Fellows 2025
From 455 applications across the region to five seed-funded civic tech pilots: this is the story of the inaugural Code for MENA Hackathon Fellowship, May 2025 to March 2026. The program has concluded, and its fellows have graduated. Applications are closed; Cohort 2 will be announced here and on our channels.
2025 at a Glance
Ten Months, Four Phases
- SelectionFrom 455 applicants, 123 were shortlisted and 65 fellows were selected by a multidisciplinary committee, with deliberate inclusion of women, youth, and underrepresented communities.
- Training & MentorshipFellows received 30+ hours of bespoke training in design thinking and UX/UI, agile development, digital security and data protection, storytelling and pitching, and fundraising, alongside 90+ hours of one-on-one mentorship from regional and global experts.
- Hackathon & Demo DayA 48-hour virtual sprint led into a two-day Demo Day where 25 teams pitched to a multidisciplinary jury. Eleven finalists advanced to final interviews, and five winning solutions were selected.
- Seed-Funded PilotsFive winning teams shared a $31,000 seed pool and received post-hackathon mentorship. All five completed their pilots by March 2026, delivering functional MVPs, and representatives joined International Civil Society Week in Bangkok.
Themes Fellows Worked On
Every project put mobile-first access, open-source technology, digital inclusion, and digital security at its core. The fellowship was made possible by our mentors and trainers, and by the support of CIVICUS through the Digital Democracy Initiative. Code for MENA is led by SmartGov.
Five Solutions Now Piloted Across MENA
Meet the winning teams whose civic tech solutions received seed funding and completed their pilots across Syria, Tunisia, Lebanon, Algeria, and the wider region.
Explore the Subgrantees