Student Service Design Competition 2026
ServDes India Chapter
Student Service Design Competition 2026 is a student-focused design competition by ServDes India Chapter. The competition invites student teams to solve real-world social sector challenges in India using service design, systems thinking, research-driven problem solving, and innovation. The aim is to create practical, culturally sensitive, and NGO-implementable solutions for issues such as rural healthcare, climate-resilient farming, digital literacy, and reskilling for the unorganized sector.
ℹ️ Event Details
- Edition: Edition 2 of the Service Design Student Competition by ServDes India Chapter.
- Objective: To use students’ creativity and service design skills to address social challenges faced by India’s social sector.
- Themes / Problem Areas: Projects can address issues like rural healthcare, climate-resilient farming, digital literacy, and reskilling for the unorganized sector.
- Mode of Conduct: Online submission through the official submission portal; shortlisted teams will present in the final round at the ServDes India Chapter Conference.
- Final Presentation Mode: The official page mentions final presentations at the ServDes India Chapter Conference, but the exact conference date and detailed mode are yet to be announced.
📅 Important Dates
- Competition Launch: January 26, 2026
- Submission Deadline: June 30, 2026
- Finalist Announcement: August 15, 2026
- Final Presentations & Winners Announcement: September–October 2026
🎯 Eligibility & Rules
- Eligibility: Open to undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students enrolled in academic institutions during 2026.
- Team Size: Teams of 2–5 members are encouraged.
- Individual Participation: Single-person entries are not valid.
- Collaboration: Interdisciplinary collaboration is encouraged.
- Project Limit: Each team can submit one project based on a selected problem statement.
- Submission Requirements:
- Presentation: PDF, maximum 15 slides, explaining the service design process and proposed solution.
- Video Pitch: A 2-minute video pitch explaining the solution.
- Supporting Material: Optional prototypes, sketches, and system maps can be submitted.
- Language: Submissions must be in English.
- AI Disclosure: Teams must acknowledge the use of AI in the required format.
- Evaluation Criteria:
- Relevance: How well the solution addresses the problem and fits India’s social context.
- Methodology: Use of service design tools and processes.
- Innovation: Creativity and uniqueness of the solution.
- Feasibility: Practicality and scalability for NGO implementation.
- Presentation: Clarity, structure, and visual quality of the submission.
- Rules and Ethics:
- Originality: Submissions must be original and adapted for this competition.
- IP Rights: Intellectual property remains with the teams, but organizers and NGOs may use ideas for implementation.
🏆 Prize Details and Value
- Cash Prizes: Winners will receive cash prizes.
- Recognition: Winners will receive a trophy and certificates of recognition.
- Showcase Opportunity: Winning projects will be featured on the ServDes India Chapter website.
- Implementation Support: Selected solutions may get support for implementation through partnering NGOs