natIgnite 2026 Timeline

Application Deadline: April 17, 2026 

Pitch Day

Hear our Problem Providers present their real-world challenges and select the ones you’re most interested in so we can match you with a team.

📅 May 2, 2026 | 1:00–5:00 PM MT

📍 Online

Orientation Day

Meet other participants and learn how the competition works.

📅 May 4, 2026 | 4:30–8:30 PM MT

📍 ETLC Solarium, University of Alberta

Development Phase

Start planning with three short reports to help your team prepare before the competition.

📅 Due May 4, 6, and 7 | 11:59 PM

Competition

Build, test, and present your solution during the 40-hour competition with mentor support.

📅 May 8 (2:00 PM) – May 10 (6:00 PM), 2026

📍 DICE, 8th Floor, University of Alberta

At natIgnite, interdisciplinary teams collaborate with clinicians, researchers, and industry experts to build solutions to real accessibility challenges.

When: May 8–10, 2026

Where: 8th Floor, Donadeo Innovation Centre for Engineering (DICE), University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB

Who: Open to participants from all disciplines: tech, science, business, arts, health, engineering, and more!

Theme: Accessibility

This year’s event explores how products, systems, and organizations can be designed to be more usable, inclusive, and equitable. From physical and digital systems to internal processes and business operations, teams will build solutions that expand access rather than limit it.

Why Join:

Beginner-friendly. No prior coding or technical experience needed Work in interdisciplinary teams with participants from diverse fields Build a real prototype using hardware, sensors, and advanced computing tools Work directly with a domain expert presenting a real-world challenge Compete for a share of $10,000 in seed funding plus in-kind project support Build your resume with hands-on project experience.