Eligibility Overview
Bridge the Gap: Pacific Digital Inclusion & Safety Challenge 2026 is open exclusively to currently enrolled university students. Teams must comprise three to five members, with all members enrolled at a recognised Pacific university.
Participant Requirements
Team Composition
Proposals must be submitted by teams of 3-5 students plus one staff member.
All participants must be 18 years or older.
Age
Team members must be residents of the Pacific.
Eligibility
Participants must have sufficient English proficiency to engage fully in the event.
Language
Teams are welcome from a recognised Pacific University or TVET Institution.
Backgrounds
All team members must be able to travel to Port Moresby 22 - 24 July. Finalist teams will have their travel, accommodation and meals in country covered, but participants must hold a valid passport and visa (if required) for international travel.
Availability
We strongly encourage diverse teams to apply and bring a range of perspectives to the challenge.
Diversity
Desired Team Attributes
Pacific Representation
Drawn from Pacific Island nations: Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga, Tuvalu, Palau, the Marshall Islands, and others.
Interdisciplinary Skills
Include interdisciplinary members, combining technical skills (software, data, engineering, cybersecurity) with design, policy, law, social work, gender studies, or community development backgrounds.
Lived Experience
Include at least one team member with direct lived experience of an outer-island, rural, or marginalised Pacific community.
Inclusion & Diversity
Include women and gender-diverse team members; teams that include members with lived experience of disability or social exclusion are particularly encouraged.