Grant for developing AI solutions for handwriting recognition

The program (AI challenge) is designed to address key issues in the digitalization of document processing in Ukraine.

• It responds to the challenge of limited availability of open and scalable tools for working with handwritten Ukrainian documents.
• Existing solutions are often fragmented or closed, slowing down the development of public digital services.
• The initiative is implemented by AI HOUSE in collaboration with government and academic partners.
• Participants develop computer vision (CV) solutions for recognizing handwritten documents (applications, certificates, logs, signatures, stamps, archives).
• The focus is on practical implementation, creating tools that can be adopted by ministries.
• The expected outcome is simplified document processing and faster delivery of public services.

Eligibility criteria and participation requirements define the conditions for joining the program:

• Participation is open to individuals who meet basic requirements, including being at least 18 years old and having a Kaggle account.
• Eligible participants include AI/ML engineers, researchers, students, startups, and others interested in the topic.
• Participation in the competition is free of charge.

Organizational requirements:

• Participants must register on Kaggle and complete the application form.
• Participation is allowed individually or in teams.
• Official information is published on Kaggle and the organizer’s website.
• The official language is Ukrainian.

Ethical and technical requirements:

• AI use must comply with safety, reliability, and bias prevention principles;
• harmful or illegal content is prohibited;
• participants must follow fair competition and mutual respect principles.

Grounds for disqualification:

• submission of false information;
• violation of rules or platform conditions;
• plagiarism or unauthorized use of code;
• violation of intellectual property rights;
• any actions undermining the integrity of the competition.

Disqualification decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

Funding within the program is provided as a prize pool for winners.

• The total prize fund amounts to USD 7,000, distributed among winners.
• Payments are made in UAH equivalent based on the National Bank of Ukraine exchange rate on the payment date.

Conditions for receiving funds:

• winners must submit required documents (ID, tax number, bank details);
• documents must be provided within 3 calendar days after the announcement;
• failure to comply may result in loss of eligibility for payment.
• Funds are transferred within 14 working days after document verification.
• In team cases, the prize is paid to one designated participant.

Tax conditions:

• the organizer acts as a tax agent;
• deductions include 18% personal income tax and 1.5% military levy;
• participants are responsible for their own tax obligations.

Within the program, participants gain access to resources and opportunities supporting solution development and testing:

• A $7,000 prize fund for winning teams is provided.
• Participants contribute to solutions that impact the digitalization of government processes and document infrastructure.
• The program allows testing solutions on real public service use cases (e.g., eDozvil).
• Mentorship from experts in computer vision and OCR/HTR is available.
• Participants receive access to a specialized dataset of Ukrainian handwritten documents from various sources.
• AWS credits for model training and testing are also provided.
• Selected solutions may have the opportunity for further implementation in the public sector with program partners.

The program roadmap consists of several sequential stages of the challenge:

• The competition is held in two stages: an online phase and a final (Demo Day).
• The online phase starts on April 16, when the task is published on Kaggle.
• During this stage, participants develop solutions, and evaluation is conducted automatically based on a defined metric.
• The online phase runs until June 15, after which finalists are selected.
• The final stage is an offline event — Demo Day (July 4), where teams present their solutions to the jury.
• The number of finalists is determined and announced by the organizers in advance.

Overall, the process includes: launch → online competition → finalist selection → final presentations.

The application process for participation in the program is straightforward:

• Participants must have a Kaggle account and access the challenge page.
• They can choose to participate individually or as part of a team (2–5 members) or join an existing team.
• After that, they need to join the competition via the platform.
• Participation in the program is free of charge.
• Detailed rules and conditions are available via a provided link.

The evaluation criteria in the program combine automated and expert-based assessment.

• During the online phase, solutions are automatically evaluated on Kaggle using defined recognition accuracy metrics.
• Participants may submit multiple solutions (within platform limits).
• Additionally, result verification is conducted to ensure reproducibility in a controlled environment.
• Teams must provide source code, configurations, and instructions for reproducing results.
• A ranking is formed, and top teams advance to the final stage.

Final evaluation (jury):

• quality of recognition on additional datasets;
• efficiency in the use of computational resources;
• practical applicability and scalability of the solution;
• approach to model training and adaptation;
• quality of documentation and reproducibility.

Additional requirements:

• solutions must be original;
• use of open-source tools and datasets is allowed;
• finalists must submit full documentation for validation.

Reporting and publicity requirements within the program ensure transparency and use of participant materials.

• Participants provide consent for photo and video recording during events, including the final Demo Day.
• Organizers are allowed to use materials (photo, video, audio) as well as participant information and solution descriptions.
• These materials may be used for informational, educational, and promotional purposes, including websites, social media, press releases, and reports.
• Such use is carried out without additional compensation to participants.

Legal terms and regulatory requirements of the program define rules for intellectual property, data processing, and participant responsibility:

• Participants retain intellectual property rights to their solutions but grant organizers a license to use them for informational and educational purposes.
• Solutions may be used for evaluation, presentation, and promotion, as well as for potential collaboration.

Confidentiality and data:

• Personal data is processed in accordance with Ukrainian law and used for competition management, participant identification, and prize distribution.
• Participants have the right to access, modify, or withdraw their data.
• Provided materials (including datasets) are confidential and cannot be shared with third parties without permission.

Guarantees and liability:

• Participants confirm that their solutions are original and do not infringe third-party rights.
• Participation is voluntary and at the participant’s own risk; organizers are not liable for damages or technical issues.

Other provisions:

• Disputes are governed by the laws of Ukraine.
• Organizers may amend the rules, and continued participation implies acceptance.
• Granted consents (including for data and material use) may remain valid indefinitely.