docs/hackathon.md

# Build Small Hackathon

Source: https://huggingface.co/build-small-hackathon

## Basic Details
- **Host:** Gradio & Hugging Face
- **Registration:** May 7 – June 3, 2026 (CLOSED)
- **Hack Window:** June 5–15, 2026 (ACTIVE)
- **Submission Deadline:** June 15, 2026

## Theme
Build AI applications using **small models (≤32B parameters)** to solve real problems or create delightful experiences. Emphasis on "thinking small" rather than building large-scale B2B SaaS.

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## Tracks

### Track 1: Backyard AI
Solve a real problem for someone you know (neighbor, parent, small-business owner). The person must actually use it.

Judging:
- Problem is specific and real
- Person actually used it
- Honest fit between problem and small-model constraint
- Polish of the Gradio app

Prizes: 1st $4K, 2nd $2.5K, 3rd $1.5K, 4th $1K

### Track 2: Thousand Token Wood
Build something delightful that wouldn't exist without AI — toys, games, interactive stories, art experiments. AI must be load-bearing.

Judging:
- Genuinely delightful
- AI is essential (not just a helper)
- Originality of concept
- Polish of the Gradio app

Prizes: 1st $4K, 2nd $2.5K, 3rd $1.5K, 4th $1K

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## Core Constraints

1. **Small Models Only** — max 32B parameters; must fit on a laptop
2. **Built on Gradio** — Gradio app hosted as a Hugging Face Space
3. **Show, Don't Tell** — working app + demo video + social media post

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## Bonus Quests (Merit Badges)

| Badge | Name | Requirement |
|-------|------|-------------|
| 🔌 | Off the Grid | No cloud APIs; everything runs locally |
| 🎯 | Well-Tuned | Uses a fine-tuned model published on HF |
| 🎨 | Off-Brand | Custom frontend beyond default Gradio (`gr.Server`) |
| 🦙 | Llama Champion | Model runs through llama.cpp runtime |
| 📡 | Sharing is Caring | Published agent trace on the Hub |
| 📓 | Field Notes | Blog post/report about what you built |

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## Prize Pool ($48,000+)

### Main Awards ($18,000)
- Backyard AI: $4K / $2.5K / $1.5K / $1K
- Thousand Token Wood: $4K / $2.5K / $1.5K / $1K
- Community Choice (Hugging Face): $2,000

### Sponsor Awards ($22,000+)
- **OpenBMB ($10K total):** $2.5K / $1.5K / $1K per track (6 awards)
- **OpenAI Track ($10K):** $5K / $3K / $2K
- **NVIDIA Nemotron Quest:** 2× RTX 5080 GPUs
- **Modal ($20K credits):** $10K / $7K / $3K in credits

### Special Awards ($8,000)
- 🎖️ Bonus Quest Champion (most badges): $2,000
- 🎨 Off-Brand Award (best custom UI): $1,500
- 🐜 Tiny Titan (best app ≤4B params): $1,500
- 🎬 Best Demo: $1,000
- 🤖 Best Agent: $1,000
- 🃏 Judges' Wildcard: $1,000

### Per-Participant Credits
- Hugging Face: $20 credits
- Modal: $250 credits
- OpenAI Codex: $100 credits (first 1,000 participants)

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## Sponsors

**Hosts:** Gradio, Hugging Face

**Anchor Sponsors:** OpenBMB, OpenAI, NVIDIA, Modal

**Supporting Sponsors:**
- Cohere ($5,000 cash)
- JetBrains ($5,000 cash)
- Black Forest Labs ($3,000 cash)

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## How to Participate

1. **Register** (CLOSED June 3, 2026)
2. **Find your people** — Gradio Discord: https://discord.gg/YHECTft87Z
3. **Build & ship** — Gradio app hosted as a Space under the `build-small-hackathon` org
4. **Submit** — Space link, demo video, social post by **June 15, 2026**

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## Timeline

| Date | Milestone |
|------|-----------|
| May 7 – Jun 3, 2026 | Registration (closed) |
| Jun 5, 2026 | Hack window begins |
| Mid-window | Live AMA with sponsors |
| Jun 15, 2026 | Submissions close |
| TBD | Winners announced |

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## Resources

- [Gradio Docs](https://www.gradio.app/docs)
- [Gradio Quickstart](https://www.gradio.app/guides/quickstart)
- [Gradio gr.Server (Custom UIs)](https://huggingface.co/blog/introducing-gradio-server)
- [llama.cpp](https://github.com/ggml-org/llama.cpp)
- [ML Intern Guide](https://github.com/huggingface/ml-intern)
- [Hackathon Org](https://huggingface.co/build-small-hackathon)
- [Discord](https://discord.gg/YHECTft87Z)

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## Community Stats (at time of fetch)

- 1,950 registered participants
- 199 active Spaces
- 22 custom models published
- 17 datasets shared
- 4 curated collections

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## Example Submissions

- **Jawbreaker** — Local-first scam defense (MiniCPM5-1B LoRA)
- **Pakistan Notice Helper** — Safety tool for notices (Urdu/English)
- **Room360** — Video-to-3D spatial reconstruction
- **Bedtime Story Machine** — Story generation
- **Resume Bullet Improver** — Career document enhancement
- **AI Study Buddy** — Learning companion

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## Key Notes

- Model size cap: 32B parameters (hard limit)
- Gradio is mandatory; Hugging Face Spaces required for hosting
- Submission = app + demo video + social post
- Community Choice award is voting-based