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About the challenge
CodeForDFW is a virtual hackathon for DFW-area students, built around solving real problems for real local businesses. Each team works over a week to tackle a case study challenge submitted by one of our local business sponsors. Identify something in that business that could work better, and building a technical solution for it.
Case studies range from Easy to Hard based on scope and sponsor prize contribution, so pick the challenge that fits your skill level and ambition.
This is your chance to build something that a real business will actually use, not just a demo for a judge.
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Requirements
What to Build
Choose one of our sponsor case studies, each tied to a real local business and a real problem they're facing, tiered by difficulty (Easy, Medium, Hard). Your job: identify what's actually going wrong or could be improved for that business, then build a working technical solution for it. This could be a website, a piece of software, an automation tool, a data dashboard, or anything else that meaningfully solves the problem as long as it's something the business could realistically use or build on.
A few things to keep in mind:
Your project must be started fresh during the hackathon window, no submitting pre-existing work.
It doesn't need to be a finished, polished product, but it does need to be functional enough to demonstrate the solution actually working, not just a concept or mockup.
You're free to choose your own tools, languages, and frameworks, build with whatever gets the job done best.
Generative AI tools are allowed for brainstorming, coding, debugging, and more.
Pick the tier that matches your level. Easy case studies are more contained and beginner-friendly, Medium adds more complexity, and Hard is for participants ready to tackle a bigger, messier problem.
What to Submit
Executive Summary (1–3 pages)
— a single document covering: which sponsor case study you chose, the problem statement (a clear restatement of the issue you identified), and your solution description (what you built and how it addresses the problem). Minimum 1 page, maximum 3 pages.
GitHub repository link
— your full source code
Live demo or run instructions
— a hosted URL if available, or clear steps to run your project locally
Demo video
— 1–2 minutes, hosted on YouTube or Vimeo, showing your project actually working
Judging Criteria
Design