AI Hackathon 2026

What is the Innovate AI Hackathon?

The Innovate AI Hackathon is a collaborative innovation event bringing together BNZ’s Auckland 2025 and 2026 Technology Graduate cohort and students from the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology to tackle real-world challenges at the intersection of AI and banking.

Over two weeks, teams will design, prototype, and pitch AI-driven solutions focused on elevating customer experience and accelerating the delivery of value to customers. The event is powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS), whose cloud AI tools and subject-matter experts will be available to all participants.

Teams will select one of three challenges to tackle. Each challenge is grounded in a real strategic priority for BNZ and is designed to be ambitious but achievable within the two weeks submission window There is no single correct answer — we’re looking for creative, practical, and well-reasoned solutions.

Note: Details about each challenge will be released on 3 July at the opening event.

For University students:

• Work on a genuine industry challenge set by one of New Zealand’s leading banks.
• Access AWS cloud and AI tooling and mentorship from AWS subject-matter experts.
• Collaborate with or compete alongside BNZ’s next generation of technology talent.
• Gain direct exposure to BNZ as a potential future employer
• Win prizes and recognition for your innovation.

For BNZ Technology Graduates:

• Apply your skills to real strategic challenges facing BNZ.
• Collaborate with peers and university students in a cross-functional setting.
• Learn and experiment with AWS AI services in a structured innovation context.
• Strengthen your network and elevate your profile within BNZ.

The partners

Bank of New Zealand (BNZ)
BNZ is one of New Zealand’s largest banks, with a strong commitment to technology-led transformation and a strong cohort of Technology Graduates and early in career colleagues who are shaping the bank’s digital future.

Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AWS is the world’s leading cloud platform. For this hackathon, AWS will provide tooling access, technical mentorship through subject-matter experts, and support for all participating teams.

The University of Auckland's Centre of Digital Enterprise (CODE)
The Centre of Digital Enterprise (CODE) at the University of Auckland Business School connects academia with industry to accelerate digital innovation. The University of Auckland brings student talent from its Computer Science and Software Engineering programmes.

5pm Tuesday 30 June 
Registration deadline. Teams must be registered before the launch event to attend.

Friday 3 July
Launch event at the University of Auckland Campus, Caseroom 260-223. Challenge details released, briefing, mentor introductions, and team ideation. 

3 July - 22 July
Submission window open. Teams develop and build their solutions. Mentors available for check-in sessions.

5pm Wednesday 22 July
Submission deadline. All materials must be submitted via the submission form.

Tuesday 28 July 
Finalists will be announced via email. 

Friday 31 July
Finals event at BNZ Place, Auckland. Finalist presentations to the judging panel. Winners announced.

Who can participate?

The Innovate AI Hackathon is open to two groups:

• BNZ Technology Graduates (2025 and 2026 cohort).
• University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology students — second and third-year undergraduate students from Business/Management, Computer Science and Software Engineering programmes.

Teams will be formed by the participants themselves. We encourage mixed teams where possible, but BNZ Graduate-only and University-only teams are welcome.

Team composition

• Teams of 3–4 people.
• At least one team member must be able to present at the finals event in Auckland in July 2026.
• Team members must all meet the eligibility criteria for their participant group.
• The number of teams that can be admitted to the hackathon is limited.

How to register

1. Form your team and decide on a team name.
2. Complete the online registration form below.
3. You will receive a confirmation email and access to the submission form and team resources within 48 hours of registering.
4. Attend the launch event on Friday, 3 July, in the afternoon at the University of Auckland to receive your full challenge brief, meet mentors, and begin ideation.

Registration and submission deadlines

Tuesday 30 June, 5pm — teams must be registered before the launch event to attend.

Wednesday 22 July, 5pm— all materials must be submitted by this time. Late submissions will not be accepted.

What to submit

At the end of the submission window, each team must submit the following:

Pitch Deck:

• A presentation of 8-10 slides covering your problem framing, proposed solution, AI approach, technical architecture, feasibility, and impact.
• PDF or PowerPoint format.

Demo or Prototype:

• A working demo, clickable prototype, or clear demonstration of your solution.
• Can be a video walkthrough (max 3 minutes), a live prototype, or a detailed wireframe set.

One-Page Summary:

• A one-page executive summary of your solution for the judging panel.
• Maximum 400 words.
• PDF format.

AWS Architecture Diagram:

• A diagram showing how AWS services are used in your solution (required for Challenge 3; strongly encouraged for all teams).

Mentorship

All registered teams will have access to mentorship from BNZ technology leaders and AWS subject-matter experts throughout the submission window. Mentor availability and session booking details will be provided after the kick-off event.

AWS tooling

AWS is providing cloud tooling and service credits to all participating teams. Details on how to access your team’s AWS environment will be provided at the kick-off event. Teams are encouraged to explore AWS AI and ML services, including Amazon Bedrock, Amazon SageMaker, Amazon Lex, Amazon Rekognition, and others.

FAQs

Do I need prior AI experience to participate?

No. The event is designed to be accessible to participants with a range of technical backgrounds. What matters most is curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to learn. Mentors will be available to help your team explore AI approaches.

Can I participate as a solo entrant?

No. This is a team event. Teams must have a minimum of 3 members.

Does my whole team need to attend the finals?

At least one team member must attend the finals event at BNZ Place in Auckland to present. We strongly encourage the full team to attend where possible.

Can University students and BNZ Graduates form mixed teams?

Yes, and we encourage it! Mixed teams are welcome. All team members must individually meet the eligibility criteria for their participant group.

What AWS services can we use?

Teams can use any AWS service available in your provisioned environment. AWS mentors will be on hand to help you identify the right services for your solution.

• Overall Winner: $1000 prize
• Best Customer Experience Solution (Challenge 1): $500 prize
• Best AI Innovation (Challenge 2): $500 prize
• Best AWS-Powered Solution (Challenge 3): $500 prize

All finalist teams will receive certificates of recognition. Winners will be announced at the finals event at BNZ Auckland.

University of Auckland
ai-hackathon@auckland.ac.nz

BNZ — Liz Ludlow
Liz_Ludlow@bnz.co.nz