Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon

#BuildFor2030 Hackathon Resources

We're here to support your journey and invite you to make the most of your hackathon experience. Gain new perspectives and skill up, as you build for impact. 

• Participant guide
• Challenge statements, prompts and resources
• #BuildFor2030 Hackathon skilling library
• Additional technical and program resources, and events
• Discussion and support channels
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Participant Guide 

Get started by reviewing the participant guide - we walk through the key steps (with tips!) to building a diverse team, registering, hacking, and submitting your project - so that you can have a successful #BuildFor2030 experience. 

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#BuildFor2030 Hackathon challenge areas

Learn more about each challenge area, its market context and how they align with the UN SDGs. Find challenge prompts, resources, and inspiration to generate ideas for your project. 

• Gender equality: Solutions that create more equal participation, economic access, and opportunities at all levels in work and life for women and girls. (Challenge prompts and resources)
• Climate action and sustainability: Solutions that address sustainability challenges faced by customers and industries across the globe, helping organizations unlock data, support environmental impact reduction initiatives, and create more sustainable outcomes. (Challenge prompts and resources)
• Accessibility and disability inclusion: Accessible technology and solutions that enable inclusive experiences for 1+ billion people living with disabilities. (Challenge prompts and resources)
• Enabling the nonprofit sector: Solutions that enable the nonprofit sector to achieve scalable and measurable mission impact. (Challenge prompts and resources)
• Empowering communities: Solutions that strengthen our institutions, create more equitable access to health, education, and social services, and support resilient communities. (Challenge prompts and resources)
• Open category: Industry, horizontal, or other community-oriented solutions that support any of the 17 UN SDGs. (Challenge prompts and resources)

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#BuildFor2030 Skilling Library

We encourage all participants to make the most of the skilling content provided for the hack. As part of your final project submission, teams will be required to attest to engaging with at least one of the following hackathon skilling library resources. 

Pro tip: Be sure to note and share your learnings so they can be incorporated into your solution and project submission.

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Additional technical and program resources, and events

In addition to the featured content above, you can find a collection of technical and program resources to tap into, and events to engage in and build community.

#BuildFor2030 Hackathon resources master list

Events

Microsoft Ignite | Live virtual and on-demand (Oct 12-14): Participate in deep technical trainings, breakout sessions, keynotes, and immersive learning experiences with the teams that build the products. (For business, technologists)

WICxUNGA Signature Event | Live virtual and on-demand (Oct 13): At Women in Cloud, we have learned the power of collective access and action to ignite stronger leadership and economic opportunities for women in technology. #WICxUNGA captures powerful dialogue through unique activations focused on UN SDG and ESG goals.

Microsoft Research Summit | Live virtual and on-demand (Oct 18-20): This year, we convene to explore some of the most pressing questions facing our research community – ultimately, how might we advance the frontiers of research while ensuring that new technologies have the broadest possible benefit for humanity? 

Marketplace Summit (Nov 15): The Marketplace Summit has something for every ISV, from start-ups finding product-market fits to established ISVs looking to enter new markets. We will share updates on resources, announcements on the ISV Success Program, currently in private preview, and you’ll hear from other customers, peers, and Microsoft leaders with a live broadcast from Microsoft studios. 

Microsoft Inspire 2022 | On-demand: Learn how to drive growth and profitability with a partner-focused business platform and scale your solutions to help customers in every industry transform. (For Microsoft partners)

Microsoft Build 2022 | On-demand: The latest innovations in code and application development. Explore new developer technologies and techniques that will drive your vision and expand your toolkit.

Microsoft Ability Summit Sessions 2022 | On-demand: Bringing together people with disabilities, allies, and industry professionals to Imagine, Build, and Include the future of disability inclusion and accessibility.

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Discussion & support channels

In Discussions, you can ask questions and connect with other participating Microsoft partners. You can also email Microsoft #BuildFor2030. 

For technical issues with the website, registration, or submission, reach support@devpost.com.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

• How can I join the Microsoft Partner Network (or Microsoft Cloud Partner Program after Oct 3, 2022)?
  The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program is a hub of people, resources, and offerings brought together to enable you to build and deliver successful technology solutions for your customers. The Microsoft Cloud Partner Program is for all partners in our ecosystem, whether they build and sell services, software solutions, or devices. Learn more and join the Microsoft Cloud Partner Program today!
• How can I find my organization’s PartnerID?
  If your organization is already part of the Microsoft Partner Network (or Microsoft Cloud Partner Program), you can find your Partner ID at https://aka.ms/mpn_id. Login and navigate to the Microsoft Partner settings page. The associated PartnerID field is listed on the right side of the page.
  If your organization operates in multiple countries or regions and has multiple PartnerIDs, use the PartnerID aligned with the regional organization you are representing, or defer to using your global PartnerID, as appropriate.
• I am not in a technical role. Can I still participate?
  Yes! The #BuildFor2030 Hackathon welcomes team members of all backgrounds to participate. We encourage hack teams consisting of people with different job roles and areas of expertise that align with the design, build, GTM, and sell stages of the product lifecycle, including non-technical roles. Learn more about the hack team roles we suggest in the participant guide.
• We are a team of individuals that work for an organization. Can we enter?
  Yes, employees may enter on behalf of their Microsoft partner organization. For all projects submitted with a valid PartnerID, the intellectual property of the solution needs to belong to the entrant organization (not an individual), and any prizing associated with the project is given to the organization under which the PartnerID is registered. Review the Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Official Rules. 
• Do I retain intellectual property ownership?
  For all entries submitted with a valid PartnerID, the intellectual property of the solution needs to belong to the entrant organization (not an individual), and any prizing associated with the entry is given to the organization under which the PartnerID is registered. Review the Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Official Rules.
• Can I form a team with customers, other Microsoft partner organizations, technology vendors, nonprofits?
  Microsoft partner organizations intending to submit a project may invite external organizations and stakeholders at your discretion who may inform and collaborate on your project to ensure your solution or service being developed is relevant and serves the real world needs of your intended customers, users, or beneficiaries. However, only employees of Microsoft Cloud Partner Program organizations with a PartnerID and active membership may submit the final project.

For all projects submitted with a valid PartnerID, the intellectual property of the solution needs to belong to the entrant organization (not an individual), and any prizing associated with the entry is given to the organization under which the PartnerID is registered. If your team consists of individuals external to your Microsoft partner organization, any intellectual property, or legal agreements among members of the hack team are the sole responsibility of the entrant and not Microsoft. If you decide to form a team with other Microsoft partner organizations, then you must choose one Microsoft partner organization to represent the final entry submission. 

• Do I have to complete the development of my solution or service to submit an entry?
  In short, no. We recognize that product lifecycles vary depending on the nature of the solution or service that is being concepted, prototyped, or improved upon. We leave it up to entrants to decide the extent to which they want to take solution development as part of this hackathon.
  However, judges will consider if an entry makes or creates something that is tangible and can be shown or demonstrated, going beyond an idea. Review the Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Official Rules to see judging considerations.
• Can we enter our project into more than one challenge area?
  Yes, you can select up to two challenge areas that your project addresses, which you can indicate during final project submission.
• What are eligibility and entry requirements?
  Review the full eligibility and project requirements to participate in the Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Official Rules. Entrants are required to address all the mandatory fields in the submission form. To view the exact questions required in the entry, click Start Project on the Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon landing page and view the submission questions.
  IMPORTANT: Only the (1) primary team member of your Microsoft partner organization should start an entry.
• What is Partner Sales Acceleration Services?
  Partner Sales Acceleration Services provides Microsoft partners access to presales and technical support and business guidance to get you ready to sell with Microsoft. Eligible partners will be invited to engage with sales acceleration services after your register for the hackathon and you can continue with this service after the hackathon.
• What will be considered a successful project?
  Successful entrants will need to demonstrate how their solution, which addresses one or more #BuildFor2030 Hackathon challenge areas and leverages Microsoft technologies, will bring value and make a positive social, environmental, or community impact, in the context of addressing real world needs and challenges faced by intended customers, users, or beneficiaries. The business value and feasibility of delivering the solution to market (or to reach and serve intended users/beneficiaries) is also considered, among other judging criteria. Review the eligibility, project requirements, and judging criteria in the Microsoft #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Official Rules.
• What is the ISV Success Program?
  The ISV Success program is a nine-month partnership designed to help independent software vendors (ISVs) build well-architected apps on Microsoft Cloud platforms and publish into our commercial marketplace. With curated content specifically for ISVs, marketplace publishing support and more, this program will ensure a successful application launch in the Microsoft Cloud and commercial marketplace.  
• What is the Partner Go-to-Market Toolbox?
  #BuildFor2030 Hackathon Winners and Heroes will receive access to the Partner GTM Toolbox to help you bring solutions to market and generate leads. The Partner Go-To-Market (GTM) Toolbox platform allows you to grow your business through an actionable marketing plan and a set of easy-to-build, high-quality, and solution-specific co-branded templates available in 10 different languages. Co-branded marketing assets include one-pagers, presentations, customer case studies, and social marketing assets.

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