From Objectives to Action
PROJECT TIMELINE
15-MONTH JOURNEY FROM CONCEPT TO IMPLEMENTATION
Kick-off
Project kick-off meeting and website foundation
Kick-off
Project kick-off meeting and website foundation
Development
Development of comprehensive Hackathon Guide
Development
Development of comprehensive Hackathon Guide
Pilot hackathons
Pilot hackathons in Germany, Italy, and Turkey
Pilot hackathons
Pilot hackathons in Germany, Italy, and Turkey
International finale
International hackathon and educator training
International finale
International hackathon and educator training
Final guide
Final guide refinement and dissemination
Final guide
Final guide refinement and dissemination
Kick-off
Project kick-off meeting and website foundation
Development
Development of comprehensive Hackathon Guide
Pilot hackathons
Pilot hackathons in Germany, Italy, and Turkey
International finale
International hackathon and educator training
Final guide
Final guide refinement and dissemination
Planning is not bureaucracy — it is the act of turning a good idea into a real experience. Without clear objectives, a realistic budget, and the right team, even the most enthusiastic organisers find themselves improvising under pressure.
SETTING OBJECTIVES
The foundation of every successful hackathon is a set of clearly defined objectives. Without well-articulated goals, a hackathon risks becoming an unfocused event that fails to deliver meaningful learning outcomes.
OUTCOME OBJECTIVES
What teams will produce: a working prototype, a campaign concept, a service design, a community initiative. These are the tangible results that can be seen, evaluated, and celebrated. Example: "Teams will produce a working prototype addressing a defined local challenge, presented in a 10-minute final session."
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
What individual participants will know, understand, or be able to do. These connect the hackathon to your curriculum and competency frameworks (DigComp, GreenComp). Example: "Participants will demonstrate the ability to apply design thinking to a real-world problem."
IMPACT OBJECTIVES
The longer-term change you hope to see: in institutional culture, in participants' career trajectories, or in the community problem you are addressing. Example: "At least two teams continue developing their solution after the event."
THE SMART FRAMEWORK
SPECIFIC
Define exactly what teams will produce and what participants will learn.
MEASURABLE
Include criteria for judging whether the objective has been met.
ACHIEVABLE
Set realistic goals for your timeframe, resources and participants' skill levels.
RELEVANT
Connect to curriculum requirements, industry needs and participants' real contexts.
TIME-BOUND
State when the objective will be achieved — outcome and learning objectives must be met by the final presentation.
STRONG OBJECTIVES
Describe a specific, observable outcome: what teams will deliver or demonstrate.
Realistic for the time, resources and skill level available.
Connected to real VET curriculum priorities and genuine community needs.
Include criteria for judging whether the objective has been met.
State a clear endpoint — the final presentation — and work backwards.
WEAK OBJECTIVES
Vague:
"Participants will learn about sustainability."
Overambitious: "Teams will build a fully deployed app."
Disconnected from learning goals or participant context.
No measurable success criteria — "have a good experience."
Open-ended with no defined finish line or evaluation moment.
Objectives should align with your institutional mission, curriculum requirements and the broader goals of vocational education — while remaining specific enough to guide practical planning decisions.
CHOOSING YOUR THEME
THE DIGICOLLAB FRAMEWORK
Based on the DigiCollab project experience and Erasmus+ priorities, effective hackathon challenges should address four interconnected pillars. The most impactful events integrate at least two of these in meaningful ways.
THE FOUR PILLARS
Technical competencies
Digital confidence
Problem-solving, critical thinking, and authentic use of digital tools to solve real challenges
Climate action
Green innovation
Real-world environmental challenges, green skills, and innovative thinking around climate action
Equal participation
Inclusive solutions
Equal participation opportunities, supporting disadvantaged groups, and inclusive solutions
Civic engagement
Collaborative skills
Fostering transparency and enabling communities to participate in decisions
SELECTING THE FORMAT
The format of your hackathon — in-person, fully virtual, or hybrid — shapes the participant experience, the depth of collaboration possible, and the logistical demands on your team. There is no universally best choice. The right format is the one that aligns with your objectives, your participants' circumstances, and the resources you have available.
Format determines what kind of collaboration is possible, not just where people sit. Choose it based on what your participants need to do together, not on habit or convenience.
Face-to-face · shared space
◎ Strongest bonding
Physical proximity builds trust quickly
◎ Hands-on prototyping
Best for physical materials & making
◎ Easy facilitation
Organisers respond in real time
△ Geographic barrier
All participants must travel to one location
Entirely online · no venue
◎ Global reach
Anyone with internet can participate
◎ Lowest cost
No venue, catering, or travel
◎ Zero travel emissions
Best carbon footprint of all formats
△ Harder to bond
Works best when participants already know each other
Local teams · global connections
◎ Best of both
In-person bonding + remote expert access
◎ Cross-border
Multi-site, cross-institution collaboration
◎ Lower travel cost
No need for everyone to travel to one place
△ Dual complexity
Requires reliable internet at every site
Students from the same class already know each other — a virtual format can work well. When teams are formed across different organisations or institutions, participants are likely meeting for the first time. In these cases, in-person or hybrid formats provide the face-to-face time needed to build trust for genuine collaboration.
PRACTICAL CONSTRAINTS | ||
|---|---|---|
👥 | Participants | Can everyone travel to one place — or are they distributed across sites? |
💰 | Budget | What is available for venue, catering, technology, and travel? |
💻 | Technology | What is available for venue, catering, technology, and travel? |
🕐 | Capacity | What internet infrastructure and devices are available at your site? |
🛠 | Hands-on work | How much planning time and organisational bandwidth do you have? |
OBJECTIVES & PARTICIPANT PROFILE | ||
|---|---|---|
🎯 | Goals | Is international collaboration or cross-institution connection a priority? |
🤝 | Bonding | How important is building interpersonal trust between participants? |
📶 | Digital skills | Is learning to collaborate online itself one of the learning objectives? |
👥 | Familiarity | Do participants already know each other — or are they meeting for the first time? |
♿ | Accessibility | Are there participants with travel barriers: mobility, caregiving, or cost? |
CREATING YOUR TIMELINE
START AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE
Start as early as possible. Many tasks — venue booking, budget approval, mentor recruitment, school-side coordination — take far longer than expected.
MILESTONE OVERVIEW
3+ Months Before
· Core team confirmed · Objectives finalised · Budget initiated · Venue identified
3+ Months Before
· Core team confirmed · Objectives finalised · Budget initiated · Venue identified
2 Months Before
· Registration open · Promotional materials distributed · Tech platforms selected.
2 Months Before
· Registration open · Promotional materials distributed · Tech platforms selected.
1 Month Before
· Registration closed · Teams formed and notified · Pre-event training scheduled.
1 Month Before
· Registration closed · Teams formed and notified · Pre-event training scheduled.
2 Weeks Before
· Final logistics confirmed · All materials prepared · Technology tested.
2 Weeks Before
· Final logistics confirmed · All materials prepared · Technology tested.
1 Week Before
· Final reminders sent · Venue setup plan confirmed · Contingency plans in place.
1 Week Before
· Final reminders sent · Venue setup plan confirmed · Contingency plans in place.
Event Day
· Setup completed before participants arrive · Registration desk operational.
Event Day
· Setup completed before participants arrive · Registration desk operational.
1 Week After
· Thank-you communications sent · Feedback collected · Certificates issued.
1 Week After
· Thank-you communications sent · Feedback collected · Certificates issued.
1 Month After
· Final report completed · Lessons learned documented · Budget closed.
1 Month After
· Final report completed · Lessons learned documented · Budget closed.
3+ Months Before
· Core team confirmed · Objectives finalised · Budget initiated · Venue identified
2 Months Before
· Registration open · Promotional materials distributed · Tech platforms selected.
1 Month Before
· Registration closed · Teams formed and notified · Pre-event training scheduled.
2 Weeks Before
· Final logistics confirmed · All materials prepared · Technology tested.
1 Week Before
· Final reminders sent · Venue setup plan confirmed · Contingency plans in place.
Event Day
· Setup completed before participants arrive · Registration desk operational.
1 Week After
· Thank-you communications sent · Feedback collected · Certificates issued.
1 Month After
· Final report completed · Lessons learned documented · Budget closed.
Budget conservatively: overestimate costs and underestimate income. A surplus is easy to manage; a shortfall mid-event is not. Always include a contingency reserve.
BUDGET CATEGORIES & COST-SAVING OPTIONS
Category | what to include | cost-reduction options |
|---|---|---|
🏛️ Venue & Facilities | Room hire for full duration; technical equipment rental if not provided; setup/breakdown fees | Use institutional classrooms or labs at no cost; partner with co-working spaces for discounted rates; seek venue donation from a local business |
☕ Catering | Coffee & snacks (both days); lunch; dietary accommodations; closing celebration refreshments | Budget €8–12 per person per day for basics vs. €15–25 for full catering; ask participants to bring lunch; seek catering sponsorship |
💻 Technology | Software licences or subscriptions; digital collaboration tools (e.g. Miro, Canva); any hardware rental | Use free tools (Google Workspace, Miro free tier, Canva); leverage institutional software agreements and purchasing deals |
📦 Materials | Stationery (notebooks, markers, sticky notes); printing (schedules, certificates, badges, signage); any branded materials | Leverage institutional printing; ask sponsors to donate materials; use free design tools; bulk-order stationery |
🎓 Mentors & Experts | Honoraria for external mentors; expert speaker fees; travel reimbursement where applicable | Recruit volunteer mentors from alumni or partner networks; offer recognition (certificates, LinkedIn endorsement) instead of fees; use internal faculty |
🏆 Prizes & Recognition | Prizes for winning teams; category-specific awards; participation certificates for all participants | Non-monetary prizes (mentorship opportunities, internship interviews, professional development) are often more valued; seek prize donations from sponsors |
📣 Promotion | Promotional posters and digital graphics; event photography; any branded materials for promotion | Use student photographers/videographers; digital-only promotion via institutional channels; free design tools (Canva) |
👥 Staff & Coordination | Working hours of organising team members; coordination meetings; administrative overhead — do not assume this is free | Distribute workload across team members to avoid over-burdening one person; use clear role assignments to prevent duplication |
🛡️Contingency | Reserve of 10–15% of total budget for unexpected costs: price increases, last-minute supplies, technology issues | This buffer is not optional. A contingency reserve is what protects the event when something goes wrong |