Join the AWS Lambda Hackathon – June 2025!

“Who told you about it? Tech Group Kenya did!” 😎🔥

🎉 What’s Happening?

June 2025 just became the most exciting month for cloud developers! AWS has officially launched the AWS Lambda Hackathon 2025, a global competition inviting you to build real-world, serverless applications with AWS Lambda as the core. Whether you’re a student, professional, or hobbyist, Tech Group Kenya is here to make sure you don’t miss out.

💡 Why You Should Join

1. Hands-On Learning
   • Gain practical experience with serverless architecture.
   • Deploy Lambda functions that automatically scale—no server management needed.
2. Real-World Portfolio Project
   • Build something you can showcase to employers or clients.
   • Demonstrate your ability to design, code, and deploy a complete solution on AWS.
3. Cash Prizes & Recognition
   • 1st Place: $6,000 USD
   • 2nd Place: $4,000 USD
   • 3rd Place: $3,000 USD
   • 4 Honorable Mentions: $500 USD each
   • Winners get feedback from AWS experts and global visibility.
4. Network & Mentorship
   • Connect with AWS engineers, mentors, and other builders worldwide.
   • Learn best practices for event-driven design, scalable APIs, and cost-effective architectures.
5. Open to All Skill Levels
   • No prior serverless experience? No problem!
   • Work solo or team up with friends, classmates, or fellow Tech Group Kenya members.

🗓 Key Dates & Timeline

Plan ahead—here are the critical deadlines in both Pacific Time (PT) and East Africa Time (EAT):

• Submission Opens
  • June 3, 2025 • 9:00 AM PT
  • June 3, 2025 • 7:00 PM EAT
• Submission Deadline
  • June 30, 2025 • 5:00 PM PT
  • July 1, 2025 • 3:00 AM EAT
• Judging Period
  • July 7–18, 2025 • 8:00 AM–12:00 PM PT
• Winners Announced
  • Around July 22, 2025 • 12:00 PM PT

You have nearly four weeks to build, test, and submit a polished project. Late entries won’t be accepted, so set milestones now.

🏆 What’s in It for You?

• Skill Development: Master AWS Lambda, API Gateway, EventBridge, Step Functions, and optional services like S3, DynamoDB, or Amazon Bedrock.
• Global Recognition: Your project will be reviewed by AWS professionals and featured on Devpost and AWS channels.
• Cash Rewards: Up to $6,000 for the first-place winner—plus four $500 honorable mentions.

🔍 Hackathon Overview

1. Project Requirements

• Core Service: Your application must use AWS Lambda.
• Trigger: Implement at least one trigger:
  • API Gateway: Create a REST API endpoint or webhook.
  • EventBridge: Build event-driven workflows (e.g., scheduled tasks, SNS events).
  • Step Functions: Orchestrate multiple Lambda functions into a sequence.
• Optional Integrations: Enhance functionality with AWS services like:
  • Amazon S3 for file storage
  • Amazon DynamoDB for a NoSQL database
  • Amazon Bedrock for generative AI/ML
  • SNS/SQS for messaging
  • CloudWatch for monitoring and logging
• Platform Compatibility: Ensure your application runs reliably on the intended environment (web, mobile, or back-end service).
• New or Updated: Your project should be new or significantly updated during the hackathon period. If you build on prior work, clearly explain what you added or improved after June 3, 2025.

2. Submission Requirements

• Code Repository:
  • Host your code publicly (e.g., GitHub, GitLab).
  • Include a clear README.md detailing:
    1. How you used AWS Lambda
    2. List of all AWS services integrated
    3. Step-by-step installation and run instructions
• Demo Video (≤ 3 minutes):
  • Upload to YouTube or Vimeo (public visibility).
  • Show your application in action, explain Lambda triggers, and highlight unique features.
  • Avoid copyrighted music or unauthorized third-party assets.
• Text Description & Screenshots:
  • Write a concise project overview, features, and architecture in plain English.
  • Add 3–5 screenshots to illustrate key workflows (e.g., API call, data returned, dashboard view).

3. Judging Criteria

All eligible submissions go through a two-stage judging process:

1. Stage One (Pass/Fail): Checks basic viability—does the project use Lambda and meet the theme?
2. Stage Two (Scored Equally on):
   • Quality of Idea: Creativity, originality, and real-world value.
   • Architecture & Design: Proper use of serverless best practices, efficient Lambda usage, and overall solution design.
   • Completeness: Working end-to-end solution, successful implementation of core features, and quality of documentation (README, video explanation).

If there’s a tie, judges compare tied projects’ scores in each criterion until one stands out.

4. Rules Highlights

• Ownership: You retain full intellectual property rights. AWS gets a non-exclusive license to judge and promote your submission for up to three years.
• Eligibility:
  • Open to: Individuals (age of majority), Teams, and Organizations (with a designated Representative).
  • Not open to: Residents of sanctioned regions (e.g., North Korea, Iran, Crimea), AWS/Devpost employees, judges, or anyone with a conflict of interest.
• Prizes Are Non-Transferable: AWS reserves the right to substitute equal-value prizes if necessary.
• Taxes & Fees: Winners are responsible for any local tax obligations, banking fees, or currency exchange costs. U.S. winners may need to submit a W-9; non-U.S. winners may need a W-8BEN.
• Liability Release: Entrants release AWS, Devpost, and sponsors from liability related to hackathon participation or prize use.
• Publicity: By entering, you consent to AWS and Devpost using your name, project name, and short clips of your project in promotional materials worldwide, without additional payment.

✍️ How to Enter (Step-by-Step)

1. Register on Devpost
   • Visit http://s12d.com/hack-lambda.
   • Click “Join Hackathon”. Create a free Devpost account or log in if you already have one.
2. Activate AWS Free Tier
   • Sign up at aws.amazon.com/free (if you don’t have an AWS account).
   • Confirm access to AWS Lambda, API Gateway, and any other services you plan to use. The Free Tier covers basic usage at no cost.
3. Plan Your Project
   • Brainstorm an idea that solves a real problem—business automation, data analytics, AI assistant, etc.
   • Sketch out architecture: which Lambda triggers, which AWS services to integrate, and how users will interact.
4. Build & Test
   • Develop Lambda functions in your language of choice (Node.js, Python, Java, etc.).
   • Set up triggers:
     • API Gateway: Create endpoints and connect to Lambda.
     • EventBridge: Configure rules to invoke Lambda on a schedule or in response to AWS events.
     • Step Functions: Design workflows that chain multiple Lambda tasks.
   • Integrate optional services: store files in S3, read/write from DynamoDB, call Bedrock for AI tasks.
   • Test thoroughly—simulate real-world usage, handle errors gracefully, and optimize for cost and performance.
5. Prepare Submission Materials
   • Public Code Repo:
     • Push your code to GitHub, GitLab, or another public platform.
     • Ensure your README.md includes:
       1. High-level project description and purpose.
       2. How AWS Lambda is used (which triggers, which functions).
       3. List of all AWS services integrated.
       4. Installation and run instructions (commands, environment variables, IAM roles).
   • Demo Video (≤ 3 minutes):
     • Record screen and voice explaining your app’s key flows: user triggers → Lambda executes → data storage or response.
     • Upload to YouTube or Vimeo, make it public, and copy the URL.
   • Text Description & Screenshots:
     • Write 2–3 short paragraphs describing your app’s features, architecture, and user journey.
     • Include 3–5 clear screenshots (e.g., API response in Postman, web UI, data in DynamoDB).
6. Submit Before Deadline
   • Finalize all materials on Devpost by:
     • June 30, 2025 • 5:00 PM PT
     • July 1, 2025 • 3:00 AM EAT
   • After this time, you cannot edit your submission. Double-check everything is complete and polished.

Whenever someone asks, “Who told you about the AWS Lambda Hackathon?” you can proudly say, “Tech Group Kenya!” 🇰🇪

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1. Do I need an AWS account?

• Yes. If you don’t have one, sign up for the free tier at aws.amazon.com/free. The free tier covers basic Lambda, API Gateway, and DynamoDB usage.

Q2. Can I use a pre-existing project?

• Only if you significantly updated it during the hackathon (June 3–30, 2025). You must clearly explain changes in your README.

Q3. How do judges score projects?

• Stage One: Pass/Fail on basic viability (uses Lambda, meets theme).
• Stage Two (equal weight):
  1. Quality of Idea (creativity and real-world value)
  2. Architecture & Design (serverless best practices, efficient use of Lambda)
  3. Completeness (working end-to-end, documentation, demo quality)

Q4. Can I work alone?

• Absolutely. Solo participants are welcome.

Q5. Are there any costs?

• There’s no registration fee. AWS Free Tier covers most usage. If you exceed free tier limits, you may incur small costs—monitor your AWS Billing Dashboard.

Let’s build the future of cloud computing—together! 🧠☁️💥