EUROPEAN FREELAND HACKATHON
2027

YOUNG MINDS, REAL CHALLENGES, BETTER CITIES

Reimagine Your City. Shape a Better Future.

Have you ever walked past an abandoned building, an empty square or a neglected park and imagined what it could become?

Now is your chance to turn your ideas into real solutions!

Join the European FREELAND Hackathon, an international online challenge inviting secondary school students aged 14–19 to rethink neglected, abandoned or underused urban spaces and create innovative ideas for greener, more inclusive and sustainable cities.

Working in teams, supported by teachers and local stakeholders, you will explore real challenges in your community, apply STEAM skills and the FREELAND methodology, and present your vision for urban regeneration.

No advanced technical or programming skills are required. Creativity, teamwork and commitment to improving your community are what matter!

[REGISTER YOUR TEAM] | [EXPLORE THE CHALLENGE]

1. ABOUT THE HACKATHON

What is the FREELAND European Hackathon?

The FREELAND Hackathon is a two-month European educational challenge that brings together students, teachers, municipalities and local communities to develop creative solutions for urban regeneration.

Using the FREELAND educational approach, students will:

• Explore their local urban environment and identify neglected or underused spaces.
• Investigate community needs and environmental challenges.
• Develop creative and sustainable regeneration proposals.
• Apply STEAM knowledge and project-based learning.
• Collaborate with teachers, local authorities, experts and communities.
• Present their ideas through a project proposal and a short video.

Your city is your classroom. Your ideas can make a difference.

2. THE CHALLENGE

Find a Space. Imagine a Change. Design a Solution.

Choose a real neglected, abandoned or underused space in your town or city and develop an innovative proposal to transform it into a place that benefits the local community.

Your proposal should consider:

Sustainability and Green Spaces

How can the space become greener, more environmentally friendly and climate-resilient?

Community and Social Inclusion

How can it become a welcoming and accessible place for people of different ages and backgrounds?

Creativity and Innovation

How can art, culture, technology or innovative design bring new life to the space?

Urban Regeneration

How can your proposal improve the quality of life and create long-term value for your community?

Community Engagement

How can residents, municipalities, local organisations and other stakeholders contribute to your solution?

Projects should address real local needs and demonstrate how the proposed transformation could benefit the community.

3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Students

Secondary school students aged 14–19, participating in school teams.

Teachers

Teachers who mentor and support student teams throughout the Hackathon.

Stakeholders

Cities and municipalities, urban planning professionals, NGOs, community organisations and other local stakeholders who can provide knowledge, feedback and support.

The Hackathon is organised online, enabling participation from schools across Europe.

4. HOW DOES IT WORK?

STEP 1 — REGISTER YOUR TEAM

Register your school and student team through the official FREELAND registration form.

[REGISTER NOW]

STEP 2 — EXPLORE YOUR COMMUNITY

Identify a neglected, abandoned or underused urban space.

Investigate its current condition, local needs and opportunities for regeneration.

STEP 3 — DEVELOP YOUR SOLUTION

Work with your team, teacher and relevant stakeholders to design a creative, feasible and sustainable regeneration proposal.

Use FREELAND educational resources, STEAM approaches and collaborative learning methods.

STEP 4 — PREPARE AND SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT

Prepare your project proposal and a short presentation video explaining your idea, its expected benefits and how it could transform the selected space.

Upload your submission to the FREELAND platform before the deadline.

[SUBMIT YOUR PROJECT]

STEP 5 — PROJECT EVALUATION

An international jury will evaluate eligible projects against the published assessment criteria.

The three highest-ranked projects will receive awards.

STEP 6 — CELEBRATE YOUR ACHIEVEMENT

Winning teams will be invited to present their projects online to the audience during the FREELAND Final Conference in Rijeka, Croatia, on 20 April 2027, unless otherwise organised.

The official Award Ceremony will take place during the Final Conference.

5. KEY DATES

Any confirmed changes to the schedule will be published on this page.

6. PRIZES AND RECOGNITION

Your Ideas Deserve Recognition!

The three highest-ranked teams will receive STEAM educational equipment for their schools.

1st PRIZE — €1,500

2nd PRIZE — €1,000

3rd PRIZE — €500

Winning teams will also receive certificates, visibility through FREELAND communication channels and an opportunity to present their projects at the European Final Conference.

AWARD CEREMONY — 20 APRIL 2027

Rijeka, Croatia | FREELAND Final Conference

The winning projects will be celebrated during the project's Final Conference, bringing together students, teachers, project partners, municipalities and stakeholders from across Europe.

7. HOW WILL PROJECTS BE EVALUATED?

Projects will be assessed by an international jury using five main criteria:

Detailed assessment rules, scoring methodology and submission requirements will be available in the official Hackathon Guidelines.

[DOWNLOAD HACKATHON GUIDELINES]

8. RESOURCES AND SUPPORT

Everything You Need to Get Started

Explore the tools and materials designed to help your team throughout the challenge.

• Hackathon Guidelines — Participation rules, submission instructions and evaluation criteria.
• FREELAND Methodology — Educational approaches and practical tools for exploring urban regeneration.
• FREELAND Platform — Resources, project submission and sharing of student solutions.
• National Contact Points — Support and information for participating schools.

[EXPLORE RESOURCES] | [CONTACT YOUR NATIONAL COORDINATOR]

9. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who can participate?

Secondary school students aged 14–19, supported by teachers.

Is the Hackathon online?

Yes. The challenge is organised online, enabling schools from different European countries to participate.

Do we need programming skills?

No. The Hackathon focuses on creativity, urban regeneration, sustainability, STEAM learning and community engagement.

What should we submit?

A project proposal and a short presentation video, following the official Hackathon Guidelines.

Can local authorities or NGOs participate?

They can support teams by providing local knowledge, feedback and expertise.

Where do we submit our project?

Through the official FREELAND platform.

When will the winners be announced?

The selection process will be completed by 24 March 2027. The official Award Ceremony will take place during the Final Conference on 20 April 2027.

Do winning teams have to travel to Rijeka?

No. Winning teams can present their projects online during the Final Conference, unless another arrangement is made.

10. READY TO REIMAGINE YOUR CITY?

Your Community. Your Vision. Your Future.

Join young people across Europe and show how creative thinking, collaboration and innovation can transform our cities.

Be part of the FREELAND European Hackathon 2027!

[REGISTER YOUR TEAM]

ABOUT FREELAND

The FREELAND European Hackathon is organised within the Erasmus+ FREELAND project, bringing together European partners to promote innovative education, STEAM learning, community participation and sustainable urban regeneration.

[FREELAND PROJECT WEBSITE] | infofreelandprojecteu

Co-funded by the European Union.