1. Eligibility

• Open to all registered participants of the MDC North Women’s Tech Pioneers Hackathon.
• Participants must register individually or as part of a team (maximum of 5 members per team).

2. Code of Conduct

• All participants must adhere to the MDC Code of Conduct.
• Harassment, discrimination, or inappropriate behavior will result in disqualification.
• Collaboration and respect among participants are encouraged.

3. Project Guidelines

• Projects must be original and created during the hackathon.
• Pre-existing code, frameworks, and libraries are allowed, provided proper credit is given.
• Projects must align with the hackathon’s theme of innovation and technology.

4. Event Timeline

• Teams may only begin work after the official hackathon kickoff.
• All submissions must be completed and submitted by the specified deadline.
• Late submissions will not be accepted.

5. Judging Criteria

• Innovation: Creativity and originality of the idea.
• Technical Implementation: Quality and complexity of the technical solution.
• Impact: Relevance and potential societal or technological impact.
• Presentation: Clarity and professionalism of the final demo or pitch.

6. Submissions

• Teams must submit their project code, a brief description, and a video demo (if required).
• All submissions must be made through the designated platform.

7. Team Rules

• Teams may collaborate within their group but not seek external assistance.
• Team composition must remain consistent throughout the hackathon.

8. Prohibited Activities

• Plagiarism or use of uncredited third-party work.
• Tampering with other teams' work or engaging in sabotage.
• Submitting projects unrelated to the hackathon theme.

9. Prizes

• Prizes will be awarded to winning teams based on the judging criteria.
• Decisions by the judges are final and cannot be contested.

10. Use of MDC Resources

• Participants must adhere to MDC’s IT and resource usage policies.
• Any misuse of resources will result in disqualification.

11. Ownership and Intellectual Property

• Teams retain ownership of their projects.
• By participating, teams agree to allow MDC North to showcase their projects for promotional purposes.

12. Health and Safety

• Participants are expected to follow health and safety guidelines.
• Take breaks and maintain a balanced schedule during the hackathon.

13. Disqualification

• Violation of any rules or policies may result in disqualification.
• Decisions regarding disqualification will be at the discretion of the organizers.

14. Support and Communication

• A dedicated communication channel will be available for participants to seek assistance.
• Organizers will provide regular updates and clarifications as needed.