Digital and food service
Ordering, smart delivery, online customer experience, booking.
Innovation
Coffee, Tea & Hospitality Hackathon
A national innovation competition for young Moroccan talent, with a grand final on stage during the festival.
Hackathon
More than a competition: an incubation programme
Run by the IRFAN Foundation for Heritage, the Hackathon brings together start-ups, young entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs and incubators around coffee, tea, food service and hospitality.
Six months of support, from application to stage, with mentors, investors and institutions, and Marrakech as the place where projects take root.
- 30projects selected
- 10finalists on stage
- 6months of programme
Four innovation themes
Sustainability and green innovation
Eco-friendly packaging, waste management, sustainable coffee and tea farming.
Technology and AI
AI for customer experience, chatbots, operational optimisation.
New food experiences
Personalised menus, gamification, new coffee and tea cultures, product innovation.
Six stages
The 2027 timetable will be announced soon, with the grand final during the festival, 5–7 November 2027.
- 1
Call for applications
Online form and a 2-minute video pitch.
- 2
Selection
The committee selects 30 projects.
- 3
Pre-incubation
Remote mentoring: business model, value proposition, prototype.
- 4
Bootcamp in Marrakech
Five days of workshops: innovation, branding, finance, pitching, coaching.
- 5
Semi-final
The 30 projects pitch to a professional jury; 10 finalists go through.
- 6
Grand final
The 10 finalists pitch on stage during the festival before an international jury.
Who can take part?
Start-ups
Tech or business solutions for coffee, tea and food service.
Young entrepreneurs
Moroccans aged 18 and over, ready to establish their project in Marrakech.
Intrapreneurs
Professionals from major food brands exploring new solutions.
Incubators and accelerators
Organisations involved in selection, mentoring and technical support.
The jury
Chaired by a leading figure in innovation or business, the jury brings together representatives from institutions, innovation, finance, coffee and tea, hospitality, digital and entrepreneurship.
Scoring out of 100
| Criterion | Points | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| Innovation | 20 | Originality and differentiation |
| Economic viability | 20 | Strength of the model and growth potential |
| Impact | 15 | Social, environmental and local impact |
| Feasibility | 15 | Realism of the execution plan |
| Pitch | 10 | Clarity and quality of the presentation |
| Team | 10 | Skills, profile and motivation |
| Marrakech roots | 10 | Local contribution and establishment strategy |
Prizes
1st prize
Funding and incubation, access to the festival's premium network.
2nd prize
Support, visibility and introductions to partners.
3rd prize
Coaching, networking and post-hackathon mentoring.
Apply
Applications for 2027 open soon. The application covers the founder's profile, the project, its innovation and impact, the business model, the plan for establishing in Marrakech and a 2-minute video pitch.
- Moroccan nationality or legal residence in Morocco
- Aged 18 or over
- Commitment to establish the project in Marrakech if selected
- Available for the bootcamp, semi-final and final
Sponsor the Hackathon
Link your brand to innovation and young talent: visibility on stage and across all channels, a seat on the jury and in mentoring, activation during the festival, and a concrete ESG commitment.
Title sponsor
Official naming of the Hackathon, speeches at the ceremonies, jury seat, premium stand, category exclusivity.
Gold
Strong visibility, jury seat, bootcamp branding, activation during the festival.
Silver
Visibility across channels, digital and on-site presence.