with the support of
Over the past year, we’ve searched across Europe for the most promising ideas to combat election disinformation and reduce barriers to voting through technology. From Paris to Brussels, Palermo to Hamburg, 31 teams and more than 100 participants took part in our #ThinkYoungHackathons.
These hackathons were made possible thanks to the support of 27 partners, 36 experts, and an incredible group of mentors and judges who guided participants in refining their solutions.
Our journey culminated in the Grand Final in Brussels on 20 October 2025, where Europe’s top teams gathered for one last challenge:
their final pitch. Find out who took home the big prize below!
4
Hackathons
Europe's top teams met in Brussels in October
Applications are now closed,
discover the finalist and winners below!
1
Grand Final
13 September 2024 - Paris Hackathon - €10,000 awarded to LaRéponse.tech and Data For Good
06 December 2024 - Brussels Hackathon
€10,000 awarded to Palumba EU and Pol
13 June 2025 - Palermo Hackathon
€10,000 awarded to TrustMyContent and Newtral in consortium with Political Watch
20 June 2025 - Hamburg Hackathon
€10,000 awarded to FZI Research Center for Information Technology
20 October 2025 - The Grand Final
€200,000 awarded to our grand winner, Pol
€30,000 to both LaReponse.tech and to Newtral in consortium with Political Watch
Selection Criteria
Five criteria will be used to select proposals and throughout the competition. You will receive a maximum of 5 points for each category.
Significance
Relevance to tackling election disinformation and voter participation.
Innovation
Original and creative solutions in the European context.
Technological Aspects
The effective use of technology, including AI elements.
Team
Collaboration, complementary skills and ability to execute.
Scalability
Potential for long-term, sustainable impact.
Awards Distribution
At the end of each of the 4 Hackathons
2 nonprofits/social enterprises will win 5k EUR each, for a total of 40k EUR awarded.
At The Final
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The 8 winners of the 4 hackathons will be invited to attend The Final
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The 1st ranked at The Final will be awarded 150k EUR in cash and 50k EUR worth of Acceleration Programme lasting 8 months
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The 2nd ranked at The Final will be awarded 20k EUR in cash and a 10k EUR worth of Acceleration Programme
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The 3rd ranked at The Final will be awarded 20k EUR in cash and a 10k EUR worth of Acceleration Programme
* 70% of the Grants to be assigned before the Acceleration Programme
* 30% of the Grants to be assigned at the end of the Acceleration Programme
In conversation with
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ThinkYoung is a not-for-profit organisation, aiming to make the world a better place for young people by involving them in decision-making processes and providing decision-makers with high-quality research on youth conditions. ThinkYoung conducts studies and surveys, makes advocacy campaigns, writes policy proposals, and develops education programmes: up to date, ThinkYoung projects have reached over 800,000 young people. We have offices in Brussels, Geneva, Hong Kong and Nairobi. ThinkYoung has 12 years of experience working to empower students all over the world with needs-tailored programmes such as the ThinkYoung Coding School and the ThinkYoung Entrepreneurship School.
with the support of
Google.org, Google's philanthropy, supports nonprofits that address humanitarian issues and apply scalable, data-driven innovation to solving the world's biggest challenges. We accelerate their progress by connecting them with a unique blend of support that includes funding, products, and technical expertise from Google volunteers. We engage with these believers-turned-doers who make a significant impact on the communities they represent, and whose work has the potential to produce meaningful change. We want a world that works for everyone—and we believe technology and innovation can move the needle in four key areas: education, economic opportunity, inclusion and crisis response.
Does your organisation have a solution to fight election disinformation?
Sign up to attend our hackathons!