Meta Opens Its $1M Global AI Developer Hackathon: 20,000 Seats, $150 API Credits Each, and Applications Close October 25
Meta opened applications on 13 Oct 2026 for a free, virtual 10-day AI hackathon running 26 Oct to 4 Nov. Up to 20,000 builders get $150 in Meta Model API credits and compete for a $1M cash pool. India is eligible.
Meta has opened applications for its Global AI Developer Hackathon, a free, virtual, 10-day build sprint with a $1,000,000 cash prize pool. Applications opened on October 13 and close on October 25 at 11:59 PM ET, or earlier if all 20,000 places fill first.
Selected participants get $150 in Meta Model API credits and build on Meta’s Muse models, Muse Code and Meta’s open-weights models. The top prize is $250,000 for the winning startup team.
What Meta Announced
Meta first teased the event at Connect. Its Connect recap describes a global virtual hackathon run with engineers and researchers from Meta Superintelligence Labs, with two tracks and a $1M cash pool.
The official page now has the full schedule. Builders can use the Muse Spark series, Muse Image and SAM 3.1 through Meta Model API, run Meta’s open-weights models, and code with Muse Code, Meta’s agentic coding agent. The event is co-run with Cerebral Valley, which hosts the listing and the submission portal.
The timing follows Meta’s push on its model lineup. We covered the Muse Wonder launch this morning, and the hackathon page lists Muse Wonder among the models on Meta Model API.
Prizes and Benefits
The full breakdown sits in Meta and Cerebral Valley’s Application Overview and Event Waiver.
| Item | Indie Developer track | Startup track |
|---|---|---|
| Track total | $400,000 | $550,000 |
| 1st prize | $150,000 | $250,000 |
| 2nd prize | $100,000 | $150,000 |
| 3rd prize | $75,000 | $75,000 |
| 4th prize | $50,000 | $50,000 |
| 5th prize | $25,000 | $25,000 |
| Bonus prizes (both tracks) | Up to $50,000 in total, such as a community vote or most viral project | |
| API credits | $150 in Meta Model API credits per selected participant | |
| Support | Live workshops from Meta and partners, office hours on Discord | |
Prizes may be paid in US dollars or a local currency equivalent. Winners cover wire fees, currency exchange and taxes, and non-US winners may need to file a W-8BEN form.
Key Dates in PT and IST
Meta lists times in ET. The conversions below assume US daylight time until November 1, so the final submission deadline falls on standard time.
| Milestone | Meta’s time (ET) | PT | IST |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applications open | Oct 13, 9:00 AM | Oct 13, 6:00 AM | Oct 13, 6:30 PM |
| Application deadline | Oct 25, 11:59 PM | Oct 25, 8:59 PM | Oct 26, 9:29 AM |
| Acceptance emails sent by | Oct 26, 9:00 AM | Oct 26, 6:00 AM | Oct 26, 6:30 PM |
| Kickoff livestream | Oct 26 (time not on Meta’s page) | Oct 26 | Oct 26 |
| Workshops and office hours | Oct 27 to Nov 4 | Oct 27 to Nov 4 | Oct 27 to Nov 5 |
| Submissions due | Nov 4, 9:00 PM | Nov 4, 6:00 PM | Nov 5, 7:30 AM |
| Judging | Nov 4 to Nov 8 | Nov 4 to Nov 8 | Nov 5 to Nov 9 |
| Live finals and winners | Nov 9 | Nov 9 | Nov 9 or 10 |
The waiver labels the application deadline “EST”, while the event page just says ET. Apply well before the IST morning of October 26 to be safe. Meta also says dates may change at its discretion.
Who Can Enter
Entrants must be at least 18 and of legal age in their country. The event is open worldwide except where local law bars it.
Residents of Belarus, China, Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Cuba, North Korea, Iran and the Crimea, Donetsk and Luhansk regions are excluded, as are sanctioned people and organisations. Meta and Cerebral Valley staff, government-affiliated individuals and their families are also out.
The Indie Developer track is for individuals and students, in teams of up to four. The Startup track is for technical founders building a product, and Meta has not published a team size cap for it. You pick one track only.
How Selection and Judging Work
Meta scores applications on two equally weighted criteria: how clear and feasible your project idea is, and the technical skill shown in an AI project you have already built. GitHub, LinkedIn or product links help but are not required.
Applications that pass a minimum score are accepted automatically on a rolling basis, up to 20,000. Projects must fit one of two themes: “Build for Your World” or “Push the Frontier”, which covers software, robotics, manufacturing, energy and materials.
Final projects are judged on Impact (30%), Use of Meta AI Tooling (25%), Demo (25%) and Technical Depth and Execution (20%).
How to Apply
- Open the official hackathon page and click Apply now.
- Pick one track and one theme, then describe a clear, buildable project.
- Describe a real AI project you built and the techniques you used, with links if you have them.
- Read and accept the event waiver. The Official Rules come later and must be accepted before October 26.
- Watch your inbox for an acceptance by October 26, 6:30 PM IST.
Rights and Fine Print
You keep ownership of your submission. But you grant the organisers a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to use, modify and publish it, including in marketing.
Anything you share during the event is not treated as confidential. Applicant details may also be shared with sponsors for marketing, and sessions may be recorded. The terms fall under California law.
Confirmed vs Not Stated
| Claim | Status |
|---|---|
| $1M cash prize pool, two tracks | Confirmed by Meta’s page and waiver |
| $150 Meta Model API credits per selected participant | Confirmed in the waiver |
| 20,000 acceptance cap, rolling review | Confirmed |
| Virtual, Oct 26 to Nov 4 | Confirmed |
| Free paid access to Muse Code subscriptions | Not stated; Meta only says you can code with Muse Code |
| Fine-tunes as a named focus area | Not stated on the official page |
| Startup track team size cap | Not stated |
| Official Rules | Not yet published; due before Oct 26 |
| Judges’ names, kickoff time | Not stated |
What It Means for Indian Developers
India is not on the excluded list, so Indian developers aged 18 and over can apply, subject to local law. The deadline lands on Sunday morning, October 26 IST, so do not leave it for that evening.
Submissions close at 7:30 AM IST on November 5, which means the final push runs overnight for India. Workshops are live and US-timed, so expect late sessions.
Prize money can come in rupees or dollars at Meta’s choice. The waiver makes winners responsible for foreign exchange, banking compliance and taxes in their own country, and prize winnings are generally taxable in India. Agent builders may also want our look at Meta’s Poppy agent protocol and DigitalOcean’s agent testing tools.
FAQ
Is the Meta Global AI Developer Hackathon free?
Yes. Meta says it is free to enter if selected, and selected participants get $150 in Meta Model API credits.
When is the application deadline in India?
October 25 at 11:59 PM ET, which is 9:29 AM IST on October 26. It can close earlier if 20,000 people are accepted.
Can I enter as a team?
Yes. The Indie Developer track allows teams of up to four. The Startup track is for founding teams, with no published size limit.
Do I have to use Meta’s models?
Yes. Projects build on Meta Model API, Muse Code or Meta’s open-weights models, and 25% of the score is how well you use Meta’s tools.
Who owns what I build?
You do. Meta and its partners still get a perpetual, non-exclusive licence to use and publish your submission.