ImpactForge — Online Social-Good Hackathon, ₹27,600 Prize Pool
A beginner-friendly hackathon for social good, run fully online from 19 June to 24 July 2026. Low-code and no-code builds welcome, with a prize pool of up to ₹27,600 and no country limits.
- Funding amount
- ₹27,600 (competition)
- Funding type
- Competition
- Application deadline
- Closed (24 Jul 2026)
- Eligible stage
- Any stage
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Overview
ImpactForge is a hackathon with a social-purpose brief: entrants build technology that does something useful for people or communities. It runs entirely on the internet, is hosted on Devpost, and is organised by ImpactForge itself.
The competition is pitched deliberately wide. Rather than assuming a room full of experienced engineers, it invites low-code and no-code approaches, which means first-time builders and people without a development background can enter and still be competitive.
Timeline
The build window opens on 19 June 2026 and closes on 24 July 2026, which is also the submission deadline. Everything happens online, so there is no travel and no venue to get to.
Team or solo
You can take part on your own or put together a team — the format supports both.
Prizes
There is a cash prize pool of up to ₹27,600 on offer for the strongest entries.
Who it is for
Hobbyists, students, working professionals and founders all sit in the same pool. Anyone with an interest in using technology for social impact is welcome, and no previous coding experience is needed.
Where it is open
Participation is worldwide — there are no country or region limits, so applicants in India are eligible on the same terms as everyone else.
Highlights
- Online social-good hackathon running 19 June to 24 July 2026
- Cash prize pool of up to ₹27,600
- Open to entrants anywhere in the world, with no regional limits
- Beginner-friendly — no coding experience required
- Low-code and no-code builds are encouraged
- Enter solo or as a team; submissions close 24 July 2026
Who can apply
ImpactForge is open to participants anywhere in the world. There are no country, region or residency limits, and no restrictions based on where you are based.
- Skill level: all levels are welcome, including complete beginners. No previous coding experience is required.
- Who should enter: anyone interested in building tech for social impact — students, working professionals, founders and hobbyists.
- Non-developers: low-code and no-code solutions are actively encouraged, so people who do not write code themselves can still take part.
- Team size: you may work alone or as part of a team.
- Registrations: DPIIT recognition or MSME registration is not needed — this is an open competition, not a government scheme, and entry is at individual or team level rather than through a registered company.
ImpactForge — Online Social-Good Hackathon, ₹27,600 Prize Pool is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.
- Eligible stage
- Any stage
- Location
- Open to startups registered in India
Deadline & timing
The most recent application window for ImpactForge — Online Social-Good Hackathon, ₹27,600 Prize Pool closed on 24 Jul 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.
What the funding covers
ImpactForge is a prize competition, so the reward is a cash award rather than an investment or a grant disbursed against milestones.
- Prize pool: up to ₹27,600 in total, awarded to the strongest entries.
- No equity: the prizes are cash awards, so nothing is taken in return and no stake in your project is acquired.
- Cost of taking part: the hackathon is an open online competition hosted on Devpost, and there is no fee or equity-based entry requirement described in the programme details.
- What you keep: you build your own solution during the event and submit it; the programme's stated value to you is the prize money plus the finished project itself.
Because the amounts are modest, the practical benefit for most entrants is the working prototype, the deadline-driven push to ship something, and the chance to test an idea in front of judges — not the cash alone.
How to apply
Applications are submitted on the . Confirm the current deadline and document checklist there before you start.
Selection process
There is no multi-round screening or interview stage here. The route is register, build, submit, and then be judged.
The flow works like this:
- Registration: sign up through the official Devpost listing for the hackathon.
- Build period: work on your project between 19 June and 24 July 2026, solo or with a team.
- Submission: submit your project before the deadline of 24 July 2026.
- Judging: entries are assessed against three criteria — creativity, impact and feasibility.
The prize pool of up to ₹27,600 goes to the entries that score best across those criteria.
Documents you’ll need
Before you apply to ImpactForge — Online Social-Good Hackathon, ₹27,600 Prize Pool, keep the following documents ready:
- A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
- Company registration documents and PAN
- Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
- Recent financial statements or projections
- Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available
Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.
Who this is best for
ImpactForge — Online Social-Good Hackathon, ₹27,600 Prize Pool is best suited for startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹27,600. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.
Frequently asked questions
How much prize money does ImpactForge offer?
The total prize pool is up to ₹27,600, paid out as cash awards to the strongest entries. It is a competition prize rather than a grant or an investment, and no equity is taken in your project in return.
What is the application deadline for ImpactForge?
The closing date is 24 July 2026. The hackathon's build period opens earlier, on 19 June 2026, and runs right through to that deadline. Since everything happens online, make sure your submission is in before 24 July 2026.
Who is eligible to take part?
Anyone, anywhere in the world. There are no country or region restrictions, and entrants of all skill levels are welcome — students, working professionals, founders and hobbyists are all explicitly in scope.
Do I need to know how to code to enter?
No. ImpactForge is designed to be beginner-friendly, and no previous coding experience is required. Low-code and no-code tools are encouraged specifically so that non-developers and people building their first project can compete.
Can I enter as part of a team, or do I have to work alone?
You can do either. The hackathon allows participants to work individually or to form a team, so there is no requirement to go solo.
Is DPIIT recognition or MSME registration needed to apply?
No. This is an open online hackathon rather than a government funding scheme, so there is no DPIIT or MSME requirement. Entry is at individual or team level, and the eligibility rules are simply about being a participant.
How are the entries judged?
Submissions are evaluated on three criteria: creativity, impact and feasibility. The projects that score best across those three areas are the ones that share the prize pool of up to ₹27,600.
Does ImpactForge take equity in my project?
No. The programme offers cash prizes, not investment, so there is no equity stake taken and nothing to give up in return for the award.
What kind of projects should I build?
The focus is social good — technology that creates a positive impact for people or communities. Low-code and no-code solutions are actively encouraged, so you are not expected to produce a complex engineering build to be in the running.
How do I apply for ImpactForge?
Registration and submission both happen through the official Devpost page at https://impactforge.devpost.com/. That is the channel for signing up, getting the hackathon details, and submitting your finished project.
Alternatives to ImpactForge — Online Social-Good Hackathon, ₹27,600 Prize Pool
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