📜 Code of Conduct

Scale Without Borders is dedicated to providing a safe, comfortable, and harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of the following:

• gender

• gender identity and expression

• age

• sexual orientation

• disability

• physical appearance

• body size

• race

• ethnicity

• nationality

• religion

• political views

• previous hackathon attendance or lack of

• computing experience or lack of

• chosen programming language or tech stack

We do not tolerate harassment of hackathon participants in any form. Sexual language and imagery is not appropriate at any hackathon venue, including:

• hacks

• talks, presentations, or demos

• workshops

• any parties associated with the hackathon

• social media

• any other online media

Hackathon participants violating these rules may be sanctioned or expelled from the hackathon at the discretion of the organizers. 

SCALE WITHOUT BORDERS AI HACKATHON
Official Terms & Conditions
Open to Residents of Canada and the United States

ELIGIBILITY

Participation is open to individuals who meet all of the following criteria:

• Are legal residents of Canada or the United States

• Are legally permitted to participate in contests in their jurisdiction

• Register using a valid email address

• Are at least 18 years old or have permission from a parent or legal guardian

Participants may join individually or in teams.

Ineligible Individuals

The following individuals are not eligible to participate:

• Organizers, employees, contractors, judges, mentors, and sponsors of the Hackathon

• Individuals directly involved in planning or execution of the Hackathon

Quebec Exclusion

Residents of the Province of Quebec are not eligible to participate or receive prizes due to applicable provincial regulatory requirements governing promotional contests.

The Organizer reserves the right to verify eligibility at any time and to disqualify any Participant who does not meet these requirements.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY

No purchase, payment, or fee is required to enter or win. A purchase does not improve chances of winning.

HACKATHON FORMAT & TIMELINE

The Hackathon will follow the official schedule published by the Organizer, including kickoff, workshops, mentorship sessions, submission deadlines, and Demo Day. The Organizer reserves the right to modify the schedule or format with reasonable notice to Participants.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

To ensure fairness and integrity, all Projects must comply with the following:

• All Projects must be conceived and developed during the Hackathon period

• Pre-existing projects, reused hackathon submissions, or significantly pre-built solutions are prohibited

• Plagiarism or unauthorized use of third-party work without proper attribution may result in disqualification

• Participants are responsible for ensuring their Project does not include materials they do not have the legal right to use

• Use of AI-assisted development tools is permitted, provided Participants have the legal right to use all submitted materials

Submission Requirements (Devpost Only)

All submissions must be made through Devpost and must include:

• Project title

• Team member names and registration emails

• Project description and selected challenge track

• Public GitHub repository (if applicable)

• Publicly accessible design files (e.g., Figma) if used

• Demo video, pitch deck, or supporting materials

Only materials submitted via Devpost will be considered for judging.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP)

Participants retain ownership of the intellectual property rights in the original materials, code, designs, and content they create as part of their Projects.

OPEN PROJECT & COMMUNITY LICENSE

The Hackathon is intended to foster open innovation, collaboration, learning, and community problem-solving.

By submitting a Project, Participants acknowledge and agree that:

• Submitted Projects may be publicly displayed, shared, discussed, demonstrated, referenced, remixed, adapted, or built upon by other Participants, sponsors, partners, mentors, judges, and members of the broader community

• Participants are welcome to submit code, prototypes, designs, concepts, workflows, demos, and other original work as part of their Project

• Participants understand that Hackathon submissions may be publicly shared, demonstrated, discussed, or built upon within the Hackathon ecosystem and broader community, and should therefore avoid submitting materials they are not comfortable sharing in a collaborative and public innovation environment

• Participation does not create any obligation of confidentiality, exclusivity, compensation, partnership, funding, employment, or future commercial relationship

• Scale Without Borders, sponsors, partners, Participants, and community members may independently develop or pursue ideas, products, services, or solutions similar to those presented during the Hackathon

By participating in the Hackathon, Participants grant Scale Without Borders, its sponsors, partners, collaborators, and other Hackathon Participants a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to view, use, share, reference, display, discuss, reproduce, adapt, remix, and build upon submitted Projects and related materials for educational, community, innovation, promotional, research, operational, and Hackathon-related purposes.

This license does not transfer ownership of a Project to Scale Without Borders or any third party.

Participants are solely responsible for ensuring they have the legal right to submit all materials included in their Project.

ADOPTION, COLLABORATION & FOLLOW-UP

Participants acknowledge that:

• The Organizer and its partners may review Projects for potential future collaboration, incubation, pilot implementation, partnership, or adoption opportunities

• Participation does not guarantee employment, funding, partnership, implementation, or further adoption of any kind

• Any collaboration, commercialization, implementation, licensing, investment, employment, or partnership beyond the scope of these Terms & Conditions will require separate written agreements between the relevant parties

PRIZES

Total cash prizes of up to CAD $2,500 will be awarded. All prizes are denominated and paid in Canadian dollars (CAD), regardless of the Participant’s country of residence. Participants are solely responsible for any currency conversion costs, banking fees, and tax obligations arising from receipt of prizes in their jurisdiction.

Additional sponsor-specific or challenge-based prizes may be announced separately.

All prizes are subject to:

• Eligibility verification

• Compliance with these Terms & Conditions

• Final confirmation by the judging panel

Prizes are non-transferable unless otherwise stated.

JUDGING CRITERIA

Projects will be evaluated on a 100-point scale across the following categories:

• Originality & Innovation — 25 points

• Problem Relevance & Impact — 25 points

• Technical Implementation — 25 points

• Presentation Quality — 25 points

Judging criteria may be clarified or adjusted by the Organizer in good faith to ensure fairness and consistency.

WINNER SELECTION

• Top-scoring teams will be invited to present at Demo Day

• Final winners will be selected based on aggregate scores, presentation quality, and overall impact

• Judges’ decisions are final and binding

• The Organizer reserves the right to resolve scoring disputes at its sole discretion

PUBLICITY & PROMOTIONAL CONSENT

By participating in the Hackathon, Participants consent to the use of their name, likeness, submitted materials, Project information, screenshots, recordings, and related content by Scale Without Borders and its partners for promotional, educational, marketing, reporting, and community purposes in any media format, without additional compensation, unless prohibited by applicable law.

INDEMNIFICATION

Participants agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Scale Without Borders, its affiliates, partners, sponsors, judges, mentors, employees, and contractors from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising from:

• Participation in the Hackathon

• Submission or use of any Project materials

• Violation of these Terms & Conditions

• Alleged infringement of intellectual property or third-party rights

• Any misconduct or unlawful activity by the Participant

LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law:

• The Organizer is not responsible for technical issues, lost submissions, system failures, or connectivity problems

• The Hackathon is provided “as is” without warranties of any kind

• Participation is at the Participant’s sole risk

• The Organizer is not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages

DISQUALIFICATION

The Organizer reserves the right to disqualify any Participant or Project acting reasonably and in good faith for:

• Rule violations

• Plagiarism or cheating

• Harassment or misconduct

• Attempted manipulation of judging or submission systems

• Any behavior deemed unfair or harmful to the integrity of the Hackathon

GOVERNING LAW & JURISDICTION

These Terms & Conditions are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada applicable therein, without regard to conflict of law principles. Participants from the United States and other jurisdictions consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Ontario, Canada for any disputes arising from or relating to participation in the Hackathon.MODIFICATION OR TERMINATIONThe Organizer reserves the right to:

• Modify, suspend, or terminate the Hackathon at any time

• Update these Terms & Conditions as required for legal, operational, or fairness reasons

• Interpret and enforce these rules acting reasonably and in good faith

ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS

By registering for or participating in the Hackathon, Participants acknowledge that they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms & Conditions in their entirety.