Important: By participating in Power Up! 2026, each participant/entrant represents and warrants that they meet the eligibility requirements detailed in these Official Rules. Your entry constitutes acceptance of these publicized rules.
All entries, including videos and idea writeups provided in the form data, remain the property of the participant. Intellectual Property protection is the responsibility of the participant/entrant. An Intellectual Property education video session from the Trinidad and Tobago Intellectual Property Office will be placed on the competition website for participants to review before submitting entries.
Competition begins at 12:00:00 AM Port of Spain time on 20/04/2026 and ends at close of business 11:59:00 PM Port of Spain time on 24/07/2026. CARIRI reserves the right to modify, suspend, extend, or terminate the Competition at any time.
Who can enter
The PowerUp Competition is open to nationals of Trinidad and Tobago ages 8-18 years who participated in the 2026 Innovation Nation Programme and have completed the course and earned their certificate.
Employees of CARIRI and the 2026 Innovation Nation Programme Sponsors and selected Competition Judges, collectively referred to as “Competition Entities,” and their immediate family members and/or those living in the same household of each, are not eligible to enter or win.
Former first to fifth place winners of previous PowerUp competitions are not eligible to enter or win. This Competition is approved by the NLCB and is subject to all applicable laws and regulations of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. The Competition Entities' decisions are final and binding on all matters.
IP Rights
Ownership: All original work produced by participants during the competition shall remain the intellectual property of the participant, unless otherwise agreed in writing with any other party.
Attribution: Participants shall receive sole credit for their submitted work, regardless of specific individual contributions for the purposes of the Power Up Competition.
Use by Organizers: By entering the competition, participants grant the organizers and sponsors a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce, display, and publish submitted work, for example for marketing, judging, or exhibition purposes, with proper attribution to the participant.
Third-Party Use: No third party, including sponsors, mentors, or schools, may claim ownership or exclusive rights to participants' work without written consent from participants and their legal guardians.
Disputes: Any disputes over IP ownership within this competition will be referred to the Trinidad & Tobago Intellectual Property Office for advice or resolution in consultation with both participants and their guardians.
Brief and Entry Limit
The competition is open to all participants of the 2026 Innovation Nation Programme who have enrolled, completed their course, and earned a certificate.
Participants cannot submit multiple entries. Only one (1) entry will be allowed. If multiple entries are submitted, the first recorded entry will be admitted for Round 1 judging.
All entries eligible for the Competition will be prescreened by CARIRI within three (3) business days and acknowledged via an email from the CARIRI domain @cariri.com.
Entry Steps
- Visit https://coding.cariri.com/courses-2/.
- Register and complete one of the online courses and produce your certificate.
- Identify a Problem: Describe a problem that exists in your school, community, country, or the world against the 4 Ps: Purpose, People, Profit, and Planet.
- Design a Solution: Use technology to derive a solution to the problem, illustrating the technological components and how your solution addresses the 4 Ps. Generative AI tools may be used, but a solution derived entirely from a generative AI prompt will not be accepted. You must demonstrate original work.
- Create a Prototype: Demonstrate your solution with a tangible digital or product prototype. Generative AI tools may be used, but a prototype derived entirely from a generative AI prompt will not be accepted. You must demonstrate original work.
- Create a Digital Video Pitch: Create a video pitch of your solution, not more than five (5) minutes long, and submit the video link via the Power Up Registration Form on www.coding.cariri.com.
- Include evidence in your video, such as links to digital prototypes created and pictures/video evidence of product prototypes created.
- Fill out the PowerUp entry form with participant name, age, parent information, email address, sector impacted, name of solution, problem solved, how the proposed solution solves the problem, how the idea differs from existing solutions, end users of the proposed solution, and uploaded video pitch/prototype evidence.
- CARIRI will conduct verification and validation checks and acknowledge the submission within three (3) days of receipt via email from hello@cariri.com.
Tentative Timeline
Round 1
Round 2
Participants cannot include siblings, parents, or friends to speak during their main presentation. Demonstrations during a presentation may involve relatives or friends, and participants may engage the audience during their presentation.
Round 1 and Round 2
Competition Round 1
Round 1 requires participants to complete a course, produce a certificate, identify a problem, design a technology-based solution, create a prototype, and submit a digital video pitch through the PowerUp entry form.
A link to the video must be included on the entry form. Participants may host their videos on any platform of their choice. CARIRI does not claim ownership of any intellectual property submitted as part of this competition. Participants are encouraged to attend the free IP Education Session and explore options for protecting their ideas where appropriate.
The video should not exceed five (5) minutes; penalties will incur for longer timeframes. All entries must be received during the Competition's Submissions Open Period.
Once submitted, the entry is final and may not be modified or edited. CARIRI will conduct verification and validation checks and acknowledge the submission within three (3) days of receipt.
Round 1 Finalists Selection
At the conclusion of Round 1, a panel of CARIRI judges consisting of the facilitators of the 2026 Innovation Nation Programme will determine the ten (10) ideas, five (5) in each category, to move forward to Round 2 using the rubric identified under Judging Criteria.
Competition Round 2
At the conclusion of Round 1, the top ten (10) participants will advance to Round 2. This round features a special class for finalists to learn about business elevator pitch practices.
These ten (10) participants will refine their pitch, showcase, present, and compete at the final event. All ten participants will pitch their final solution to a panel of judges including the 2026 Programme Sponsors Republic Bank Limited and bMobile.
Content Guidelines
By submitting video and written content, the entrant understands and grants permission for his/her video or photo to be posted on CARIRI's Website and Social Media accounts for viewing by visitors.
Competition Entities are not responsible for any unauthorized third-party use of any video and/or photo or expression of ideas in written form.
Entry submission grants CARIRI the right to reproduce, publish, use, edit, adjust, modify, abridge, condense, and excerpt such video, photo, essay, and/or comments for the purposes of the competition and its promotional activities, except where prohibited by law.
Video dialog/audio and/or essay must be in English and must be the original work of the entrant participant, may not have been previously published, may not have won previous awards, and must not infringe upon the rights of any person or entity.
Any copyrighted video or idea will be rejected. All videos and ideas must be original work created by the participant.
If any identifiable person appearing in the video is under the age of 18, the parent or legal guardian is required to provide permission. CARIRI reserves the right to request proof of permissions in a form acceptable to CARIRI from any entrant at any time.
Entries must comply with the following:
- Submissions must be related to solving a problem using technology.
- Content cannot be sexually explicit or suggestive, unnecessarily violent, derogatory, profane, pornographic, or contain nudity.
- Content cannot promote alcohol, illegal drugs, tobacco, firearms/weapons, unsafe or dangerous activities, or any political agenda or message.
- Content cannot be obscene, offensive, or endorse any form of hate or hate group.
- Content cannot defame, misrepresent, or contain disparaging remarks about other people or companies.
- Excepting CARIRI, content cannot contain trademarks, logos, trade dress, brand promotions, personal identification, copyrighted materials, or likenesses without permission.
- Content cannot communicate messages or images inconsistent with the positive image and goodwill with which CARIRI wishes to associate.
- Content cannot depict, and cannot itself be in violation of, any law.
- Content must include a video link to illustrate the idea creation.
Competition Prizes
Primary Schools
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | School Trophy and $5000 RBL starter account |
| 2nd Place | School Trophy and $4000 RBL starter account |
| 3rd Place | School Trophy and $3000 RBL starter account |
| 4th Place | School Trophy and $2000 RBL starter account |
| 5th Place | School Trophy and $1000 RBL starter account |
Secondary Schools
| Place | Prize |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | School Trophy and $5000 RBL starter account |
| 2nd Place | School Trophy and $4000 RBL starter account |
| 3rd Place | School Trophy and $3000 RBL starter account |
| 4th Place | School Trophy and $2000 RBL starter account |
| 5th Place | School Trophy and $1000 RBL starter account |
Winner Notification and Prize Awarding
Winners of Round 2 will be notified by the host of the event on the day of the competition. All judges' decisions are final. For the winners list, email ict@cariri.com with the subject line: “PowerUp Competition Winners List.”
Prize distribution is the sole discretion and responsibility of the 2026 Innovation Nation Programme Sponsor Republic Bank Limited. If a winner is deemed a minor under the age of 18, the prize will be awarded in the name of the winner's parent or legal guardian on the minor's behalf. Prizes are non-assignable or transferable except to a surviving spouse.
Ties and No Show
In the event of a tie, the entry with the highest combined score in Innovation of the Solution and Incorporation of Technology and Business will be declared the winner. If a further tie remains, the highest score for Digital Presentation will decide. Further ties will be determined by the Judges.
In the event a participant does not show up to the finals, the prize will be forfeited and forwarded to the Competition's next cycle.
Sustainability Support
Any finalist wishing to pursue further support for building out their solution may indicate this interest in writing to CARIRI after receiving their notification of entry into Round 2. CARIRI will seek interest from partner institutions to attend the finals, view finalist pitches, and create connections for proof-of-concept projects and possible idea-to-market journeys.
Conditions of Entry and Liability
Entrants agree to these Official Rules and the decisions of the judges, CARIRI, and the Sponsor. Entrants release, defend, and hold harmless the Competition Entities and their employees, officers, directors, and agents from claims arising out of participation, acceptance, use, or misuse of any prize.
If CARIRI is prevented from continuing with the Competition as planned by any event beyond its control, CARIRI shall have the right to modify, suspend, extend, or terminate the Competition. Entrants assume all liability for any injury, including death or damage, caused or claimed to be caused by participation or use/redemption of any prize.
This Competition shall be governed by and interpreted under the laws of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and the rules and regulations of the National Lotteries Control Board (NLCB). Disputes arising in connection with this Competition shall be resolved by the Competition appointed judges and the Sponsor appointed representative. All decisions are final.
Limitations of Liability for Web Access
CARIRI is not responsible for incorrect or inaccurate information, website user actions, tampering, hacking, technical failures, unauthorized access, lost, late, damaged, or misdirected entries. Entries made through multiple email addresses, multiple identities, scripts, macros, automated devices, or other artifice to enter multiple times will be deemed invalid.
Opt-In / Opt-Out
By entering the Competition, entrants agree that collected information may be used for future email mailings by CARIRI regarding its products and services, current offers, promotions, and winner notification.
Round 1 Rubric
Round 1 submissions will be evaluated based on how effectively participants address the 4 Ps: Purpose, People, Profit, and Planet, along with their application of programme concepts and overall presentation.
| Criteria | Weight | What Judges Consider |
|---|---|---|
| Problem & People | 20% | Clarity of the problem, real-world impact, who is affected, and significance of the issue. |
| Purpose & Innovation | 25% | Meaning, motivation, why the participant is solving the problem, and creativity/originality. |
| Profit & Feasibility | 20% | Realistic implementation, sustainability/financial viability, and use of current technology/resources. |
| Planet & Responsibility | 10% | Environmental and/or social responsibility and positive long-term impact. |
| Application of Programme Concepts | 10% | Clear and effective application of concepts from the programme. |
| Digital Presentation | 15% | Clarity, structure, engagement, passion, time requirements, neatness, and preparation. |
| Total | 100% |
Round 2 Rubric
- Articulating the Problem, People and Purpose: Clear problem description, relevance, who is affected, purpose, motivation, problem exploration supported by a pretotype/prototype/concept model, and an implementable solution.
- Creativity and Use of Technology: Understanding and demonstration of relevant technology, device/app schematic, information flow, data collection where applicable, functionality design, integration of multiple technology areas, usability, limitations, and future improvements.
- Sustainability: Profit, Planet and Impact: Long-term sustainability, value creation, environmental/social responsibility, community impact, practicality, and viability beyond purely commercial outcomes.
- Presentation Quality and Pitch Skill: Effective visual presentation, clear and engaging verbal pitch, ownership of the idea, and execution within the allotted timeframe.