Microchip FPGA Design Contest 2026

Engineering Resources for FPGA-Based System Development

The Microchip PolarFire® FPGA Design Contest 2026 program is presented in partnership with DigiKey and highlights a global engineering challenge focused on FPGA and SoC development using the PolarFire® and PolarFire® SoC families. Participants can enter one of three design tracks, hardware focused FPGA development or embedded system design, using Microchip evaluation kits provided to selected teams. The contest supports engineers, students, and developers exploring deterministic data paths, low power FPGA architectures, and RISC V based SoC workflows.

The program includes phase based milestones including proposal submission, project selection, kit shipment, project development, and final evaluation. During development, teams build working designs using Microchip FPGA hardware and submit both a design paper and a demonstration video. Winners in each track receive recognition and monetary awards for innovation, technical depth, and performance.

Key Technical Points

• Three design tracks: FPGA Explorer Track using the PolarFire SoC Discovery Kit, Edge Intelligence Track using the PolarFire SoC Icicle Kit, and Acceleration Track using the PolarFire Splash Kit.
• Evaluation kits shipped to selected teams at no cost
• Phase based schedule including proposal, selection, development, and final judging
• Teams must deliver a design paper and demo video for assessment

Stay tuned for updates. For more information, FPGA Design Contest 2026

Schedule