Fully Funded Trip to Seoul, South Korea: Apply for the Small AI for Development Hackathon Challenge 2026

Are you a young innovator with an idea for using artificial intelligence to solve a real-world problem in health, agriculture, or tourism?

Applications are now open for the Small AI for Development Hackathon Challenge 2026, an international innovation competition organized by the World Bank Group and its partners.

The challenge gives young innovators the opportunity to develop practical AI solutions designed for communities where internet connectivity, digital infrastructure and access to advanced technology may be limited.

And there is an exciting opportunity for the winners: three winning innovators will receive support to travel to Seoul, South Korea, to showcase their solutions at the Global AI and Digital Summit 2026.

About the Small AI for Development Hackathon

The Small AI for Development Hackathon focuses on a different approach to artificial intelligence.

Instead of requiring expensive infrastructure or large AI systems, participants are encouraged to create small, practical and targeted AI solutions that can address specific development challenges.

This could include solutions that work with:

Basic mobile phones
Sensors and microcontrollers
Local or offline AI models
SMS and voice interfaces
Local datasets
Predictive AI
Generative AI
Agentic AI

The goal is to build technology around the real problem and the environment in which it will be used.

The challenge recognizes that many communities in developing economies do not have reliable internet access, advanced devices or extensive digital infrastructure. Therefore, solutions that can operate effectively under these constraints are particularly valuable.

Who Can Apply?

The competition is open to young innovators aged 18 to 35 from World Bank member countries.
Applicants from emerging economies are particularly encouraged to participate.
You can apply either individually or as part of a team of up to four people.
Each team member must register individually and satisfy the eligibility requirements. An individual may participate in only one competition entry.
Applications and competition submissions must be completed in English.

Challenge Areas

Participants must choose one of three development sectors for their AI solution.

1. Agriculture

Develop an AI-powered solution that addresses challenges affecting farmers, agricultural businesses or communities.

Ideas could focus on areas such as agricultural decision-making, productivity, forecasting, access to information or other challenges where AI could provide practical support.

2. Health

Create a solution that tackles a real-world health challenge using accessible and localized AI technology.

The focus is on solutions that could potentially improve access to information, services or decision-making, particularly in environments with limited digital infrastructure.

3. Tourism

Develop an AI solution that addresses challenges within the tourism sector.

Solutions could help tourism businesses, local communities or other stakeholders use technology to improve their operations, services or opportunities.

What Happens During the Hackathon?

Participants will work on their selected challenge and develop a working Small AI solution during the hackathon.

The hackathon will take place from 3–4 October 2026.

Submissions will be evaluated based on factors including:

Technical quality
Development relevance
Inclusivity
Design
Potential impact
Ability to operate in constrained environments

This means that having an advanced AI model alone is not enough. Your solution should demonstrate that it can address a meaningful problem and potentially create positive impact.

What Do the Winners Receive?

There will be three winning entries, with one winner selected from each category:

Agriculture
Health
Tourism

The winners will receive an opportunity to travel to Seoul, Republic of Korea, to showcase their innovations at the Global AI and Digital Summit 2026.

The Summit will take place from 19–22 October 2026.

Winning solutions will be featured during relevant sector sessions on 21 October 2026.

The winners may also have opportunities to connect with:

Investors
Private-sector representatives
Government officials
MSMEs
International organizations
Other Summit participants

These networking opportunities will depend on availability and mutual interest.

Fully Funded Travel to Seoul

One of the biggest benefits of the challenge is the travel support provided to the winning representatives.

The organizers will cover reasonable travel expenses, accommodation and designated event-related costs for winning representatives traveling to Seoul.

For team winners, the team will nominate one representative to attend the Summit, subject to the final determination of the World Bank Group judging panel.

Visa support information will also be provided to winners. However, winners are responsible for obtaining the required visa and paying any applicable visa fees.

How to Apply

If you have an AI idea that could help solve a real development challenge, this could be an excellent opportunity to turn that idea into a working solution and potentially take it to an international audience in Seoul.

The application deadline is 26 September 2026, so interested applicants should begin preparing their ideas early.

Applications and submissions must be made in English.

For the latest application instructions, eligibility information and competition details, visit the official World Bank event page below.

OFFICIAL APPLICATION & INFORMATION:

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