How to enter
The Big Bang Competition is open to young people aged 11 to 18 in state-funded secondary education or who are home educated or who enter as part of a community group.
Young people attending independent or private schools, colleges or sixth forms are not eligible to enter The Big Bang Competition 2026. However, to support state-funded schools - joint entries can be submitted from teams comprising an equal number of independent school/partner state school students, via the state school entry.
Please make sure you are eligible to enter The Competition before you start your entry. Have a look at our rules and eligibility for more details.
The Big Bang Competition is open! Enter by 4 March 2026.

Key dates

Learn everything you need to know about The Big Bang Competition. Find out what happens and when:
- Entry deadline: 4 March 2026 at 5pm
Don't forget the entry deadline! This date is final and we can't offer extensions. If you need to make a change, you can edit your entry after submitting, up until the deadline
- Finalist announcement: 21 April 2026
Exciting! All entrants will get an email sharing the status of your project and if you're a finalist. Fingers crossed!
- Video call judging: 29 April to 7 May 2026
Over a week, the finalists for Special Awards and those in the running for top prizes - UK Young Scientist(s), UK Young Engineer(s) and UK Young Technologist(s), will be invited to further judging over a Microsoft Teams video call with a panel of friendly judges. Now's your time to shine! If you're a finalist for one of these awards, The Competition team will be in touch to arrange dates and times for these calls
- Project showcase: taking place at The Big Bang Fair in June 2026
Share your project with the world! Select finalists will be invited to showcase their project at The Big Bang Fair. We'll start to notify finalists from 21 April if your project has been selected to showcase at The Big Bang Fair. Due to space, we can't have everyone, but any finalists not initially selected to showcase can join a waitlist. Once space opens up at the showcase, we'll get in touch!
- Winners announced: At The Big Bang Competition Awards Ceremony, taking place at The Big Bang Fair in June 2026
Assessment criteria
One of the first things to consider when you start your project is our assessment criteria – the different things that our judges will consider when scoring your project.
The main advice from judges is for competitors to provide as much relevant information as possible. Remember, your project does not need to be finished to enter The Competition. We understand that restrictions may impact students’ ability to fully complete their projects, and judges will bear this in mind when reviewing your work.
The questions under each section are simply prompts to get you thinking about each step of your project, not a checklist!
Familiarise yourself with the full criteria below:
- 1. Project overview
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This is the first time judges will hear or read about your project. Judges will be looking for a brief summary of your overall project. You should include a brief but clear outline of your project purpose, how you planned to achieve your project aims, your key results and conclusions.
- 2. Project concept
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Introduce your project idea and explain why it matters
This section is about your motivation and aims. Tell the judges what inspired your project and what you hope to achieve. Think about the real-world problem or opportunity you're addressing and who might benefit from your solution.
Consider the following questions:
- What is the purpose of your project and what are you aiming to achieve?
- What real-world problem or opportunity does your project explore?
- Who might be affected by your project and how have you considered their needs or perspectives?
- 3. Project process
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This section looks at how you explored your topic, made decisions, and adapted your ideas. Whether you investigated a question or designed and built something, show how you organised your work and thought carefully about your approach.
Research, planning and organisation
- What research or existing products did you explore to understand your topic, and how did they influence your approach?
- What different designs or methods did you consider, and why did you choose the one you used? Did you think about sustainability when comparing different approaches? For example, have you considered using sustainable materials or how you can reduce waste?
- How did you plan and organise your project? What steps did you take to stay on track?
- Did you seek support or feedback from others to help improve your project?
Experimentation and refinement
- How did you apply the scientific / engineering / technological method or including managing variables and controls?
- What results did you get, and how did you test or evaluate them? If you couldn’t collect data, what would you expect to see?
- Did you face any challenges during testing or building, and how did you overcome them?
- Did you test or refine your design, prototype, or investigation? What did you learn from this?
- If you couldn’t build or test a prototype, did you create evidence to show how it could work in practice?
- 4. Project outcome
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Share the results of your project and its potential impact
This section focuses on what you achieved and how your findings relate to your original aims. Think about how your outcome could be used in the real world, and whether it has potential for further development or environmental impact.
- How well did your final outcome meet your original aims?
- How do your results or design support or challenge your initial ideas?
- Could your outcome be used in the real world or developed further for industry or commercial use?
- How would you communicate your innovation to your target audience?
- Have you considered any environmental benefits or impacts of your project?
- 5. Reflections and next steps
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Reflect on your learning and future plans
This section is about what you’ve learned and how you might build on your project. Share your reflections on what went well, what you enjoyed, and what you’d do next.
- How could you continue developing your project in the future?
- What changes would be needed to fully meet your aims or make your project market-ready?
- What did you learn from the project and what did you enjoy most?
- 6. Project ethics
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Consider the wider impact of your project
Ethics refers to careful consideration, or a set of principles that help us to decide what is right or wrong. People working in science, engineering and technology act to improve the well-being of society. They must take steps to act in a way that is kind, fair and does not harm people or the environment.
Think about how your project affects, or could affect, people, communities and the environment. If you worked with participants, explain how you considered their wellbeing.
- How can your results / design be used for good?
- Will everyone benefit from your project? If not, who is less likely to benefit? What can we do to ensure your project equally benefits everyone?
- Could your results / design cause harm to other people, communities, or the environment?
- Will negative outcomes affect some people more than others? What can you do to prevent or minimise the negative effects?
- If your project involved participants or test subjects, how did you consider their wellbeing? For example, did you explain how their input, such as survey responses, would be used within your work?
- 7. Essential skills
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These skills will be assessed across your whole entry
They reflect how you approached your project, worked with others (or independently), and brought your ideas to life. Make sure your entry shows evidence of the following:
- Clear communication - explaining your ideas clearly and helping others understand your work
- Enthusiasm for your project – showcasing your interest and passion for your topic and what you’ve created
- Innovation and creativity - bringing original ideas or new ways of thinking to your project
- Problem finding and solving - identifying challenges and coming up with thoughtful solutions
- Resilience - dealing with setbacks or difficulties and continuing to make progress
- Teamwork and leadership (for group projects) - ensuring everyone had a clear role, contributed meaningfully, and felt heard
- Independence and self-motivation (for individual projects) - managing your time well, setting goals, and driving your project forward on your own
Advice on entry formats
This year competitors are asked to submit a written project entry or a short video about their project.
When completing your written entry, please ensure you cover the assessment criteria. If you are submitting a written entry, please keep these word counts in mind:
- Project overview: 150 words max
- Project concept: 300 words max
- Project process: 400 words max
- Project outcomes: 400 words max
- Project ethics: 200 words max
- Next steps and reflections: 350 words max
If you are submitting a video entry, videos should be no longer than 5 minutes.
Don't forget - your entry doesn't need to be perfect, or even completely finished. We want to hear your ideas. How does your idea solve problems? What would you do differently? What went well? Let your creativity shine!
— The Big Bang Competition Head Judges – Andy, Helena and Ainsley
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