Published in advance
Judging rubric and scoring sheet
The criteria every team is scored against, with tick-box build checklists and blank score fields for judges. Nothing about scoring is a surprise.
Each criterion is scored out of 10 and weighted. Teams: use the checklist as a build list on the day. If every box is ticked, you have a complete submission. Judges: score each criterion independently, then apply the weight.
Functionality 30%
p.1Does it work end to end on real input? Judges use it live, not just watch a video.
- Core flow completes without the team stepping in
- Handles messy or unexpected input without breaking
- Deployed somewhere the partner can open it
Use of AI 25%
p.1Is AI doing real work here, or bolted on? Teams explain what the model does and where they chose not to use it.
- AI solves a task that was genuinely slow or manual before
- Prompts, models or tools chosen deliberately and explained
- Wrong or low confidence output is handled, not hidden
Real-world impact 20%
p.1How much time, cost or friction does this remove for the partner in the next month?
- Solves the brief as written, scoped with the partner
- Clear before and after: hours saved, steps removed, people reached
- Partner says they would trial it
Design and usability 15%
p.1Could someone at the partner organisation use it with no training?
- Plain language, no jargon or developer-only screens
- Works on the devices the partner actually uses, including phones
- Accessible: readable contrast, keyboard usable, translation friendly
Presentation 10%
p.2A one minute demo that shows only the project, plus a 100 word description submitted with it.
- Project shown in one minute, no preamble
- 100 word description submitted alongside the demo
- Honest about limits and what is still unfinished
- Clear next step if the project is adopted
Total and tie-breaks
p.2Total score is the sum of the five weighted scores, out of 100. Ties are broken on real-world impact, then on the partner's own score. Judges may award a separate commendation for the strongest first-time team.
Full sheet (PDF)
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