BIGAS Hackathon is a two-day developer event and hackathon hosted by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Smart Communications, Inc.(Smart) and powered by SMART Developer Network (SMART DevNet), the developer community for Smart's technology platform. We're inviting existing and aspiring developers to create a web and/or mobile app that can be used to further enhance the impact of IRRI technologies especially in their delivery to farmers.

We’re looking for web and mobile apps which could help solve some of IRRI’s toughest problems, innovative solutions in many aspects of rice research, ranging from complex computational problems to the creative use of games and social networking:

·      Improving the collection and study of research data

·      Providing information and/or technologies to farmers or extension workers

·      Indexing library and other institute data

·      Improving institute processes and procedures

·      Storing survey data better, or speeding up survey data processing

·      Designing a digital moisture meter etc.

 BIGAS Hackathon is open to all developers especially those based in Laguna and nearby cities and provinces. This is a FREE event, no charge for admission, but registration is required. Transportation (bus from Makati to IRRI), food and accomodation will be provided for FREE for registered participants only.

Press Release:

IRRI, Smart team up to find best agri apps

 http://www1.smart.com.ph/about/newsroom/csr-news/2012/10/30/irri-smart-team-up-to-find-best-agri-apps

 Race for rice apps (IRRI-Smart Bigas Hackathon)

 http://irri-news.blogspot.com/2012/10/race-for-rice-apps-irri-smart-bigas.html

HOW TO REGISTER FOR THE EVENT

 1. Register via the Eventbrite page. http://bigashackathon.eventbrite.com

2. Join our Facebook group at http://facebook.com/groups/smartdevnet to get more info about the event as these are announced.

 HOW TO JOIN THE HACKATHON

 1. Form a team of 2-4 members in advance. If you don't have a team going to the hackathon, you are encouraged to find other hackathoners who don't have any teams yet. If you still don't have a team just before the hackathon begins, the organizers wil try to find you a team. A team must have a minimum of two members.

 2. Join our Facebook Group at https://facebook.com/groups/smartdevnet/ - we will be announcing a Hackathon Signup page here where you will need to provide details of a) your app name and description, b) the team name, and c) your team members.

 3. Get ready with your ideas for your app. Teams are allowed to have pre-work. You can also start working on your app on the day of the hackathon itself.

 4. At the end of the hackathon, all the groups registered for the hackathon will need to present their app via a live demo. The order of the presentations will be drawn by lots. Teams who are not registered cannot do a live demo and will not be eligible for any of the prizes.

 5. We encourage everyone to join a team - even if you registered just to observe, you are strongly encouraged to be a participant-observer. 

 PROGRAM:

November 10, 2012 (Saturday)

0930-1000am  Smart Live More Bus leaves Makati to shuttle NCR-based participants for free to IRRI

                        (Pick-up point at Smart Tower Valero Exit at Valero Access Road, Makati City)

1100-1200nn   Registration @ IRRI Library

1200-0100pm  LUNCH @ Harrar Hall

0100-0110pm  ORIENTATION @ Havener Auditorium

                      Welcome Remarks: Dr. V. Bruce Tolentino, IRRI Deputy Director General- Partnerships and Communications

0110-0120pm  Smart’s Corporate Social Responsibility Programs (Steph Orlino, Smart)

0120-0130pm  About Smart DevNet (Paul Pajo, Smart)

0130-0145pm  Smart APIs (Grace Valencia and Smart DevNet team)

0145-0150pm Talk about IdeaSpace (Dustin Masancay, Smart)

0150-0250pm  IRRI Presentation of Problems/Challenges

0250-0300pm  Hackathon Overview and Mechanics                                 

0315pm onwards HACKATHON PROPER @ IRRI Library 

DINNER @ Harrar Hall 

FREE Lodging at Boy Scout of the Philippines (BSP) Hotel for the night for REGISTERED participants only. Participants pick up and drop off to accommodation 11PM-1AM

(Bring toiletries and towel)

November 11, 2012 (Sunday)

0600-0730am      BREAKFAST @ BSP Hotel

0800-1000am      Continuation of HACKATHON

1000-1200nn       Presentations @ IRRI Auditorium

1200-0100pm      LUNCH @ Harrar Hall / Judging & Deliberations

0100-0130pm      Awarding

0130pm             Closing Remarks: Dr. Robert Zeigler, IRRI Director General

0200 pm             Smart Live More Bus leaves IRRI to shuttle  participants back to Smart Tower, Makati for FREE

Emcee: Marco van den Berg (IRRI Chief Information Officer)

ELIGIBILITY 

BIGAS Hackathon is open to all developers of all ages.

 PROCESS

• At the end of the hackathon proper, teams will do a live demo of their apps.

• The app can optionally use the SMART APIs either as concept and/or prototype

• Teams will undergo final judging by presenting their project to a panel of judges who will identify the winners.

• All decisions of judges are final. Scores will not be made public.

AWARDS &PRIZES

• Prizes will be awarded to the winning teams! Awesome freebies will be given to all registered participants.

Best Game App - Phones and Plug-its

Best Research Data Collection App - Phones and Plug-its

Best Farmer InfoTechnology App - Phones and Plug-its

Most Innovative App / Special Jury Award - Phones and Plug-its

For the general background info, please browse IRRI’s public website http://irri.org/ or the Rice Knowledge Bank http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/rice.htm for further information you may need. 

 Special IdeaSpace Prize (Php10,000) - This prize will only be unlocked if ten (10) teams will actually manually submit to the IdeaSpace National Competition during the hackathon dates. The team with the highest score on the market need criteria will win this prize, http://ideaspace.ph/. 

APP DEMO

• Teams are expected to bring their own laptops. Internet access will be provided at the venue.

• The order of presentation will be determined by drawing lots.

• Each presenter is given three (3) minutes to explain the entry and two (2) minutes to answer questions during the Q&A.

 CRITERIA

 The app can be web based, mobile based or both & functionality is preferred.

•An App that people want - 25% (convince us market NEED for your app)

•An App whose time has come - 25% (convince us of the app's TIMING)

•An App that's clever (really!) - 25% (convince us of the app's INGENUITY)

•An App that's properly mashed-up - 25% (convince us of the app's INTEGRATION)

  INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  The team warrants that the entry is their original idea and does not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party. Participants are responsible for securing appropriate protection for any Intellectual Property (IP) contributed by the team members or their parent institutions. In the absence of such protection, participants should restrict themselves to non-enabling disclosures of their IP. Entries that have won major awards (1st, 2nd, 3rd) in any international, national or school competitions cannot be entered. Wireless service applications that are already in commercial production may not be entered. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) shall not be liable to any participant for commercializing ideas that have been independently developed but are similar in concept to submitted entries.

WAIVER

 Participants agree to abide by the terms of these Official Mechanics and by the decisions of the organizers and/or the judges, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this contest. By joining the contest, the participants agree to waive any right to claim ambiguity or error in these Official Mechanics. Except where prohibited by law, the winners consent to the use of their name and/or likeness by IRRI and SMART for advertising and publicity purposes without compensation.

 Each participant agrees that IRRI and SMART and its parent companies, agents, representatives, affiliates, and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injuries, losses, or damages of any kind resulting from his/her participation in the contest, or resulting from the acceptance, possession, or use of these prizes, nor in any way are responsible for any warranty, representation, or guaranty, express or implied, in fact or in law, relative to any prize, including but not limited to the quality, condition, or fitness.

 Each participant agrees that IRRI and SMART and its parent company, agents, representatives, subsidiaries, affiliates, and employees will have no liability whatsoever for any injury, loss, or damages of any kind resulting from the use of the entry, unless such entry has been formally offered by IRRI and SMART to the public as a service or a product. Each participant warrants that it holds the necessary intellectual property right(s) over the entry, undertakes sole responsibility for any adverse or infringement claim(s) thereon, and further holds IRRI and SMART, its directors, officers, employees, agents, parent company subsidiaries and affiliates free from any liability arising out of such adverse or infringement claim(s) including claim(s) for damages.