Google Solution Challenge

Overview

Google Solution Challenge is an annual competition for members of Google's student developer clubs, who build a working solution to one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals using Google technology. Teams submit a demo, a short write-up and their code, and the strongest entries are showcased globally with mentorship and prizes for the top projects. It rewards execution over the pitch: judges want a specific community, a specific problem, a working build, and evidence that the team tested it with real people, not a deck.

Who it's for

It suits students active in a campus Google developer club, since membership is the usual entry path, who can commit a semester rather than a weekend. Small teams work best: one person who can ship an app, one who can talk to users. Prior Cloud experience is not required. Confirm eligibility with your club lead: the student club programme has been renamed, and current rules sit with the organisers, not on an archived page.

What you get

Selected teams get Google mentorship, visibility on a global stage and prizes for the strongest projects, plus a portfolio piece that survives the competition: a deployed app, a short case study and a demo you can show a hiring manager. The community angle matters more than the trophy. A solution adopted by one real organisation, however small, beats a polished prototype with no users.

How to apply

Join your campus club, form a team and pick a single Sustainable Development Goal. Build with Google technology, then submit what the current cycle asks for: a demo video, a written explanation of the problem and solution, and a link to the code. Judging usually starts inside the club and moves to a global review, with the best teams invited to present. Because the club is the front door, the local lead controls the timeline — ask for the rubric early and work backwards from it.

Timing

Annual, tied to the academic year: one cycle per year, with registration, a build period and a submission deadline set by the programme and your campus club. Dates are published per cycle, so confirm them with your club lead or the official Google developer community page.

How to stand out

Choose a goal and a user group narrow enough to name: not good health in general, but a clinic in one district that loses appointment records. Ship something a stranger can open without your help, then get three real users and quote them in the submission. Keep the demo under the stated limit and show the product, not slides. If your campus club is dormant, ask Google's developer community which nearby club accepts outside members.

FAQ