Sponsorship to conduct a National level Hackathon at our campus

To organize and run a Microsoft Power Platform–themed hackathon on campus, use the published guidance and then contact Microsoft through the appropriate support or program channels for potential collaboration or sponsorship.

1. Use official Microsoft hackathon guidance and resources
   • Follow the recommended approach for planning and running a Power Platform hackathon:
     • Secure an executive sponsor at the institution.
     • Set dates well in advance and define clear rules and judging criteria.
     • Choose judges from business/IT/leadership.
     • For an in‑person event, ensure a venue with seating, whiteboards, power, Wi‑Fi, and projection; for virtual, use Microsoft Teams with private channels per team.
     • Set up registration using Microsoft Forms, a SharePoint site, or a custom app.
     • Plan communications via newsletter, intranet, or Viva Engage/Teams.
   • On the day, provide an agenda similar to the sample:
     • Welcome and vision from an executive sponsor.
     • Introduction to Microsoft Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Power BI, Copilot Studio, AI Builder, Dataverse) using conference videos or customer stories.
     • Live demonstration of Power Platform (for example, using Plan designer to build a solution from a natural language problem description).
     • Main hackathon build time.
     • Team presentations and judging.
   • Use Power Platform champions or technically skilled staff/students as facilitators to help with technical questions and logistics.
   • For detailed templates and step‑by‑step guidance, use the Microsoft Power Platform Hackathon Workbook and other resources available from the Microsoft Power Platform Adoption website.
2. Position the event around Microsoft technologies and SDGs
   • Align problem statements to:
     • Microsoft Power Platform scenarios (line‑of‑business apps, automation, analytics, AI agents with Copilot Studio).
     • Sustainability or SDG‑related themes, for example:
       • Using AI and data to support sustainability initiatives.
       • Leveraging tools like Microsoft Copilot Studio to improve productivity and innovation around sustainability use cases.
   • Emphasize innovation, business impact, technical quality, and design in judging criteria, and award bonus points for live demos.
3. Request collaboration or sponsorship from Microsoft
   • Use official Microsoft contact/support channels relevant to education or programs to:
     • Describe the planned national‑level hackathon (scope, dates, expected participants, technical focus on Microsoft technologies).
     • Request collaboration (problem statements, mentors, speakers, or hiring‑related engagement) and ask about any available financial or in‑kind support.
   • For nonprofit‑like or mission‑driven initiatives (for example, SDG or social impact themes), review the Microsoft for Nonprofits program overview to understand how Microsoft supports organizations with cloud, productivity, and AI capabilities, and use the provided Contact Us form there if the organizing entity qualifies.
4. If billing or commercial arrangements are involved
   • If any Microsoft cloud sponsorship, credits, or paid services are part of the event, manage them through the appropriate billing/support channels in the admin center or Azure support, and open a billing support request if needed.

By combining the official hackathon planning guidance with outreach through Microsoft’s formal program/support channels, the institution can propose a structured, Microsoft‑aligned national hackathon and inquire about collaboration and sponsorship.

References:

• Organize hackathons
• Innovate for growth
• Microsoft for Nonprofits program overview
• I have an Azure Credit of 11000$$, but I have 2 billing accounts. The bill doesn't come to the right place. - Microsoft Q&A