The Challenge is open to higher education students (undergraduate or master’s level) enrolled in Portuguese universities.

We welcome students from Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Architecture, Sustainability, Management, Strategy, Data Science, Digital Technologies, and other related fields.

Registration is open from September 21 to October 30, 2026, through the official QD Challenge landing page.

• Step 1 – Registration Form: Fill in the initial form with your basic personal details (Full Name, Email, Phone Number).
• Step 2 – Application Validation: Complete the second form with your academic details (University, Course, Academic Year, Dietary Restrictions, T-shirt Size, etc.). Your application will only be considered valid once this step is completed.

Please note: completing Step 1 alone does not count as a valid application. The final selection will aim to create multidisciplinary teams, and selected participants will be notified by email.

No. Registrations are individual, and the organizing team will create multidisciplinary teams to ensure a diverse mix of profiles and skills.

No. Participation in the QD Challenge is completely free of charge.

• Quadrante will cover travel expenses for participants travelling more than 60 km to the event venue (bus and train tickets only).
• All meals during the event will be provided.
• Any other expenses not expressly mentioned above will not be reimbursed.

The QD Challenge 2026 will take place on November 13, 2026, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., at the Alfrapark Auditorium.

Throughout the Challenge, teams will work together to solve a multidisciplinary case study, making strategic decisions along the way.

• Teams will make decisions using a credit/points system.
• Credits may be exchanged for technical support, additional information, or advantages.
• Teams will have to manage their resources strategically throughout the Challenge.

It’s a full day of teamwork, creativity, and problem-solving!

Projects will be evaluated based on three main categories:

• Quality of Outputs (50%) – assessed across five dimensions: Innovation, Technical Quality, Feasibility, Critical Thinking, and Impact & Sustainability.
• Quality of Presentation (25%) – clarity, structure, and effectiveness of the team’s final pitch.
• Collaboration and Teamwork (25%) – how well the team worked together throughout the Challenge.

The jury’s decision is final and binding.

• The top teams will be invited to an internship at Quadrante and/or to join a Mentoring Program.
• All participants will receive a Certificate of Participation, with honorable mentions for 2nd and 3rd place.

No. All materials required for the Challenge will be provided by Quadrante.

The event has limited spots, and only selected participants will be invited to join. The final number of participants will be defined to ensure balanced, multidisciplinary teams.

After the registration period closes, the organizing team will contact selected participants by email with all the necessary information.