Frequently Asked Questions

Uraan AI Techathon 2.0 – Everything You Need to Know

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The next edition of Pakistan’s national AI competition, led by the Ministry of Planning, Development & Special Initiatives under the E-Pakistan Uraan Program. It aims to harness AI to solve Pakistan’s most pressing challenges across 12 thematic areas.
Students, startups, professionals, interns, and innovators from across Pakistan can participate. Each team must have at least one student (currently enrolled) or one intern.
There are 12 thematic areas including healthcare, agriculture, fintech, governance, climate, and others. Each thematic area contains a main problem statement and sub-problems.
  • Public announcement & portal launch: 14 August 2026
  • Registration opens: 14 August 2026
  • Registration closes: 14 September 2026, 23:59 PKT
  • Screening & shortlisting: 15 September – 14 October 2026
  • Shortlisted teams notified: 15 October – 06 November 2026
  • National Techathon Day, Islamabad: 07 November 2026 (tentative)
  • Incubation & acceleration programme: 08 November 2026 – 07 May 2027 (six months)
  • Gold Award: PKR 2,500,000 + 6 months incubation & mentorship
  • Silver Award: PKR 2,000,000 + 6 months incubation & mentorship
  • Bronze Award: PKR 1,500,000 + 6 months incubation & mentorship
  • Women in Tech Award: PKR 1,000,000 + 6 months incubation & mentorship (all team members must be female)
Yes, teams can submit their own startup or project ideas, provided the idea addresses a Pakistan-specific problem and fits into at least one of the 12 thematic areas.
Registration runs from 14 August 2026 until 14 September 2026, 23:59 PKT. Screening and shortlisting run from 15 September – 14 October 2026.
Projects must be submitted through the submission form available on the official website: www.uraanpakistan.pk/uraanai. The portal launches and registration opens on 14 August 2026.
Evaluation criteria are listed alongside each thematic area on the official website. All submissions—whether based on official problem statements or original ideas—will be judged using the same criteria.
Approximately 400–500 candidates across all thematic areas will be shortlisted and invited to the onsite Techathon Day in Islamabad.
No, the Ministry will not provide TA/DA, airfare, or accommodation for participants attending Techathon Day in Islamabad.
  • Shortlisted teams will present their projects
  • Participate in viva (Q&A) sessions
  • Possibly solve 1–2 new problem statements on the spot
  • Final winners will be selected at the end of the day.
Winners will get 6 months of incubation and mentorship to help transform their ideas into commercially viable products or services, with both national and global relevance.
  • Teams must have 1 to 4 members.
  • A mix of students, professionals, interns, and academics is allowed.
  • At least one student or one intern must be part of each team.
Yes, an individual can work on more than one project or be part of more than one team.
Yes, participants may bring their own laptops and use tools like GPTs, Google Colab, etc. Internet will be provided at the venue.
Yes, teams may use open datasets. If using a dedicated dataset, they must provide proof of ownership or source.
For queries, email: [email protected]