Glossary
What is the University category?
The University category is the IOOVC competition reserved for students enrolled at an educational institution, anywhere in the world. Registration is US$ 30 per project, valid proof of enrollment is required for the project to be judged, and it has its own podium, prizes and registration count: in every tier, exactly half of the Open.
Who can enter and what it costs
Anyone with active enrollment at an educational institution, anywhere in the world. Registration is US$ 30 per project and asks only for the category, your email and the consents; the enrollment details (institution, year and the proof) are filled in later, in the member area, by November 1, 2026.
Proof of enrollment is not required at registration, but it is required for the project to be judged. Anyone who cannot present it is disqualified, with no score and no refund.
The University prizes
The University has its own podium and pays, in every tier of the ladder, exactly half of the Open. At the top tier (10,000+ registrations in the competition), first place takes $25,000, second $12,500 and third $5,000.
From the 1,000–1,999 tier onward there are honourable mentions of $50 per person, from 4th place to the tier's last paid placement (at the top, through 500th). The tier that applies is the one in effect when registration closes, on October 31, 2026.
University or Open?
Same committee, same criteria, and double every step of the prize ladder in the Open. A student may enter either competition, and may enter different projects in each: every registration is paid separately and judged on its own.
What the University adds is a podium only among students, with the same score and feedback from the committee to show for it.
When this matters
You are a student and want to know whether to enter the University or the Open.
You do not have your proof of enrollment at hand today and want to know whether you can still register.
You study outside Brazil and want to confirm that enrollment anywhere in the world counts (it does).
Our position
Get ahead of your classmates and use your ranking to land internships. That is what the University is for: a podium only among students, judged by the same committee and the same criteria as the Open.