The 2024 Eastern Partnership Civic Tech Hackathon organised by our EU-funded project “Eastern Partnership Civil Society Facility” in Chisinau on 26-28 January 2024 concludes with resounding success. This vibrant event brought together over 60 participants from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine – civil society activists, developers, designers, and IT experts, who formed 15 teams to develop civic tech solutions that address societal challenges and contribute to transparency, accountability, and improved public services in the Eastern Partnership countries.
Adam Grodzicki, Deputy Head of Operations at the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova extended a warm welcome to participants and expressed his gratitude for their valuable contributions: “I am delighted to see the diverse and multi-faceted nature of civic tech solutions presented at this Hackathon. These ideas not only demonstrate the variety of issues in the EaP countries but also serve as a social barometer, reflecting citizens’ suggestions on how to contribute to solving problems.” He expressed optimism about the Hackathon’s potential to be a catalyst for positive change, from enabling citizens to track parliamentary activities and budget spending to making public services more accessible.
The Hackathon showcased a broad spectrum of civic tech solutions, including an accessibility map and an environmental reporting platform, a budget visualization application and tools for tracking parliamentary activity, an application for young voters, among others. Notably, three projects from Moldova focused on a registry of open-source products, monitoring small-value public procurement, and an innovative bot-guide for tourists exploring rural Moldova.
Expressing admiration for the participants’ dedication, Mr. Grodzicki added, “Your energy and dedication are indeed inspirational. I know that most of you have full-time jobs or are studying full-time, or even do both in parallel, and still remain so engaged in the life of your communities and countries.“
The three days of the Hackathon were intense, filled with masterclasses, individual work with mentors, and hands-on work to craft prototypes of digital solutions. The Hackathon culminated on January 28th with the nomination of the most promising prototypes for the EaP Civic Tech Award through which the European Union supports the full-fledged development and launch of the best solutions proposed by the Hackathon participants. Five nominees will now compete for an average EU funding of 10,000 EUR that will help them bring their digital solutions ideas into reality:
- MigrantMate: one-stop-shop web-portal for refugees in three Armenian regions.
- Youth Link: aggregator of volunteering opportunities for Azerbaijani youth.
- SnapMap: interactive map for reporting on polluted public spaces in Georgia.
- IntegrityLens: An AI-powered tool for investigative journalists.
- VillageTravel Bot: bot-guide for tourists in rural Moldova.
The winners will be announced in early March 2024.
