The GitLab AI Hackathon is open! Artificial intelligence is no longer content with just writing code. Today, it’s tackling the real bottlenecks of the software development lifecycle: planning, security, compliance, deployments.
GitLab challenges the global developer community with its GitLab AI Hackathon, a competition that invites participants to create AI agents capable of automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks that slow down teams daily. With $65,000 in prizes to be won and exclusive access to the GitLab Duo Agent platform, this is an opportunity to shape the future of AI-assisted development.
The GitLab AI Hackathon Challenge: Building Agents, Not Chatbots
Each participant must create at least one custom public agent or a public flow using the GitLab Duo Agent platform. Projects can leverage tools, triggers, and context to solve concrete problems. The best submissions will tell a story. Here’s the problem, here’s how the agent solves it, here’s what changes for developers. Think about building a digital teammate for every GitLab user.
Deliverables include the project URL in the GitLab AI Hackathon group (public source code under an open-source license), a detailed textual description of the functionalities, and a maximum 3-minute demonstration video on YouTube or Vimeo.
Practical Info & Calendar
The hackathon takes place entirely online, open to a global audience. The competition started on March 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT and ends at the same time on the same day (deadline: March 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT).
Key Dates
- Submission Deadline: March 25, 2026, at 2:00 PM EDT
- Winner Announcement: Information not communicated (to be confirmed)
Prizes
- Grand Prize: $15,000 + 1000 swag points
- Special Categories: Most Technically Impressive, Most Impactful, Easiest to Use ($5000 each + 1000 swag points)
- Honorable Mention: $500 × 6 winners + 320 swag points
- Google Cloud + GitLab Bonus: Grand Prize $10,000 + Runner Up $3500
- Anthropic + GitLab Bonus: Grand Prize $10,000 + Runner Up $3500
- Green Agent Prize: $3000
- Sustainable Design Bonus: $500 × 4 winners
Who can participate in the GitLab AI Hackathon?
The GitLab Hackathon is open to all participants who have reached the legal age of majority in their country of residence. The competition welcomes applicants from all countries and territories, with the exception of jurisdictions subject to standard restrictions.
Participation details:
- Teams: Information not communicated (to be confirmed)
- Required level: All levels (accessible to beginner to intermediate AI developers)
- Languages: Information not communicated (to be confirmed)
- Registration fee: Free
To maximize your chances of winning, you can aim for the additional bonuses: $13,500 by using Google Cloud with GitLab, $13,500 by integrating Anthropic via GitLab, or $3000 for eco-friendly agents.
Evaluation Criteria & Rules
A qualified jury will evaluate projects based on four main areas:
- Technological Implementation: Quality of software development, utilization of the GitLab Duo Agent platform (tools, triggers, context), code cleanliness.
- Design & Ergonomics: Polished user experience, ease of agent installation and configuration, workflow consistency.
- Potential Impact: Scope of impact on the target community, effective resolution of “AI paradox” bottlenecks (reduction of manual tasks in planning, security, operations).
- Idea Quality: Creativity, originality of the concept, improvement over existing solutions.
Projects must comply with open-source licenses, be publicly accessible, and the main license must be clearly visible in the “Project information” section of the repository. Agents must react to triggers and take concrete actions, not just respond in chat mode.
Resources & Official Links
Why participate in the GitLab AI Hackathon?
Your creation could be deployed to thousands of GitLab users worldwide. This is an opportunity to make a real impact, not just let a project sit dormant in a repository. You will develop sought-after skills in agentic AI, expand your network by interacting with the Discord community, and gain access to exclusive educational resources. Not to mention the $65,000 in rewards that recognize innovation and technical excellence.
