Rocket.Chat is the world's largest open source communications platform.

Built for organizations that need more control over their communications, it enables collaboration between colleagues, partners, customers, communities, and even platforms without compromises on data ownership, customizations, or integrations.

Tens of millions of users in over 150 countries and both public and private organizations trust Rocket.Chat every day to keep their communications completely private and secure.

A message from Gabriel Engel

CEO and Founder at Rocket.Chat

Hackathon starts soon!

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How to participate

Get familiar with Rocket.Chat.

Check the resources section below and pick a challenge.

Register for the hackathon!

Hack on and have fun!

Form a team before the starting date or go solo.

Challenges – All you need to know

Apps development

The Rocket.Chat Apps Engine is built on top of Node.js VM module, which means most of the environment setup will be around running that module within your workspace.
For writing an App, you need to write and execute TypeScript code. Although most definitions are handled within the Apps Engine CLI, you need to understand where the code leads you to know how your App interacts with the Rocket.Chat server and APIs. This allows you to seamlessly integrate your app with the chat system.

Bot integrations

Regardless of bot type (e.g. Hubot, Botkit, Botpress Rasa, etc.), the Rocket.Chat SDK enables you to create a configuration with some variables for your environment. With a bot, you can automate workflows within chat, and use triggers and smart actions to interact with the APIs and external systems.

Omnichannel

Omnichannel is a communication strategy essential to acquire and retaining customers. It’s designed to create an exceptional customer experience across the company’s brands, building a better relationship with their audience. It gives consumers a choice to engage with companies on their favorite channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, Messenger, SMS, Email, WeChat, and so on. Also, it includes the Livechat widget that can be easily integrated with any (web)service.

System Integration

With the big variety of APIs, webhooks, and programming options it is possible to integrate with about anything. It can combine app, bot, and/or omnichannel integration or be triggered on external webhooks only. These system integrations can be as simple as your smart office coffee machine or as a complex as the integration of FHIR electronic patient records.

Wildcard

Additional challenge

Participants are also welcome to submit their own idea for improvement to Rocket.Chat. 

CHECK THE AGENDA

Registration starts:

10/10 at 16.00 CET

Hackathon starts:

07/11 at 16.00 CET

First checkpoint session:

09/11 at 16.00 CET

Second checkpoint session:

11/11 at 16.00 CET

Hackathon closing session:

14/11 at 16.00 CET

Evaluation phase:

14/11 – 18/11

Award ceremony:

21/11 at 16.00 CET

Prizes

€ 5 000

€ 3 000

€ 2 500

€ 1 500

€1 000

All you need to know

Winning submissions for cash prizes

  • Must meet the minimum scoring to qualify, the following criteria will be used to evaluate submissions:
    • Completeness of the submission, such as documentation and a polished user experience with a few bugs
    • Quality of all materials submitted;
    • Originality and uniqueness of ideas;
    • Sustainability in terms of code organization and structure (well-written code);

Anything submitted after the due date will not be evaluated, except for changes to documentation made by November 14th, 2022, (16:00 CET).

Rules

  • You can participate either as an individual or as part of a team. There is a limit of five members per team. If a team with more than one member wins a cash prize, the prize will be allocated equally to all members.
  • Contractors from Rocket.Chat and staff from the European Commission can participate but are not eligible for the cash prizes.
  • Your submission should be developed entirely during the Hackathon period (November 7th to November 14th ).
  • You can use PHP and JavaScript programming languages like Typescript, React, and Meteor to develop your solution and you are encouraged to use open source libraries and other freely available systems/services.

  • Hackathon projects are submitted on the Hackathon platform. Follow the instructions above to submit your project.
  • Cash prize winners will need to submit a form with their contact information for tax purposes.
  • By participating in the Hackathon, you agree to the Terms and Conditions

Submission Guidelines

  • Projects should be submitted on the platform. This entry will be used to review the submission.
  • Demonstration of your work allows us to evaluate the submission easily.
  • You should indicate the public sector area to which your idea will be applied.
  • This often includes a brief video (screen capture with voice-over) that gives an overview of the project, its motivation, and how it works to achieve it.
  • We also encourage basic documentation with a screenshot of the solution in action, a list of features, and a development guide if applicable. We will give more details during the hackathon.

Participation Certificate and swag prizes

To receive a participation certificate and a swag prize, you will need to:

  • Fill in your profile page with all information required.
  • Be a solo or active member of a team and submit your meaningful work (you need to score a minimum of five points) by the end of the Hackathon on November 14th, 2022, 16:00 CET.

For more information about scoring please check article four of the Terms and Conditions

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS?
WE ARE HERE TO HELP

Do I need to have any specific qualifications to be a participant in the Hackathon?

We strongly recommend reviewing the RocketGov resources before the hackathon. However, it’s not required, only recommended!

How do I submit what I have made for the Hackathon?

Please follow the submission guidelines described above.

Does the entire idea have to work fully?

No, it doesn’t need to be fully implemented. However, the submission should be functional so that the judges can evaluate it. Nevertheless, we prefer complete solutions.

Do I need to give a presentation on my submission?

There will be no live presentations. We encourage you to submit a small presentation or video that demonstrates your submission. However, it’s not mandatory. In case you are one of the winners, you might be invited to demo your solution at a virtual or write an article about it, details of which will be shared with sufficient advance notice. Such an invitation would not be mandatory to accept.

Organised by

European Commission logo
Rocket.chat logo