The City Council of Madrid launches DataMad 2026, a competition inviting university students to develop innovative projects using artificial intelligence and open data. Winners will receive cash prizes and the opportunity to implement their ideas in the city.
The City Council of Madrid has launched DataMad 2026, a competition aimed at university students from across Spain to develop projects based on artificial intelligence and open data. The initiative seeks to foster young talent and apply technological solutions to real problems in the city.
Participants must form teams of between two and five people and present a proposal that uses open data from the portal datos.madrid.es to improve some aspect of urban life. Areas of interest include mobility, sustainability, tourism, citizen participation, and social services, among others.
Awards and phases of the competition
The competition is divided into two phases. In the first phase, teams will present a preliminary project of their idea. A jury composed of experts from the City Council and the academic field will select up to 20 finalists, who will move on to the second phase.
In the final phase, teams will have two months to develop a functional prototype. The three best projects will receive prizes of €6,000, €4,000, and €2,000, respectively. Additionally, the City Council commits to studying the feasibility of implementing the winning solutions in the city.
“We want young people to see open data as a tool to change their environment,” said the Councillor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Ángela López. “DataMad 2026 is an opportunity for university talent to contribute to making Madrid smarter and more sustainable.”
How to participate and key deadlines
Registration is now open and can be done through the official competition website. The deadline for submitting preliminary projects is April 15, 2026. The finalists will be announced on April 30, and they will have until June 30 to develop the prototype.
Interested students must be enrolled in any Spanish university, public or private, in undergraduate, master's, or doctoral studies. No specific qualification is required: technical profiles, social sciences, design, or any discipline that provides a multidisciplinary perspective are valued.
The City Council has organized two online information sessions on March 5 and 12 to address questions and provide advice on how to prepare the application. A set of specific data and tutorials on using the APIs from the open data portal will also be made available to participants.
Expected impact and background
DataMad 2026 is not the first initiative of its kind in the capital. In 2024, the City Council launched a similar hackathon that attracted over 300 students and resulted in projects such as an app to optimise waste collection routes and a virtual assistant for municipal procedures. Those ideas were not implemented, but the council assures that this time the selection process includes greater support to facilitate implementation.
For students, the competition represents an opportunity to apply their knowledge in a real environment, add relevant experience to their CV, and compete for cash prizes. For the city, it is a way to capture fresh innovation without high R&D costs.
“It’s not just a competition, but a laboratory of ideas where young people can demonstrate that technology serves to improve people's lives,” added López.
The winners will be announced at a public event scheduled for September 2026, during Madrid's Innovation Week. There, the finalist prototypes will be presented, and the support plan for the winning projects will be announced.
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