General Regulations for the
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1. General Information

AI-Sana Shakarim Solveathon: AI&Agriculture-2025 (the Solveathon) is a solution development hackathon that brings together students, researchers, and industry representatives. Over three days, teams develop solutions to challenges formulated by industrial partners—enterprises and organizations in the agricultural sector. The team-based format of the Solveathon ensures a practical focus for the developments and allows for the rapid creation of applied solutions for real-world industry.

This event serves as a significant platform for promoting youth initiatives and strengthening the university's partnership with the industry. It is planned to be held annually in the future.

Duration: Challenges are published 7 days before the start. The event itself is a three-day offline intensive, during which teams will work on finding and implementing solutions.

2. Goals and Objectives of the Solveathon

The Goal is to foster the development of digital and agritech solutions using artificial intelligence, strengthen the links between science, education, and business, and unlock the innovative potential of youth for the sustainable development of Kazakhstan's agricultural sector.

Objectives:

  • To stimulate youth innovative entrepreneurship;
  • To form teams capable of solving applied problems;
  • To integrate science, education, and business;
  • To support talented students and young specialists;
  • To develop project-based thinking and teamwork skills.

3. Participants of the Solveathon

Students, young researchers, and startup teams from higher education institutions are eligible to participate. Participation is in teams of 7 to 10 members. A participant can only be a member of one team. A team leader is appointed by agreement among the participants during the Solveathon.

4. Project Requirements

Challenges for the teams are formulated by industrial partners—agricultural enterprises, organizations, and industry experts. Projects should be aimed at solving applied problems in the agricultural sector, including:

  • Digitalization of the agro-industrial complex;
  • Implementation of IT solutions for monitoring and managing agricultural processes;
  • Innovations in crop and livestock farming;
  • Environmentally sustainable solutions;
  • Increasing the efficiency of agricultural production;
  • Other relevant areas defined by partners.

5. Format and Stages

The Solveathon is conducted in a proven team-based project work format.

5.1 Preparatory Stage (7 days before the start)

This stage is focused on organizational and informational preparation.
The Organizer provides:

  • Publication of the full list of challenges on the official website: https://solveathon.shakarim.kz/en/;
  • Opening and managing participant registration;
  • Consultation on participation, project requirements, and regulations;
  • Team and individual recommendations (if necessary).

Participants are given the opportunity to:

  • Familiarize themselves with the challenges and clarify requirements with industrial partners;
  • Begin a preliminary analysis of the problem area (data collection, searching for analogues, studying agrotech processes);
  • Formulate preliminary ideas without creating a finished prototype.
EVENT MAP

5.2 Day 1 – Grand Opening and Kick-off

The first day includes informational, organizational, and conceptual blocks.
Official Part:

  • Participant registration and badge distribution;
  • Opening ceremony with university leadership and partners;
  • Presentation of the Solveathon's goals and work regulations.

Presentation of Challenges by Partners:
Partners present the challenges, outlining the industry context, relevance, and key evaluation criteria. Participants have the opportunity to ask clarifying questions to experts.

Team Formation:

  • Teams are formed based on challenge areas and participant interests;
  • A team leader or coordinator is chosen;
  • Intra-team roles are assigned.

Start of Project Work:
Teams begin analyzing the problem, developing a concept, and planning their work.

5.3 Day 2 – Prototype Development and Intermediate Pitches

The second day is the main production stage.
Team Work:

  • Creating the solution architecture;
  • Developing ML models, algorithms, and datasets;
  • Developing a prototype of the digital product or technological model;
  • Testing and evaluating the applicability of the solution.

Mentoring Sessions:
The Organizer provides access to mentors (industry experts, AI specialists, entrepreneurs). Mentors help teams refine their business logic and improve technical solutions.

Intermediate Pitches:
In the afternoon, mini-presentations (5–7 minutes) are held with feedback from the jury and mentors to guide the teams' work.

5.4 Day 3 – Final Pitches and Judging

The third day is dedicated to finalizing the work and public presentations.
Finalizing Development:

  • Finalizing prototypes to a working state (MVP);
  • Preparing presentations, technical descriptions, and demonstrations.

Final Project Pitches:
Each team presents its project to the jury (7–10 minute presentation), demonstrates the prototype, and answers questions.

Results and Awards:
Winners are determined based on the final pitches. The announcement is accompanied by the awarding of diplomas, cash prizes, and recommendations.

5.5 Concluding Stage

After the Solveathon, each team is required to submit final materials to the partner organization: a project proposal or report with a description of the idea, technical implementation, and recommendations. Teams may also continue to work on their projects in collaboration with the industrial partners.

6. Conditions of Participation

  1. A person who has submitted a correctly completed application via the official website is recognized as a participant. Submission of an application implies consent to these Regulations.
  2. The main task of each team is to develop a prototype solution for the chosen challenge. The prototype must meet the requirements of novelty, originality, and comply with the criteria set out in Section 8.
  3. Teams may prepare in advance by studying the challenges and developing ideas. However, a ready-made prototype created before the official start of the Solveathon is not allowed. The Organizer or Jury reserves the right to refuse a project's admission to evaluation.
  4. Each team must prepare and present its solution in the final stage.

7. Venue and Equipment

The Organizer will equip the venue with necessary tables and chairs, provide free wireless Internet access, and create conditions for participants to present their prototypes.
The Organizer will provide power strips and access to the electrical network for connecting personal equipment.
Participants must have their own portable computing devices (laptops, etc.).
To facilitate presentations, the Organizer will provide access to multimedia equipment, including projectors and screens with HDMI/miniHDMI connectivity.
Each participant must have their own device, charging equipment, and the necessary software for developing and presenting their prototype.

8. Project Evaluation Criteria

Projects are evaluated by an expert jury based on five main criteria. Each criterion is scored on a 5-point scale (0 to 5 points). The maximum total score is 25 points.

8.1 Relevance and Significance (0–5 points)

Assesses the solution's alignment with the real and current needs of Kazakhstan's agricultural sector and the challenges outlined.

8.2 Innovation and Originality (0–5 points)

Assesses the novelty of the proposed approach, the uniqueness of the solution compared to existing analogues, and the team's creativity.

8.3 Practical Applicability and Scalability (0–5 points)

Assesses the feasibility of implementing the solution in real-world conditions and its potential for expansion.

8.4 Business Model and Implementation Plan Quality (0–5 points)

Assesses the logic of the implementation plan, understanding of economic aspects, and the presence of a project roadmap.

8.5 Teamwork and Presentation Quality (0–5 points)

Assesses team cohesion, the logic and structure of the presentation, and the ability to convey the idea to the jury.

Final Jury Decision:
The final result is determined by the sum of scores. In case of a tie, priority is given to the team with the highest scores in the "Innovation and Originality" and "Practical Applicability and Scalability" criteria.

9. Awards and Incentives

The best projects will receive opportunities for further support (incubation, acceleration, contracts with partners), as well as cash prizes:

  • 🥇 1st Place – 1,000,000 KZT
  • 🥈 2nd Place – 700,000 KZT
  • 🥉 3rd Place – 500,000 KZT