The Big Bang Competition 2026 winners
The Big Bang Competition judges were so impressed with the knowledge, passion, enthusiam, skill and creativity of this impressive group of young people.
Congratulations to all our amazing winners!
Overall winners
Big Bang UK Young Engineer of the Year
Kanav Jain, a student from Broxburn, Scotland has been crowned UK Young Engineer of the Year, supported by Thales, for his project ‘AeroAid: autonomous VTOL quadplane’.
Kanav was inspired to help people in rural and remote regions where the delivery of essential emergency supplies is challenging due to lack of reliable road access.
Using his passion for drones, he has designed and developed a small, low-cost autonomous aircraft that can carry and deliver medicines and other essential supplies quickly and efficiently.
Big Bang UK Technologists of the Year, supported by Siemens
The UK Young Technologists of the Year, supported by Siemens, have been named as Daniel Brownlee and Luke Johnston, year 11 students from Cookstown High School in Northern Ireland, for their project ‘TrailTalk: AI-powered experience mapping’.
The team created an app to help travellers find experiences that match how they want to feel, instead of prioritising popularity and ratings as existing platforms do. The talented duo built TrailTalk using AI, voice input and GPS data to help people discover places that meet both their practical and emotional needs.
Big Bang UK Young Scientists of the Year
Jessica Dowdall, Lauren Dowdall, Martha Pugh and Meike Oakes, a team of year 7 students from Hexham Middle School in Northumberland have been crowned UK Young Scientists of the Year for their project ‘The plant perfectionists - how does different masses of biochar affect plant growth?’.
Passionate about climate action, the team wanted to explore different ways to grow plants and food. Through experimenting with adding biochar, a form of charcoal that locks carbon in soil, the team discovered a way to improve plant growth, while also reducing carbon emissions.
Core prize winners
Senior engineering category
Ellen Rooke, Isla Rollett, Laila Golledge, Maja Nitecka, Olivia Hyde and Summer Tampling, year 12 students from The Thomas Hardye School, won the senior engineering award, for their winning project 'PropaGro'
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Lewis Barber, Roland Christopher & Benjamin Philpott from The King's (The Cathedral) School with the project ‘Endeavour - Point Nemo’
- Marcel Fabicki from Cobham Free School with the project ‘AURION - The Jungle Pinball Machine’
Senior technology category, supported by Siemens
Sahasra Bendalam, a year 12 student from The Tiffin Girls' School won the senior technology award for their project ‘Quintec: quantum in technology’.
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Ethan Risse from Imperial College London Mathematics School with the project ‘The Reward Trap: Investigating Reward Misalignment in a Reinwithcement Learning Agent’
- Vidita Hakeem from New College Pontefract with the project ‘Seek Vira - Android Eye Care Game’
Senior science category
Ananyaa Rahate, a year 13 student from Ambition Network NI, won the senior science award with their project ‘Bio-assisted micro-combustion: using soybean chemiluminescence to modulate ignition and investigating if this can lead to a more sustainable fuel source’.
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Libby Miles and Emily Moore from Invicta Grammar School with the project ‘Adapting Red Light with skin repair’
- William Wu from The King's (The Cathedral) School with the project ‘Oralyser’
Intermediate engineering category
Jonathan Joseph, a year 10 student from Wilson's School won the intermediate engineering award with his project ‘refreshable braille display’
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Saanvi Mehrotra from Aston University Engineering Academy with the project ‘A Dual-Disc Hybrid Shielding Infrastructure with Mars Orbital Stations.’
- Aisha Ahmed, Veda Hansika Kottapalli and Shubhangini Singh from Newstead Wood School with the project ‘RUDY’
Intermediate technology category, supported by Siemens
Sahasra Bendalam, a year 12 student from The Tiffin Girls' School won the senior technology award for their project ‘Quintec: quantum in technology’
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Valentina Carmignani from Lancaster Girls' Grammar School with the project ‘Python Quantum Logic Visualiser Program’
- Annabel Anane, Christianna Michael, Evelyn Miller and Neela Shahin from Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School with the project ‘The Click Check’
Intermediate science category
Oleksandr Zhuravel, a year 10 student from Fitzalan High School in Cardiff, won the intermediate science award for his ‘Effect of washing mode on microfiber emission from polyester textiles’ project.
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Jesse Mcmullan and Noah Lawrenson from The Studio Liverpool with the project ‘Put a Jumper on! - Alternative, Sustainable Insulation’
- Anikate Arora from Featherstone High School with the project ‘BioBarrier - Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections Using Antibacterial Surface Treatments’
Junior engineering category
Harrison Ellis, a home educated student from the Doncaster Council Elective Home Education Group, won the junior engineering award for their ‘Woodpecker drumstick’ project.
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Khushreet Gill and Samreet Gill from Sutton Coldfield Grammar School with Girls with the project, ‘SmartSort’
- Oliver Wainman from Page family home education with the project ‘Firestorm Protector System’
Junior technology category, supported by Siemens
Rizane Thapa Magar, Alisha Naveed, Season Thapa Magar and Ikjot Singh, year 9 students from Lampton School won the junior technology award for their project ‘SIRA’.
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Eleanor Borrows from Newstead Wood School with the project ‘Reducing Food Waste’
- Pranav Anand from Reading School with the project ‘DriveSafe: AI Safety Assistant’
Junior science category
Niel Lautenschläger, a year 7 student and Kumara Sathiaseelan, a year 8 student from Cambridge Electronics and Robotics Club won the junior science award for their project ‘Rapid replanting capsules’
Congratulations to the runners-up:
- Advik Gupta, Arnav Tayal and Vedant Venkat from Invicta Grammar School with the project ‘How Can Enzymes Help End Plastic Pollution?’
- Sophia Assimakopoulos and Srinika Sabarirajan from Upton Court Grammar School with the project ‘De extinction using bioengineering and biotechnology techniques’
Place at 67th London International Youth Science Forum 2024
Awarded to Marcel Fabicki, a year 12 student at Cobham Free School for his project ‘AURION - the jungle pinball machine’ Positivity and Its Long-Term Effect on Mental Wellbeing'
Energy Institute Sustainability Award
Awarded to Chloe Elliot-Tinsley and Rosie Viney from The Thomas Hardye School for their project ‘Poseidon’s power’.
Energy Systems Catapult Award
Awarded to Ravija Kohomban, a year 10 student at Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School for their project ‘EcoBreathe’
The Intellectual Property Office Award for outstanding innovator
Awarded to Saanvi Patankar, a year 12 student from King Edward VI School, Stratford-Upon-Avon, for their project 'Biomimicry in aircraft design’
The Network Rail Innovation in Transport Award
Awarded to Tadiwa Nyikadzino a year 11 student at Outwood Academy Valley, Worksop for their project ‘Generation hybrid cargo ship powered by forces of the ocean’.
The EUK Education Teacher Award 2025
Awarded to Mrs Natalie Stewart, an IT teacher and STEM mentor at Hadley Learning Community in Telford, Shropshire.
IHEEM Innovation in Wellbeing & Healthcare Engineering Award
Awarded to Noor Fatimah, a year 12 student from Debden Park High School for their project ‘The "smart-grommet": a dual-action approach to preventing middle-ear infection’.
Accenture Award for Excellence in Artificial Intelligence
Awarded to Mykyta Telychko, a year 13 student Lumen Christi College, Derry for their project ‘AI sign language learning platform’.
The Stantec Developing Future Communities Award
Awarded to Phoebee-Frances Gorman, a year 7 student at The Belvedere Academy for the project ‘The scouse sea garden’.
The ECITB Teamwork Award
Awarded to Adina Ergermeier, Alice Kenwright, Emilia Dixon, Farah Hussein and Olivia Brookfield, year 10 students from Liverpool Life Sciences UTC and The Studio Liverpool for their project ‘Wettability of plants-opportunities for biomimicry’.