President of Ukraine

Ukrainians are looking for a remedy for coronavirus using digital technology

2 April 2020 - 16:12

The Ministry of Digital Transformation, together with international partners and with the support of the Office of the President, launched an online challenge to gather the best ideas from citizens and business representatives to help ease the lives of people and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

138 applications have been submitted in the first day after the launch of the #HackCorona in Ukraine National Online IT Project Contest aimed at combating the spread of coronavirus.

“We are inspired by your support, cohesion and understanding of the situation. This way we prove once again that we are a united country. That at very critical moments we mobilize and repel any enemy, even the invisible one,” President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

Developers, startuppers, marketing specialists, researchers and community activists - anyone can join the contest if their idea meets one of four areas:

1. Coronavirus counteraction: development and launch of electronic services aimed at counteracting the spread of COVID-19.

2. E-services for citizens: social, educational, administrative and other public electronic services, which are particularly important during quarantine.

3. Social entrepreneurship: innovative ideas aimed at developing digital social entrepreneurship during quarantine, which can be realized through the remote involvement of citizens.

4. Mutual assistance: services to support and ensure the livelihood of the most vulnerable groups of people during quarantine.

“In their history, Ukrainians have repeatedly united and organized themselves in difficult times. The global coronavirus pandemic is a challenge not only for Ukraine, but also for the whole world. To overcome the pandemic and its consequences, modern solutions and technologies are needed. #HackCorona is about that,” Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said.

The best ideas will be implemented or funded for development. The total prize fund for the winners is UAH 4 million. They will also receive mentorship support during the implementation of the project. Application is open until April 6, and already on April 9, the jury will select the best.

The main criteria for project selection will be innovativeness of the solution, social impact, prospects for development and relevance. Ideas must demonstrate genuine social impact for citizens or businesses in line with the goals of the competition. The team should have a clear understanding of the target audience and the scope of the impact, demonstrate specific opportunities for project development and its scaling across the country.

You can submit an idea at: https://hack-corona.gov.ua/

Partners of the #HackCorona in Ukraine National IT Project Contest are: EGAP, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and implemented by the Eastern Europe Fund and Innovabridge, as well as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).