and institutions visible, understandable, and open to scrutiny. This could include helping people track public spending, understand policies, report issues, or access essential services, so institutions can be held accountable in real time, not after the fact.

Safety, Reporting & Protection

Design tools that allow individuals and communities to safely report threats, violence, or abuse and get timely support. Prioritize anonymity, trust, and clear pathways to action so reporting actually leads to protection.

The full brief covers the project scope and the seven operating constraints your solution should account for.

What you'll submit

Four items, all due by 21 September 2026. You can update your submission as many times as you like before then.

  1. 1

    A GitHub repository

    Public, with a clear README explaining what the project does and how to run it.

  2. 2

    A short demo video

    mp4, mov, webm, or avi, up to 250MB.

  3. 3

    A pitch deck

    PDF only, up to 100MB. Cover the problem, the users, the solution, and the potential impact.

  4. 4

    A written summary

    Explain your track, your information sources, your approach to trust and accuracy, and how you used AI tools.

How entries are judged

Judges score every entry on four equally weighted areas. Projects are graded 22–24 September 2026, and winners are announced on 25 September 2026.

  1. Uniqueness

    How novel and unique the approach was to solving the problem.

  2. Scalability

    How well it can be scaled across geographies.

  3. AI Coding Usage

    How well AI coding tools were used to build the project.

  4. Presentation

    How well the submission is presented and aligned to the tracks.

Who can participate

All technical backgrounds and experience levels are welcome. You can enter if all of the following are true:

  • You are a member of the Andela Talent Network or the Andela Learning Community.
  • You are currently based in Africa.
  • You can submit your project as an individual.
  • You can use AI software development tools to create a working proof of concept.

Who's behind this

This challenge is inspired by OSF's Transformative Peace in Africa initiative and supported by Build Up.

Open Society Foundations

The world's largest private funder of independent groups working for rights, equity, and justice. OSF draws on the voices and expertise of local partners to forge priorities for action around the world, while at the global level reinforcing and amplifying the common strands of localized work.

Transformative Peace in Africa

The OSF initiative this challenge draws from, working to empower communities directly affected by conflict across the Sahel, the DRC, Sudan, and Mozambique, with regional bodies including the African Union, ECOWAS, SADC, and EAC. It centers locally led solutions, amplifies the leadership of women and youth, and promotes reparative justice that addresses the root causes of conflict.

Andela

Connecting brilliant talent with world-changing opportunity. Andela runs this hackathon for its Talent Network and Learning Community across Africa.

Build Up

A social enterprise working at the intersection of peacebuilding and technology. Partnering with activists and peacebuilders, it strengthens civic engagement and helps transform conflict through participatory processes, research, and tailored digital tools.

Questions

Can I enter as a team?

No. Projects must be submitted by an individual.

Does my project need to be production-ready?

No. This is an invention sprint, not a product launch. You are expected to build a working proof of concept that demonstrates your idea is useful, viable, and worth developing further.

Can I use AI to come up with my idea?

No. AI software development tools should support how you build, but your core capstone idea must be your own.

Can I enter more than one track?

Yes. Cross-track submissions are welcome — choose "Cross-track / other" on the submission form.

Can I change my submission after saving it?

Yes. You can update every part of your submission up to the deadline.

What technical background do I need?

All technical backgrounds and experience levels are welcome.

Ready to build?

Sign up, read the full capstone brief, and submit your repo, demo video, pitch deck, and summary before 21 September 2026.

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