AI Hackathon

48-hr hackathon with a £10k prize pot, bringing together innovators, developers & creatives to tackle Jersey’s greatest challenges using AI

Date: Friday 2nd October - Sunday 4th October 2026

Location: Digital Jersey Hub, Grenville Street, St. Helier

Duration: 48 hours (Friday evening – Sunday afternoon)

• Friday (Evening 5pm): Team registrations, welcome presentation and networking over pizza and beers, Hackathon starts
• Saturday: Hackathon continues, lunch refreshments available.
• Sunday: Hackathon concludes with presentations, curry lunch, judging and prize giving.

Who: Open to individuals and teams (ages 18+) with a passion for AI, problem-solving and having a real impact in Jersey.

About the Hackathon:

Jersey is at an economic crossroads. The island faces real, structural challenges from the cost of living and an ageing workforce to underserved sectors, fragile public services and untapped opportunities in emerging industries. AI isn't a silver bullet, but in the right hands it can be a serious lever for change. This is your chance to build something that matters.

Over one high-energy weekend, teams will prototype AI-driven tools that either strengthen Jersey's existing sectors or lay the foundations for entirely new ones. Whether you want to transform how healthcare is delivered, reimagine the visitor economy, modernise financial services, rethink how food is grown and distributed, or build something nobody has thought of yet, this is the space to do it.

The only rule: it must be real, use AI meaningfully, and matter for Jersey.

Join other problem-solvers for a weekend of innovation, collaboration and real-world impact. This isn't just about ideas it's about action. Over an intense and inspiring sprint with access to local data, you'll develop a working prototype and pitch your solution to judges and ecosystem leaders.

The Challenge

Pick a sector. Find the problem. Build the solution.

We're opening the floor to any challenge across Jersey's economy, existing sectors that need modernising, or entirely new economic opportunities the island hasn't fully unlocked yet.

Not sure where to start? Here are five areas worth exploring, but these are just prompts, not limits. The best ideas will come from you.

Example Challenge 1 - Healthcare & Ageing Population Jersey has one of the oldest demographic profiles in the British Isles and a health service under pressure. Build an AI tool that improves care delivery, reduces demand on acute services, or helps older islanders live more independently.

• AI Focus: Predictive health modelling, triage support, assistive technology.
• Expected Output: A working prototype that could be piloted with a local health or care provider.

Example Challenge 2 - Financial Services, Reinvented Finance is Jersey's largest sector, but it faces disruption from regulation, automation and new competitors. Build an AI tool that creates new value, for clients, compliance teams, or the workforce navigating change.

• AI Focus: Regulatory intelligence, client insight, skills transition tools.
• Expected Output: A prototype that solves a real friction point for a financial services firm or regulator.

Example Challenge 3 - The Visitor Economy Tourism punches below its weight in Jersey given the island's assets. Build an AI-powered product that improves the visitor experience, extends the season, or connects visitors more deeply with what makes Jersey distinct.

• AI Focus: Personalisation, dynamic pricing, local intelligence engines.
• Expected Output: A consumer-facing or operator-facing tool ready to demo.

Example Challenge 4 - Skills, Education & the Future Workforce Jersey faces a skills gap and a productivity challenge. Build an AI tool that accelerates learning, matches talent to opportunity, or helps businesses understand what capability they'll need in five years.

• AI Focus: Adaptive learning, labour market analytics, workforce planning.
• Expected Output: A prototype that could be adopted by a local employer, educator or government department.

Example Challenge 5 - A New Economic Sector What industry doesn't exist in Jersey yet, but should? Build the foundation for it. Greentech, creative industries, deep tech, digital exports — if you can see the opportunity and AI can help unlock it, make the case and start building.

• AI Focus: Open, define it yourself.
• Expected Output: A prototype and a credible go-to-market argument for Jersey.

These are starting points only! We are opening the floor to what you want to build.

How It Works

• Teams can have up to six people. If you're not part of a team, you can register as an individual.
• You'll have time and space to build a working prototype using AI in a meaningful way, and present it to our panel during the final pitch session.
• You'll also have access to free workspace, Wi-Fi, refreshments and support throughout the event.
• Any relevant open datasets will be provided to registered participants ahead of the event.

Why Take Part?

• Build something with direct relevance to Jersey's future
• Collaborate with people who are passionate about this island
• Compete for recognition and serious prize money
• Get hands-on with the latest AI tooling in a real-world context

Judging and Prizes

Projects will be judged on creativity, relevance to Jersey's needs, the quality and impact of the AI used, and real-world feasibility.

£10,000 in prizes. Awards will be given for:

• Most innovative use of AI
• Greatest potential economic impact for Jersey
• Best working prototype

Final judging will be carried out by a panel of independent experts with experience across business and AI.

What You Need to Know

The event is open to anyone aged 18 and over. Participants retain full ownership of anything they build. You can use open-source tools and libraries, provided you follow their licence terms. By taking part, you agree to act respectfully, follow ethical practices and allow the organisers to use event photos or videos for promotion. Full terms and conditions will be shared on registration.

Register now and be part of something impactful.

About the Jersey AI Forum:

The Jersey AI Forum is being set up as a not for profit organisation with the aim of empowering businesses and individuals on the island with the knowledge and skills needed to effectively integrate AI into their businesses and organisations, as well as enabling the education sector and individuals to benefit.

Privacy Policy:

Privacy Policy | Digital Jersey

Both Digital Jersey and the Jersey AI Forum (JAIF) will share your registration information to manage the event, collect feedback, and explore future opportunities resulting from this event. Digital Jersey acts as the data processor for this information.

Marketing / Media

This event may be photographed and/or filmed for marketing and media purposes. Content may be shared by the JAIF and Digital Jersey for promotional use. For enquiries, contact info@digital.je.

Feedback

After the event, we’ll distribute a survey to collect feedback, which Digital Jersey will use to improve future events and opportunities.