| Dates ⟩

All times mentioned below are in Indian Standard Time (IST, UTC+5:30):

  • | Registration Opens ⟩: Live now!

  • | Registration Closes ⟩: November 6, 2026 at 11:59 PM IST

  • | Hackathon Submissions Open ⟩: November 10, 2026 at 10:00 PM IST

  • | Hackathon Submissions Close (Hard Deadline) ⟩: November 11, 2026 at 10:00 PM IST (24-Hour Virtual Sprint)

  • | Evaluation & Judging Period ⟩: November 11, 2026 at 10:30 PM IST – November 14, 2026 at 10:30 PM IST

  • | Winner Announcement ⟩: November 15, 2026

| Eligibility ⟩

  • | Open to All Backgrounds ⟩: Open globally to undergraduate and graduate students, academic researchers, PhD scholars, faculty members, independent developers, and industry professionals.

  • | Team Size ⟩: You may participate as an individual (solo) or in teams of up to 3 members (1–3 members per team).

  • | Interdisciplinary & Multi-Affiliation Teams ⟩: Teams can consist of members across different universities, academic departments, research labs, or industry organizations.

  • | Virtual Access ⟩: The Atomiq Hackathon (Nov 10–11) is entirely virtual and accessible to participants worldwide. (Note: On-site Day 1 workshops at the IEM Kolkata campus are reserved for IEM/UEM affiliates; all external registrants participate virtually across Days 2 & 3).

| Project and Submission Requirements ⟩

Important Notice: Please note that all submitted projects will be displayed publicly in the Devpost Project Gallery upon submission.

To qualify for evaluation, every team must submit their project via Devpost before the submission deadline (Nov 11, 2026 at 10:00 PM IST) with the following components:

  • | Public GitHub Repository ⟩:

    • Must contain functional, clean, and well-documented source code implementing quantum algorithms, simulators, or hybrid architectures using any quantum SDK or open-source framework of your choice.

    • Include a standard dependency manifest (requirements.txt, environment.yml, or equivalent).

    • Include an open-source license file (LICENSE.md or LICENSE.txt, e.g., MIT, Apache 2.0).

  • | Comprehensive Project README ⟩:

    • Summary & Motivation: Problem statement, chosen hackathon domain, and core objective.

    • Quantum Technical Implementation: Detailed breakdown of your circuit topology, mathematical formulation, and algorithms used (e.g., QAOA, VQE, QSVM, quantum kernels, state preparation, or custom ansatz).

    • The "Chi(r)ps & Qreativity" Connection: How your solution engages creatively with quantum mechanics, simulation, or device noise.

    • Step-by-Step Instructions: Instructions for local reproduction, simulator execution, or cloud deployment.

  • | Demonstration Video (1–2 Minutes) ⟩:

    • Hosted on a publicly accessible platform (YouTube, Vimeo, Loom, or unrestricted Google Drive link).

    • Must feature an elevator pitch, an architecture/circuit walk-through, and a live demonstration showing execution outputs or visualizations.

  • | Devpost Form Metadata ⟩:

    • Project title and punchy one-line tagline.

    • Selected hackathon domain tag (e.g., Aerospace and Defense, AIML, Fintech, etc.).

    • Complete listing of all team members and their designated contributions.

| Prizes ⟩

  • | Cash Prize Pool for Top 3 ⟩: A dedicated monetary prize pool awarded to the Top 3 winning teams of the hackathon.

  • | Official IBM Quantum Recognition ⟩: Official certificates of completion and participation issued under the auspices of IBM Quantum for all eligible submissions meeting baseline requirements.

  • | Verifiable Digital Credentials ⟩: Digital badges, achievement stickers, and credentials issued via Certifier for top-performing teams, domain track winners, and runners-up.

  • | Global Spotlight for Top 10 ⟩: The Top 10 teams will receive dedicated feature recognition and spotlights across official media platforms and community showcase feeds.

  • | Public Leaderboard ⟩: A comprehensive event leaderboard will be published for all participating teams post-evaluation.

| Judging Criteria and Winner Selection ⟩

Submissions will be evaluated by our panel of quantum researchers, faculty advisors, and mentors based on the following weighted criteria:

  • | Quantum Technical Rigor & Depth (35%) ⟩: Theoretical soundness, algorithmic complexity, circuit optimization, and effective implementation using quantum tools or simulators.

  • | Originality & "Qreativity" (25%) ⟩: Inventiveness of the concept, novel translation of the problem into quantum states, and imaginative resonance with the Chi(r)ps & Qreativity theme.

  • | Practical Viability & Code Quality (20%) ⟩: Code cleanliness, modularity, error resilience, documentation readability, and ease of reproducibility.

  • | Presentation, Video Demo & Pitch (20%) ⟩: Clarity of the 1–2 minute video demonstration, structural quality of the repository README, and effective communication of the project's impact.