EWPC 2026
Europe Women's Programming Contest 2026
An individual algorithmic programming contest for women across Europe — compete online in the qualifier, then meet on site for the finals in Stockholm.
Finals dates and location are targeted; final details confirmed by July 15, 2026.
EWPC is an event operated under the auspices of the ICPC Foundation — the International Collegiate Programming Contest, the oldest and most prestigious programming contest in the world.
What is EWPC?
The Europe Women's Programming Contest (EWPC) is an individual competitive programming contest that operates under the auspices of the ICPC Foundation. Contestants solve algorithmic problems against the clock — reading a problem, designing an efficient solution, and implementing it in code that is judged automatically.
EWPC 2026 is the first edition of the contest. It is for women, open to students at secondary and tertiary schools across Europe, and is designed to welcome newcomers and challenge experienced competitors alike.
The contest has two stages: an online qualifier on July 4, 2026, which anyone eligible can join from anywhere, and the onsite finals in Stockholm, Sweden on August 21–24, 2026, to which the top 20 contestants from the qualifier are invited — with travel and accommodation provided.
EWPC exists to inspire, promote, and celebrate exceptional women in algorithmic problem solving — strengthening the pipeline of women in competitive programming and supporting their growth in software engineering and computer science research, while building a strong, lasting European contest community.
EWPC was founded by the Competitive Programming Association of Iceland in collaboration with the ICPC Foundation.
The contest
EWPC follows standard ICPC rules, but is an individual contest: you compete alone, against the clock, on a set of algorithmic problems. Submissions are judged pass/fail, and contestants are ranked by number of problems solved, with ties broken by total time — plus a 20-minute penalty for each incorrect submission on a problem you eventually solve.
How you may compete during the online qualifier:
- You may use a single personal computer (with one keyboard, one mouse, and one screen) during the competition.
- You may NOT use any additional electronic devices (such as mobile phones) to compete.
- You may use printed material (such as books).
What you may and may not do during the online qualifier:
- You may NOT use the internet for anything other than accessing the contest page and documentation. This includes search engines, such as Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, and more!
- You may NOT use a program using generative AI, such as Github Copilot or ChatGPT. This also includes most commonly used search engines!
- You may use prewritten code, and other software available on your computer that doesn’t break the previous two rules.
- You may NOT communicate with anyone other than the contest organizers.
Two rounds
A 3-hour online qualifier with roughly eight problems, followed by a single 4-hour final round, also around eight problems, onsite in Stockholm.
Judged on Kattis
All submissions run on the Kattis judging system, with its large set of programming languages — C++, Python, Java, and many more.
Your own work
No external help and no AI assistance: solutions must be entirely your own. Use of programming language documentation is allowed.
Key dates
Online qualifier
A 3-hour individual online round of roughly eight problems, starting at 15:00 CEST, open to all eligible students. The top 20 are invited to the onsite finals.
Onsite finals
Four days of competition and community for the 20 finalists, centered on a single 4-hour final round. Travel and accommodation are provided. Final dates and location confirmed by July 15, 2026.
Eligibility
EWPC is a contest for women. To take part in the official contest, you need to meet both of the following:
Students
Enrolled at a secondary school (e.g. high school) or tertiary school (e.g. university or college) and ICPC-eligible now or in the future.
Detailed rules and the full eligibility criteria will be published before registration opens.
Finals in Stockholm
The EWPC 2026 finals are targeted for August 21–24, 2026 in Stockholm, Sweden. We will publish the final dates and location no later than July 15, 2026. The top 20 contestants from the online qualifier gather in the Swedish capital for the final contest, together with social events and the chance to meet peers from all over Europe.
Travel and accommodation are provided for all finalists.
The airport is Arlanda. From the airport you can reach the hotel by taking the Arlanda Express. The hotel is Nordic Light Hotel which is located on the Arlanda Express station in Stockholm. If you arrive earlier or wish to stay for more days you can make a separate hotel booking.
Arrival
We recommend arriving before 19:00. The hotel opens check-in at 15:00. We will have registration and an informal welcome dinner at 19:00 - 21:00.
Opening day
Breakfast at 07:00 - 09:00.
Opening ceremony at 09:15 - 10:15.
Practice contest at 10:30 - 12:00.
Lunch at 12:30 - 13:30.
Sponsor event (+ fika) at 14:00 - 15:30.
Excursion and dinner at 17:00 - 20:00.
Contest & awards
Breakfast at 07:00 - 09:00.
Contest at 09:30 - 13:30.
Award Ceremony and more at 17:00 - ??:??.
Departure
Check-out before 11:00 and then journey home. There is no additional program on this day.
Preliminary program — details may change.
Registration
Registration is open and free of charge. Sign up for the online qualifier on Kattis, the contest platform, using the button below.
FAQ
Do I compete in a team?
No — unlike classic ICPC team contests, EWPC is an individual contest. You compete on your own, in both the qualifier and the final.
Who can compete?
EWPC is a contest for women. The official contest is open to students (secondary or tertiary) in the ICPC Europe region — see the eligibility section and map above.
What does it cost?
Nothing. Registration is free, and finalists' travel to and accommodation in Stockholm are covered by the contest.
Which programming languages can I use?
The contest runs on Kattis, which supports a large number of languages — including C++, Python, Java, and many more.
How does the scoring work?
Standard ICPC rules: each problem is judged pass/fail. Contestants are ranked by number of problems solved; ties are broken by total time, with a 20-minute penalty added for each incorrect submission on a problem that is eventually solved.
Can I use AI tools or get outside help?
No. Solutions must be entirely your own work — no external help and no AI assistance, in the qualifier as well as the final.
How do I reach the finals in Stockholm?
Place in the top 20 of the online qualifier on July 4. All 20 finalists are invited to the onsite finals, expenses paid.
I'm new to competitive programming — is EWPC for me?
Yes! EWPC is designed to welcome newcomers as well as challenge experienced contestants. A good way to prepare is to solve problems on open.kattis.com, the same platform the contest uses.
I need a visa to travel to Sweden — can you help?
Yes. If you qualify for the finals and need a visa, contact us and we will help with invitation letters and documentation.
I just finished secondary education and I haven't started my studies at a university yet. Am I eligible?
Yes, as long as you still satisfy the age requirements for ICPC contests. If you were born in 2002 or later, then you are eligible.
I just graduated / I am graduating in a few days from university. Am I still eligible?
If your post secondary studies started in 2021 or later, then you are eligible. For example, if you started a BSc in 2021 and then your MSc in 2024, graduating in 2026, then you are still eligible. Similarly, if you graduated from your BSc in 2026 then you are also eligible.
I'm a citizen of the ICPC Europe region, but I'm studying abroad, outside the region. Am I eligible?
Yes, citizenship or residency is sufficient.
I'm not a citizen of one of the listed countries, but I live in one of them. Does that satisfy the "In Europe" requirement?
Yes! Established long-term residency (for study or otherwise) is enough.
I'm a PhD student, am I eligible?
It is unlikely, but as long as you satisfy the ICPC eligibility of start of studies and age, then being enrolled in a PhD programme does not stop you. However, you can ask to be involved as a tester, task author, jury member, or by competing unofficially!
I'm not eligible. Can I still register and solve the tasks in the online qualifier?
Yes, but in a parallel unofficial contest through another registration link! We encourage women outside the ICPC Europe region to participate unofficially, without the possibility to be invited to the official finals. The unofficial contest will run in parallel to the official one, and the registration for it is here.
Organizers
Fredrik Niemelä
Contest director
Arnar Bjarni Arnarson
Head judge
Judges: Arnar Bjarni Arnarson (head judge), Atli Fannar Franklín, Dagur Benjamínsson, Giovanna Kobus Conrado, Harry Zhang, Joshua Anderson, Konráð Elí Sigurgeirsson, Matthías Andri Hrafnkelssson, Michael Zündorf, Wendy Yi, Yidi Zang, and Zara Zong.
Organizing committee: Mikael Renström, Maddy Wang Renström, Veronika Soboleva, Joshua Andersson, Lotte Lakeman, Giovanna Kobus Conrado, and Thomas Verwoerd — with more to come.
Our supporters
EWPC is made possible by the generous support of our sponsors.
Jane Street is a research-driven trading firm with a unique focus on technology and collaborative problem solving.
Latest updates
Registration is open
You can now register for the EWPC 2026 online qualifier on Kattis, free of charge — sign up here. The qualifier takes place on July 4.
Format and registration details
EWPC is an individual contest under standard ICPC rules, judged on Kattis: a 3-hour online qualifier on July 4, and a single 4-hour final in Stockholm for the top 20. Registration will be free of charge and will run on the icpc.global system — opening date to be announced shortly.
Announcing EWPC 2026
The first Europe Women's Programming Contest will be held in 2026: online qualifier on July 4, and onsite finals in Stockholm, Sweden on August 21–24. Registration details will be announced here soon — watch this space!
Contact
Questions about the contest, eligibility, or how to get involved? We'd love to hear from you.