Summary: Team up, get creative, and dive into a thrilling two-day Innovation Challenge where your ideas come to life!

💻 Join the Innovation Challenge at the Ada Scotland Festival with Lloyds Banking Group! Team up, get creative, and dive into a thrilling two-day challenge where your ideas come to life!

Whatever your skillset, this is your chance to make a difference. Whether you prototype a game, train an AI model, develop an app, create a data-driven solution or explore a completely new approach, you’ll have the chance to develop an innovative solution that helps close the gender gap in STEM, creates opportunities for future generations.

🚀 What to expect:

Are you ready to dive into the world of tech?

Whether you’re a seasoned engineer, a curious tech enthusiast, or simply eager to dive into the world of modern technology, this event is for you.

This challenge is a fast-paced, creative sprint where developers, designers, and innovators come together to prototype bold new ideas. It’s a chance to experiment with fresh mechanics, art styles, and concepts—all under time pressure.

Seventy-two brilliant minds will form teams of six to take on the challenge in this high-energy competition.

This is a two-day event:

Day One 4 Nov: 10:00 to 16:00
Day Two 5 Nov: 10:00 to 16:00

Teams will also be invited to stay for the Ada Scotland Festival Closing Celebration from 16:00 to 18:00 on 5 Nov when the Hackathon Winners will be announced.

🎫 Who can register:

Teams of up to six students currently studying at Scottish universities and colleges. This challenge champions gender diversity in computing science and technology so teams should be majority female, non-binary or LGBTQ+. Please make everyone in the team uses the same team name on the form.

If you are an individual wishing to join the challenge please specify this on the Eventbrite form and we can allocate you a team.

We’re excited to welcome participants who share our passion for creativity, collaboration, and inclusion!

🎮 How to take part:

Sign up your team of six here to join us in Dundee where you’ll tackle a challenge with your teammates using your own devices and preferred technologies to deliver a solution.

🎨 Team Composition Guidelines:

At the heart of a successful Game Jam team is a diverse mix of skills, creativity, and collaboration. You don’t need to be a studying in the computing sciences to take part — in fact, we encourage a variety of backgrounds and talents!

The Ada Scotland Festival champions gender diversity in computing science and technology so teams should be majority female, non-binary or LGBTQ+. Male allies are very welcome to join us.

An ideal team might include:

• At least two software engineers/participants studying software development who have at least beginner level coding (something front end or mobile)
• Plus a blend of data science, design, analysis, presentation, or product thinking skills
• Whether you’re a coder, a storyteller, a designer, or someone who loves solving problems – there’s a place for you here.
• Hackathon teams are made up of 6 members. If you’re registering as part of a team, please ensure no more than 6 people enter using the same team’s name.
• Please aim for a balanced skill set. Avoid having all six members with the same role or expertise — variety is key to innovation!
• If you’re signing up solo, we’ll match you accordingly with others to create a well-rounded team where everyone can contribute and thrive.

💻 What equipment/access do I need?

To take part in the Hackathon, please bring your personal laptop with Wi-Fi capability and don’t forget your power cable.

Ideally, your laptop should have an HDMI or USB-C connector to support smooth team collaboration and presentations.

This is a fantastic opportunity to connect, create, and contribute to a more inclusive tech community — so bring your ideas, your energy, and your curiosity. We can’t wait to see what you’ll build! More questions? Please contact the Ada Scotland Team at hello@ada.scot

Where: Cyber Quarter, Abertay University, Dundee

When:

10:00 to 16:00 Wednesday 4 November 2026

10:00 to 16:00 Thursday 5 November 2026

How to take part:

Register your team on Eventbrite or for solo places please email hello@ada.scot

Check out the festival calendar of events here

Find out more about our partners here