Dates
- Submission period: November 12, 2026, 6:00 PM ET to November 14, 2026, 6:00 AM ET.
- Judging and winner announcement: November 14, 2026, at the virtual showcase.
Eligibility
Open to post-secondary students who are at or above the age of majority and reside in Canada. Every team must include at least one currently enrolled University of Waterloo student; other team members may be students at any post-secondary institution. Solo participants must be University of Waterloo students. FCI staff, judges and their immediate families are not eligible for prizes.
Project and Submission Requirements
- All project work must be done during the submission period. Brainstorming and team formation beforehand is fine.
- Open-source libraries, public datasets, APIs and AI tools are allowed; list them in your submission.
- Use only public, open or organizer-provided data. Don’t use personal or confidential data.
- Each person may be on one team only, and each team submits one project.
- Teams keep ownership of their work. By submitting, teams allow FCI and CUI to showcase the project name, description and demo.
- Every team must include at least one currently enrolled University of Waterloo student; other members may be students at any post-secondary institution. Prize winners may be asked to verify student status.
- Organizers may disqualify projects that break these rules or the code of conduct.
- Be respectful. Harassment of any kind is not tolerated in any event channel.
Prizes
$1,500 CAD total, funded by the Future Cities Institute.
| Prize | Amount (CAD) | Winners | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Place | $750 | 1 team | Best overall solution to the winning municipal challenge |
| 2nd Place | $500 | 1 team | Runner-up |
| 3rd Place | $250 | 1 team | Third place |
Judging Criteria
Each criterion is weighted equally (20% each).
| Criterion | What judges look for |
|---|---|
| Municipal impact | Does it meaningfully address the challenge for residents or city staff? |
| Adoptability | Could a real municipality use, pilot or scale this with realistic effort and budget? |
| Use of data and technology | Is data or AI used thoughtfully, accurately and responsibly? |
| Design and clarity | Is it easy to understand and use for its intended audience? |
| Presentation | Does the demo clearly explain the problem, solution and next steps? |
Judges: Municipal leaders and urban practitioners from the CUI Summit, together with FCI staff. Names to be announced.