The DataVita OpenClaw Challenge

the_opportunity

Something has changed.

Right now, the tools exist for anyone to build things that would have taken entire teams just a few years ago. AI is not a buzzword on a slide deck any more. It is a practical, powerful set of tools that can solve real problems, and for the first time in history, "you are only limited by your ideas" is not just a motivational quote. It is actually true.

OpenClaw is one of those tools. It is a free, open-source AI agent that can automate tasks, connect to services, and build workflows that genuinely get things done. Thousands of people around the world are already using it to create things nobody thought of a year ago.

We think the next great idea might come from you.

DataVita is looking for someone at the start of their career who thinks differently. Someone who sees a problem and instinctively starts figuring out how to fix it. Someone who is not waiting for permission to start building.

We are not asking for your CV. We are not asking for a cover letter. We are asking you to build something real with OpenClaw and show us what you are capable of.

If your submission stands out, you will win a full-time position on our AI Solutions team, working alongside some of the most talented people in Scotland’s data and AI sector.

the_prize

What you win

A full-time, permanent role on the DataVita AI Solutions team

£35,000 annual salary

Full-time, permanent contract
Office-based in Central Scotland
Working with experienced AI professionals
A genuine career path in Scotland’s fastest-growing sector
Comprehensive benefits package (see below)

This is not an internship. It is not a short-term placement. It is a real job with a real team, and the only thing you need to earn it is a great idea and the ability to make it work. There is no cash alternative to the prize.

What we offer

33 days

Annual leave

5% + 5%

Pension (employee + employer)

4x salary

Life assurance

70%

Income protection (up to 2 years)

Private Healthcare - Help@hand

Cycle to Work scheme

EV car salary sacrifice scheme

Two company events per year

Donate to charity through salary

how_it_works

Five steps to a career in AI

Step 01 — Register

Sign up

Fill in the registration form below with your details. You will receive a verification email. Click the link to confirm your email address and unlock the submission form.

Step 02 — Build

Create something

Build a real, working application or automation with OpenClaw. It does not need to be complicated. It needs to be clever. Keep your code in a Git repository as you go — we want to see how your thinking develops.

Step 03 — Submit

Tell us about it

Tell us what problem you are solving, how the idea came about, and how the technology fits together. Give us a link to your Git repository and instructions to access your working application.

Step 04 — Showcase

Get recognised

The strongest entries will be shortlisted and showcased right here on this page for the world to see. If you make the shortlist, your work gets public recognition regardless of the final result.

Step 05 — Finals

Present your work

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an in-person event to present their submission to the judges. This is your chance to explain your thinking and show your depth of understanding.

judging_criteria

What the judges assess

We are not looking for perfection. We are looking for potential.

Originality

Did you spot a problem other people missed? Is your approach fresh? We would rather see a simple idea executed with flair than a complex one copied from a tutorial.

Technical thinking

Is your solution well-structured? Does your architecture make sense? We are looking at your code and your Git history, so show us clean commits and thoughtful decisions.

Business value

Could your idea, or the thinking behind it, be useful to a real business? You do not need to have built a product. You need to have thought about why it matters.

Security & resilience

Does your application handle things going wrong? Have you thought about who can access what, how data is validated, and what happens when something breaks?

Communication

Can you explain what you built, why you built it, and how it works? The best engineers are the ones who can make complicated things sound simple.

eligibility

Who can enter

This competition is for people at the start of their journey. Whether you are a student, a career changer, self-taught, or just curious about AI — if you can build something that works, we want to see it.

Be 18 or over
Have the right to work in the UK
Live within commuting distance of a DataVita office (see postcode areas below)
Enter as an individual (team entries are not accepted)
Store your code in a Git repository with a meaningful commit history

Eligible postcode areas

GlasgowG1 – G84

LanarkshireML1 – ML12

EdinburghEH1–EH17, EH27–EH30, EH47–EH55

Falkirk / StirlingFK1–FK5, FK7–FK10

AyrshireKA1–KA8, KA10–KA12, KA18

RenfrewshirePA1 – PA8

what_is_openclaw

What is OpenClaw?

OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI agent. Think of it as a personal assistant that can actually do things: send messages, call APIs, manage files, automate workflows, and interact with other services. It connects to large language models like Claude or GPT and uses them to carry out tasks autonomously.

It has been one of the fastest-growing open-source projects of 2026, with over 310,000 stars on GitHub and a huge community of people building creative applications with it.

You do not need to be an expert to get started. OpenClaw has excellent documentation and an active community. The question is not whether you can learn it. The question is what you will build with it.

terminal — get started

$ npm install -g openclaw@latest
✓ openclaw installed

$ openclaw onboard --install-daemon
→ setting up gateway...
→ configuring workspace...
→ connecting channels...
✓ OpenClaw is ready. 🦞

$ openclaw "build something brilliant"
→ on it.

Never used Git before? That is fine. Git is a version control tool that tracks changes to your code over time. There are hundreds of free tutorials online. GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket all offer free accounts.

about_datavita

About DataVita

DataVita is Scotland’s leading provider of data centre and connectivity services. Founded in 2014, we operate the country’s largest Tier III certified data centres, located between Glasgow and Edinburgh, powered by 100% renewable energy.

We are in the middle of a major expansion. Our partnership with CoreWeave represents one of the largest technology investments ever made in Scotland, and our North Lanarkshire site has been designated a UK AI Growth Zone. We are building the infrastructure that AI runs on, and we need people who think creatively about what that infrastructure can do.

The AI Solutions team is where ideas become reality. If you join us, you will work on real problems with real clients, learning from people who have spent years at the cutting edge of data and AI. This is not a back-office role. This is where the interesting work happens.

frequently_asked

FAQ

OpenClaw is a free, open-source AI agent that can carry out tasks autonomously. It connects to AI models like Claude or GPT and lets you build applications and automations that interact with services, APIs, and data. Learn more at openclaw.ai.

No. You do not need a computer science degree or any professional development experience. What matters is that you can build something that works and explain how and why you built it.

Yes. The competition is open to students at college or university, as well as employed and unemployed individuals. You must be 18 or over, live within the eligible postcode areas, and have the right to work in the UK.

It needs to be accessible over the internet, but it does not need to be publicly visible. You can put it behind a password or authentication. We will not connect to VPNs.

Yes. Several platforms offer free-tier hosting. Options include Railway, Render, Oracle Cloud free tier, and others. Resourcefulness in getting your idea live is part of what we are looking for.

Yes. All submissions must include a link to a Git repository containing your source code. Your commit history should show how your project developed over time.

Yes. If your repository is private, you will need to grant access to our judging panel. The GitHub usernames are listed on this page.

No. This is an individual competition. The prize is a single full-time role, and we need to assess each person on their own merits.

Your idea remains yours. DataVita does not intend to use any of the submitted ideas. See our full Terms and Conditions for details.

No. The prize is a full-time position on the DataVita AI Solutions team. There is no cash alternative.

If you are shortlisted and attend the in-person finals event, you will receive individual feedback from the judging panel. Due to volume, we cannot provide feedback to all entrants.

We want this competition to be accessible to everyone. If you have any access requirements, please contact us and we will do our best to accommodate you.

private_repo_access

enter_the_challenge

meet_the_finalists