In 2025, the fourth year of the Public Interest Technology University Network (PIT-UN) Tech for Change Hackathon Request for Proposals aims to foster collaborations among PIT members, employers, and other educational institutions, incentivizing the sharing of resources and information and creating a robust public interest technology field that drives economic advancement for all.
PIT-UN anticipates supporting several Tech for Change Hackathons across PIT-UN. We are particularly interested in projects that do not replicate existing or previously funded Hackathons but offer a new approach or lens for accelerating or innovating the development or use of public interest technology.
Tech for Change Hackathons are civic-focused, community-driven, and deployed by students to address local injustices. Tracks, issue area prompts, and challenges are equity- and values-centered while encouraging relationship building between students and the community. We request that sponsors of the Tech for Change Hackathons encourage all teams to address complex social issues with innovative projects.
A PIT-UN Tech for Change Hackathon proposal should highlight career-relevant technology or policy development aligned with PIT competencies and connect students with employers and community partners who design, develop, and deploy technology and policies that serve the public interest. The grant aims to empower PIT-UN member institutions’ student clubs and club sponsors to become critical players in growing and diversifying the PIT workforce pipeline.
All proposals should focus on specific areas that cultivate students as the future of the PIT workforce. We are expecting proposals that catalyze:
- Careers with hands-on, high-impact work driven by innovation and entrepreneurship in public interest technology.
- Communities where students learn and work alongside creative, ambitious, and passionate thinkers in establishing the public interest in technology.
- Regions that welcome bold, imaginative ideas to foster the most pressing challenges in workforce development.
Eligibility Guidelines
Eligibility is limited to PIT-UN member institutions that have not previously hosted or co-hosted a PIT-UN Tech for Change Hackathon. Grantees must be affiliated with a PIT-UN member institution and a student club, and the institution must be the primary recipient of grant funds.
Projects that are a partnership between two or more universities should submit a single application from the lead institution. Projects should clearly explain the nature of the alliance, including the division of labor and allocation of funds in the proposal.
The issuance of this RFP does not constitute a commitment by PIT-UN to award grants. Applications will be evaluated after the due date, and PIT-UN reserves the right to issue partial awards as deemed in the best interest of the Network.
PIT-UN is a project of the New Venture Fund (NVF), a 501(c)(3) public charity that supports innovative and effective public interest projects.