Prizes

Prizes at a hardware hackathon should celebrate achievement, innovation, and learning. The most impactful prizes support the winning teams' continued interest in hardware development. Furthermore, projects that are market-ready can transform makers and hobbyists into entrepreneurs and inventors.

Kits and Bundles

Awarding curated hardware kits allows teams to immediately apply their newfound skills or iterate on their winning hack.

• Advanced Kits: Offer kits centered around specific themes (e.g., Robotics Starter Kit, Smart Home Automation Kit, or advanced e-textiles for a wearables theme)

• High-Value Components: Bundle high-end, specialized sensors, powerful microcontrollers (like Jetson Nano or higher-end Raspberry Pi models), or actuators that are often too expensive for students to purchase individually

Tools

High-quality tools represent a significant investment for any maker and make excellent prizes

• Professional-grade multimeters, oscilloscopes, or logic analyzers (if sponsored)

• High-quality soldering stations, precision screwdriver sets, or ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) mat and wrist strap bundles.

• Licenses for professional 3D modeling software or high-speed, compact 3D printers for personal use

Materials Costs

Inspire future projects by removing financial barriers to continued making and providing access to fabrication resources.

• Makerspace/Lab Credits: Offer vouchers redeemable at the university's makerspace or a local Fab Lab for material costs (filament, wood stock, metal stock, laser-cutting time).

• Consumables Grant: Create a grant or endowment in the winning team's name to the campus lab for restocking popular, high-consumption materials (hot glue, craft supplies).

• Scholarship/Free Access: Award a semester or year-long membership to a local, off-campus makerspace for continued access to large machining equipment (CNCs, lathes).

Additional Ideas

Work with sponsors to create prize packages that reflect their industry and offer career-launching opportunities.

• Industry-Specific Packages: An industrial sponsor could provide a small assembly of materials used in their manufacturing process, or a design firm could offer a year's access to their software suite.

• Startup Funding Access: If partnering with a venture capital funder or incubator, offer the winning team an opportunity to present their project for future seed funding.