DevDays
Funding Amount
$10,000
Deadline
June 19, 2026
71 days left
Grant Type
foundation
Overview
DevDays
Overview: A 12-week quarterly innovation competition for Louisiana's engineering, computer science, and business students. Working in teams, participants tackle real challenges sourced from industry partners across the state. The top 10 teams compete for prize money, gain visibility with industry leaders, and are recognized for their impact.
Program Type: 12-week challenge-based technology competition
Geographic Scope: Louisiana (statewide)
2026 Schedule
- Competition 1: March 20, 2026 - Environmental/Wildlife Habitat Monitoring Challenge
- Competition 2: June 19, 2026 - TBD (Location: City Club of Baton Rouge)
- Competition 3: September 25, 2026 - TBD
Award Amount
Total Prize Funding: $10,000 awarded to top teams (first, second, and third place)
Eligibility
- College and university students
- Engineering students
- Computer science students
- Business students
- Teams of 2 or more students
- Louisiana students/institutions preferred
Focus Areas
- Industry-sourced real-world challenges
- Healthcare technology solutions
- Environmental challenges
- Education technology
- Digital solutions
- Software and hardware applications
Program Components
- Industry-Sourced Challenges: Participants solve real problems from leading Louisiana companies and institutions
- Hands-On Development: Teams research, prototype, test, and refine solutions over 12 weeks
- Mentorship: Teams are paired with experienced developers to coach them toward building industry-grade solutions
- Live Demo: Solutions culminate in an impactful, one-day live demonstration
- Recognition & Opportunity: Top teams win funding, visibility, and direct access to industry leaders
Previous Challenge Examples
- 2026 (Q1): Digital Wildlife Habitat Monitoring - Using archive of 400,000+ aerial images to help wildlife resource managers monitor coastal habitats and understand how habitats are changing
- Healthcare Challenge: Solutions for healthcare innovation (partnered with Ochsner)
- EdTech Challenge: Education technology solutions (in partnership with New Schools of Louisiana; applications open in April)
Impact (2025 Results)
- 10+ industry-driven solutions developed
- 30+ high-potential job candidates identified
- 200+ students engaged across Louisiana in 2025
- All-female team won DevDays HealthTech Challenge
Contact Information
Phone: (225) 218-1100
Email: hello@nexusla.org
Address: 7117 Florida Boulevard, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
Website: nexusla.org
Partnership
- The Water Institute (Q1 2026 partner)
- Ochsner Health (Healthcare Challenge partner)
- New Schools of Louisiana (EdTech Challenge partner)
How to Apply
How to Apply
1. Register: Visit nexusla.org to register your team
2. Form a Team: Assemble a college student team with engineering, computer science, or business focus
3. Select Challenge: Choose from available industry-sourced challenges
4. Submit Project: Complete your solution over the 12-week period
5. Prepare Presentation: Develop a pitch/demonstration for the final live event
6. Compete: Present your solution to judges and industry leaders
Required Materials
- Team registration information
- Project proposal addressing the challenge
- Evidence of research, prototyping, and testing
- Final functional solution or prototype
- Pitch/presentation materials for live demo day
Timeline
- Week 1-4: Research and problem discovery
- Week 5-8: Prototyping and development
- Week 9-12: Testing, refinement, and preparation for final demo
- Final Event: Live demonstration and judging
Selection Process
- Top 10 teams are selected to compete in the final live event
- Evaluation based on innovation, technical execution, and real-world applicability
- Winners selected for awards based on judge panel assessment
Focus Areas & Funding Uses
Fields of Work
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