Author and editorial responsibility
Tim Jamboula, Founder of Corporathon. Last reviewed 24 August 2026.
Summary
Corporathon offers the AI workshop and two Corporathon hackathon formats. Spark is the AI workshop, one day onsite for up to ten participants, and suits the first spark as an entry point. Ignite is two days for ten to fifteen people and suits building a prototype. Blaze is three to five days for fifteen and more and suits several teams or more complex cases. Whoever starts with the workshop can scale straight into Ignite or Blaze if needed. The choice follows from the number of teams, the ambition of the result and available time, not from budget alone.
1. The real question behind the format choice
"Which format should we book" is rarely the first question. The first question is: how ambitious should the result be, and how many teams should work in parallel? One day is enough for a spark and first wins. A production-near prototype needs more time. Press a big goal into too short a format and you get half a prototype. Put a small goal into too big a format and you pay for capacity you do not need.
The right format is not the biggest and not the cheapest, but the one where your goal actually gets finished in the available time. – Tim Jamboula, Founder of Corporathon
2. The three formats compared directly
| Feature | Spark | Ignite | Blaze |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 1 day | 2 days | 3 to 5 days |
| Participants | up to 10 | 10 to 15 | 15 and more |
| Typical result | first spark, small wins, clarity | a working prototype | several prototypes or a deeper case |
| Ideal for | entry, one team, momentum | one focused case with owner | several teams or complex processes |
| Preparation | lean | medium | more extensive |
| Price | on request | on request | on request |
All three are hands-on, on real data and with real tools. The difference is depth and breadth, not quality. Spark is the AI workshop, and builds appetite and clarity in one day onsite. Ignite and Blaze are the hackathon formats. Ignite delivers a tangible result, Blaze covers several cases or a more demanding goal.
3. The decision framework in four questions
- How many teams should work in parallel? One team points to Spark or Ignite. Several teams point to Blaze.
- How ambitious is the target result? Clarity and a first spark fit Spark. A testable prototype fits Ignite. A production-near or multi-part result fits Blaze.
- How much time can you free up? One day is easier to block than a week. Available time is a real constraint.
- Is there an owner for afterwards? The more ambitious the result, the more important an owner to carry the prototype forward.
Rule of thumb: one team plus entry means Spark. One team plus prototype means Ignite. Several teams or a deep case means Blaze.
4. The honest cost logic
Serious pricing depends on variables, not a flat number, which is why the page deliberately says "on request". The drivers are duration (one day to one week), number of teams and challenges (not raw heads), depth of run-up (scope, data approval, access) and the ambition of the result (light or production-near prototype). A bigger format is not linearly more expensive, because preparation and facilitation spread across more teams. The right shape comes from these variables in conversation.
5. A worked ROI model
A purely illustrative model you replace with your own numbers. It shows why the right format drives the return. Say the goal is a prototype that saves twelve hours of manual work per week. In too short a format it stays half-finished and really saves only four hours. In the right format it gets finished and saves the full twelve.
- Too short a format: 4 hours × 45 weeks × 60 EUR = about 10,800 EUR of modelled annual value.
- Right format: 12 hours × 45 weeks × 60 EUR = about 32,400 EUR of modelled annual value.
These numbers are not a guarantee or client figures. The point is clear: the gap between half-finished and finished is larger than the price gap between formats. A format where the goal actually gets finished is therefore often the cheaper choice.
6. Why too small a format can cost more than the right one
The strongest mistake in format choice is not booking too big but too small. A half-finished prototype creates little value but costs the team's full attention. Worse, it leaves the impression that AI does not deliver, when only time was missing. That impression costs more than any format price, because it blocks future efforts. The right format reverses this, because something finished stands at the end that creates value and builds trust. That does not mean bigger is always better. It means the time must match the goal. If unsure, choose Ignite over a too-narrow Spark when a real prototype is the goal.
Illustration: result depth by format (illustration, not measured values).
Result depth
high | #### Blaze (several teams, deep case)
| ####
| #### Ignite (one prototype)
| ####
| #### Spark (spark, clarity)
shallow|##
+----------------------------------------> available time
1 day 2 days 3 to 5 days
7. EU AI Act: what each format can contribute
Since 2 February 2025, Article 4 requires a sufficient level of AI literacy among staff, by role and context. Each of the three formats can document application, and Blaze reaches more roles at once through several teams. Each is a building block, none is an official attestation, and none guarantees automatic compliance. The company assesses the adequacy of its overall program itself.
8. Recommendation and next step
Count the teams, name the target result, and check how much time you can really free up. One team plus entry fits Spark, your AI workshop day, one team plus prototype fits Ignite, several teams or a deep case fits Blaze. If you waver between two formats, the fastest clarity comes from the concrete goal in a conversation.
Related terms
AI hackathon · AI prototype · AI adoption · AI enablement
FAQ
Which AI hackathon format is right for us? It depends on the number of teams, the ambition of the result and available time. One team plus entry fits Spark, one team plus prototype fits Ignite, several teams or a deep case fits Blaze.
What do Spark, Ignite and Blaze cost? Prices are deliberately on request because they depend on variables, above all duration, number of teams, preparation and depth of result. A flat price without those variables would not be credible.
Is Blaze always better than Spark? No. Bigger is not better, just deeper and broader. For an entry with one team, Spark is fitting and efficient. Blaze pays off when several teams or a complex case should be covered.
Can we start with Spark and scale up later? Yes. Many start with the AI workshop Spark for momentum, then move into the hackathon Ignite or Blaze, or into a recurring series. The first workshop day lowers the barrier for the next step.
Does each format count for the EU AI Act? Each can document application and be a building block. None is an official attestation or guarantees automatic compliance. The company owns the adequacy of its overall program.