Hackathon terms

1. The organiser

The Forge Hackathon 2026 (the "Hackathon") is organised by Coetara Technologies Limited ("Coetara", "Forge", "we"), trading as Coetara Forge. By submitting an entry you agree to these terms.

2. Who can enter

• Individuals aged 18 or over, entering alone or as a team of up to 5 people.
• Entrants may be based anywhere, but ventures must be built for African markets.
• Ventures must be at an early stage. Ventures that have raised institutional venture capital funding are not eligible. Grants, prize money and money from friends and family do not count as institutional funding.
• Employees of Coetara and members of the judging panel, and their immediate families, may not enter.

3. How to enter

• Complete the submission form at https://forge.coetara.com/apply before Sunday 25 October 2026, 23:59 WAT.
• One submission per person. A person may appear as a team member on one submission only.
• Incomplete, late, or automated entries will not be considered.
• Entering is free. We will never ask for a payment to enter or to progress.

4. Judging and selection

Every complete submission is read and scored by trained reviewers against five questions: a real problem, a credible solution, a route to customers, the right team, and a business. Shortlisted teams are invited to the online build. Finalists are invited to present in person in Lagos. Judges' decisions are final. We may not be able to give individual feedback on every entry.

5. The prize

Forge has set aside a seed investment pool of up to US$15,000, to be shared among the winning teams. Forge decides how many teams win and how the pool is shared, and may award less than the full amount, or no award, if entries do not meet the standard. Any investment:

• is made on standard terms that are shared with the winning teams before any agreement is signed;
• is subject to due diligence, a signed investment agreement, and the laws that apply to the parties; and
• is not a cash prize and cannot be exchanged for cash.

Winning teams are also invited into Cohort 01 of the Forge programme. Taking part in the Hackathon does not guarantee investment or a place in any programme.

6. Your ideas and your work

• You keep full ownership of your idea, your submission and anything you build during the Hackathon.
• You give Forge permission to read, store and share your submission with its reviewers and judges, only to run the Hackathon.
• If you are shortlisted, you agree that Forge may publish your name, your venture's name and a short description to announce the shortlist and results. We will ask before publishing anything more.
• You confirm the submission is your own work or your team's, and that it does not infringe anyone else's rights.

7. Confidentiality

Forge treats submissions with care and limits access to the people running the Hackathon. However, Forge does not sign confidentiality agreements at the submission stage, and many entrants work on similar problems. Do not include anything you need to keep confidential.

8. Conduct

Entrants must act honestly and treat other entrants, mentors and the Forge team with respect. Forge may disqualify any entrant who gives false information, behaves abusively, or tries to interfere with the Hackathon.

9. Travel and costs

Entrants are responsible for their own costs unless Forge agrees otherwise in writing. Arrangements for the Lagos final, including any support, are shared with finalists.

10. Data protection

Your personal data is handled as described in our privacy notice, in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

11. Changes

Forge may change the timeline, format or these terms if it needs to, for example because of events outside its control. If a change affects entrants, we will tell every entrant by email and update this page.

12. Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

13. Contact

Questions about these terms: forge@coetara.com.