🏆 Agent Academy Hackathon
May 12 – June 2, 2026 · $12,000 in total prizes · Open to everyone
Apply what you've learned from Agent Academy to build real, working AI agents using Microsoft AI tools. Compete for prizes, earn recognition, and help shape the future of the Agent Academy curriculum.
📜 Official Rules & Important Links
Kickoff Video
Watch the kickoff video to learn more about the hack and prizes!
How it works
The hackathon is built around the Agent Academy learning tracks. You learn, build, and submit and the best agents win.
- 📚 Learn — Work through the Agent Academy curriculum
- 📺 Watch — Attend Agent Academy Live on May 12 for the official kickoff
- 🔨 Build — Apply what you learned to build a real, working agent
- 📤 Submit — Submit your demo video and architecture by June 2
- 🔄 Improve — Your feedback and insights help shape the curriculum going forward
How to enter
Step 1 — Build and submit your project
Build your agent and submit your hackathon entry.
Submit Your Entry (opens in a new tab)Your submission must include:
- A working agent using at least one Microsoft product (Copilot Studio, M365 Copilot, or Copilot Cowork)
- A demo video no longer than 5 minutes showcasing your solution
- An architecture overview showing components, data flow, and integration points
- A clear use case with a defined target user
Step 2 — Complete the Badge Validation Form
If you would like to receive a badge for participation in the hack, this is a separate required step. The submission form and the badge form are two different things.
Complete the Badge Validation Form (opens in a new tab)This form:
- Links your submission to badge issuance
- Ensures we have the correct email to send your badge to
- Allows you to agree to receiving a badge through the Global AI Community
Step 3 — Create a Global AI Community account
Badges are issued through the Global AI Community platform. You need an account to receive yours.
Log in or create an account at globalai.community (opens in a new tab)Important
Create your account using the same email address you used in your submission and badge validation form. If the emails don't match, your badge cannot be delivered — even with a valid submission.
No account = no badge issuance.
Entry period
Start: May 12, 2026 at 12:00 AM Pacific Time End: June 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time
Eligibility
- Must be 18 years of age or older
- If 18+ but below the age of majority in your jurisdiction, a parent or legal guardian must consent
- Microsoft employees and their immediate family members are not eligible
- Void in Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, the Region of Crimea, Russia, and where prohibited by law
Tracks
Choose the track that matches your experience level. You may submit one entry per track and two entries total.
🟢 Recruit
For: First-time agent builders or projects based on the Recruit learning path.
Build a beginner-friendly agent that demonstrates the core fundamentals of agent creation. Submissions should show a clear use case, well-defined instructions, relevant knowledge sources, and a working agent experience that helps a user complete a real task.
🔵 Operative
For: Builders applying concepts from the Operative learning path.
Build a more advanced agent solution that demonstrates orchestration across multiple agents, agent flows, and AI prompt integration. Submissions should show how agents can coordinate work, trigger or support business processes, use prompts to reason over information, and produce useful outcomes beyond a basic single-agent experience.
🎯 Special Ops
For: Builders exploring advanced patterns, extension techniques, or specialized scenarios.
Build an agent or agent capability that explores a focused advanced scenario. Submissions may include MCP integrations, external systems, advanced actions, structured outputs, evaluation patterns, or other targeted agent-building concepts from Special Ops missions.
🤝 Cowork Collective
For: Builders using Copilot Cowork to delegate and complete real work.
Build a solution that uses Copilot Cowork to complete or support delegated work. Submissions should show how Cowork can reason across a task, use available context and tools, produce a useful work product, and fit into a real workflow where a person reviews or acts on the result.
Entry requirements
- Must be your own original work
- Cannot have won another contest
- Demo video must be solely your own work
- Must have all necessary rights and consents for submitted content
- Must not contain obscene, offensive, violent, defamatory, or illegal content
Judging criteria
| Criteria | Weight |
|---|---|
| Accuracy & Relevance — Meets challenge requirements | 25% |
| Technical Execution — Clear problem-solving approach | 25% |
| Creativity & Originality — Novel ideas or unexpected execution | 15% |
| User Experience & Presentation — Clear, polished, demoable | 15% |
| Reliability & Safety — Solid patterns, avoids obvious pitfalls | 10% |
| Use Case Impact — Most impactful use case | 10% |
Winners selected within 14 days of the entry period close. In case of a tie, an additional judge breaks it. All judge decisions are final.
Prizes
$12,000 USD total prize pool in Microsoft Store Gift Cards, awarded per track.
Prize rules
- One prize per person maximum during the entry period
- No substitution, transfer, or assignment of prizes permitted
- Taxes on prizes are the sole responsibility of the winner
- Potential winners notified within 7 days of judging via contact info provided at entry
- Prizes delivered within 28 days of winner selection
Key dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
| 🚀 Contest Start / Live Kickoff | May 12, 2026 |
| 🔨 Build Window | May 12 – June 2, 2026 |
| 📤 Submission Deadline | June 2, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT |
| ⚖️ Judging Window | Within 14 days of close |
| 🏆 Winners Notified | Within 7 days of judging |
| 🎁 Prizes Delivered | Within 28 days of selection |
Legal
Governing law: This contest is governed by the laws of the State of Washington. You consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes.
Privacy: Personal data provided during entry will be used by Microsoft solely for administration and operation of this contest, in accordance with the Microsoft Privacy Statement.
Winners list: To receive a list of winners who received a prize worth $25 USD or more, send an email to poweradvocates@microsoft.com with the subject line "Agents Academy Live Challenge Contest winners" within 30 days of June 2, 2026.
Use of entries: By submitting, you grant Microsoft an irrevocable, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, review, assess, test, and analyze your entry in connection with this contest and for any non-commercial or commercial purpose including marketing, sale, or promotion of Microsoft products or services.