EU Civic tech hackathon (22–23 June 2026)

Innovative digital tools should be promoted to complement and support in-person democratic participation, broadening outreach and supporting transparent, inclusive, effective and innovative democratic processes. Currently, the civic tech ecosystem in Europe remains fragmented, with varying levels of development across Member States. Existing tools often face challenges related to interoperability, accessibility, inclusiveness, sustainability and integration into decision-making processes. 

As highlighted in the European Democracy Shield, the Commission will stimulate innovation in online platforms that enable participation in democracy (“civic tech”), including local digital platforms supporting democratic engagement and leveraging AI for participatory purposes. To launch engagement with the civic tech sector, the Commission is organising an EU Civic Tech Hackathon to showcase innovative projects and mobilise a diverse European community of practitioners. This initiative also contributes to the development of a European Civic Tech Hub, which will provide a comprehensive, multilingual focal point for information, resources and tools on civic tech. Particular attention will be paid to the accessibility and interoperability of civic tech tools. 

The hackathon will take place on 22–23 June 2026, in connection with the High-Level Event on Democracy (24 June 2026). 

The call for participants will be open until 5 June. 

Find more information about the call for participants here