Build a Bridge Innovation Challenge
Student-led AI Innovation for Social Impact
Build a Bridge is an experiential innovation challenge that invites student teams to design and build an AI-enabled Minimum Viable Product (MVP) that addresses real barriers to immigrant inclusion.
For its third edition, the challenge will focus on a pressing issue in immigrant labour market integration, identified through the Proving and Moving Skills (POWER) project.
Key Dates
Application Deadline: October 15, 2026
Workshops: November 20, 2026 – January 12, 2027
MVP Submission Deadline: March 8, 2027
Final Showcase & Awards: April 2027
The Challenge: Building Trust in Immigrant Talent through Technology
Skilled immigrants bring valuable professional experience and transferable skills to the Canadian labour market, yet employers often struggle to recognize and trust capabilities gained abroad. This year's challenge asks participants to explore how technology, AI, and human-centred innovation can help close that gap and empower employers to confidently assess immigrant talent, while ensuring AI tools remain fair, transparent, and free of bias.
Challenge question:
How can technology, AI, and human-centred innovation help employers recognize, assess, and trust internationally acquired skills — while enabling immigrants to better demonstrate what they know and can do?
How does it work?
Through experiential learning, teams will apply their technical, creative and problem-solving skills to independently develop innovative solutions. Participants will also attend a series of virtual workshops, connect to experts, and access curated learning resources.
At the conclusion of the challenge, teams will submit their final MVP for evaluation by a panel of judges from industry, academia, community organizations and the innovation ecosystem. Selected teams will be invited to present their solutions at the Build a Bridge Showcase and Awards.
Develop an award-winning solution and win up to $4,000 CAD
Recognition & Awards
Students who successfully complete the challenge will receive:
- A certificate of completion
- The opportunity to win competition awards
Awards:
- 1st Place: Up to $4,000 per winning team ($1,000 per participant)
- 2nd Place: Up to $2,000 per winning team ($500 per participant)
- 3rd Place: Up to $1,000 per winning team ($250 per participant)
Why participate?
Make a social impact for immigrants while gaining experience and connections:
- Apply in-demand skills in responsible AI innovation, human-centred design, digital product development, and entrepreneurial thinking
- Expand your network by connecting with leading experts, mentors and peers from academia, industry, and the community sector
- Build a portfolio-ready AI-enabled MVP and showcase your solution
Who should apply?
This challenge is open to graduate and undergraduate students from all Bridging Divides partner universities, from any disciplines. Multidiscplinarity within team is encouraged, however teams must have the technical skills to build a functional prototype independently as the program does not provide technical training.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Applications should be submitted as a team. Each team must have 3-4 students. Submission must be submitted through the application form. The deadline for team applications is October 15, 2026.
Application Form questions:
- Team Name
- Team Lead (Primary Point of Contact)
- Individual Team Members details (name, university, email address, university, program of study, level of study: Undergraduate / Graduate, student type: domestic or international)
- Why is your team interested in participating in Build a Bridge? Maximum length: 100 words
Describe your team’s motivation for participating in the Challenge, including any interest in AI-enabled innovation, immigrant labour market integration, or skills recognition - What skills, disciplines, and experiences does your team bring to this challenge? Maximum length: 150 words
- What is your team’s initial idea for responding to the challenge? Maximum length: 150 words
Briefly describe your initial idea or area of exploration. Your idea does not need to be fully developed and is expected to evolve throughout the program.
- Each Team must have 3–4 students (minimum of 3, maximum of 4). All students must be currently enrolled at either Toronto Metropolitan University, Concordia University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia. The Challenge is open to undergraduate and graduate students.
- Teams must have the technical skills to build a functional prototype independently i.e. AI coding, software engineering, computer science, computer engineering, data science, IT, or full-stack development. Teams are expected to arrive with the skills to build what they propose. The program does not provide technical training.
- Multidisciplinary teams combining technical, business, design, and social impact expertise are strongly encouraged.
Build a Bridge is a virtual competition. All workshops and the final showcase wil take place online.
Activity |
Date |
EDT (ON time) |
MDT (AB time) |
PDT (BC time) |
| Application deadline | October 15,2026 |
11:59 pm |
10:59 pm |
9:59 pm |
Workshop 1: Challenge Kick-off - Overview and Understanding the Skills Recognition Problem |
November 20, 2026 |
1-3 pm |
11am-1 pm |
10am-12 pm |
Workshop 2: Designing Human-Centred & Responsible AI Solutions |
November 27, 2026 |
1-3 pm |
11am-1pm |
10 am-12 pm |
Independent Teamwork |
December-January |
-- |
-- | -- |
Workshop 3: Defining a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) |
January 12, 2027
|
1-3 pm |
11am-1pm |
10 am-12 pm |
Independent Teamwork Subject-Matter Expert virtual drop in clinics |
January 12 - March 7, 2027 |
--
|
-- | -- |
FINAL MVP & PITCH SUBMISSION DEADLINE |
March 8, 2027 |
|
||
Build a Bridge Showcase and Awards |
April 8 or 9, 2027 (TBD) |
(TBD) |
(TBD) | (TBD) |
Note: Dates and times are subject to change and will be confirmed with selected teams.
Workshops: All participants are expected to attend the workshops virtually, unless an exception is arranged in advance. Each workshop includes presentations, discussion, and practical activities or post-exercises designed to support teams in developing their final submission.
Subject Matter Expert Clinics: During the build phase, each team will have an opportunity and be expected to attend at least one drop in virtual clinic to ask questions related to their MVP with our subject matter researchers on immigrant labour market integration, responsible AI and Human-centred innovation, MVP development. Each team is expected to attend at least one virtual clinic.
- A functional AI-enabled MVP prototype
- A written MVP Solution Brief
- A recorded pitch video (5–7 minutes) presenting the solution and showcasing the MVP
Teams are expected to build a functional AI-enabled MVP prototype — an early-stage version that demonstrates the solution’s core functionality and user experience.
Teams are expected to meaningfully incorporate AI into their MVP. You may use existing AI tools, platforms, APIs, or low-code/no-code solutions. You are not expected to develop a new AI model from scratch, build a production-ready application, or complete large-scale testing or system integration.
Contact Bridging Divides (bridging.divides@torontomu.ca) if you have any questions.
A Bridging Divides initiative, hosted by:
Thank you to our Partners:
