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CompetitionSpace Science and Engineering Foundation (UKSDC)

UK Space Design Competition 2026/27

Students from several schools are merged into a fictional engineering company and design a crewed space settlement against a client brief, working across structures, operations, robotics, human factors and business roles. It is a one-day simulation of industry team engineering, open to anyone with an interest in space.

By the Born to Engineer editorial team Checked

At a glance

Run by
Space Science and Engineering Foundation (UKSDC)[1]
Who it’s for
Teams of around 4 to 12 students in Years 10 to 13 (or equivalent) with a supervising adult. Most teams come as school groups or science clubs.[2]
Entry
A teacher or school enters
Worth
Qualifying teams reach the national final. Students who qualify for the International Space Settlement Design Competition are sponsored to travel to the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.[3]
Cost
No entry fee stated on the pages read.
Year groups
Year 10, Year 11, Year 12, Year 13
Where
UK-wide (Regional heats across England and Wales, plus a digital heat; final at Imperial College London)
Format
Hybrid
Dates
to

Sources

3 sources

  1. Space Science and Engineering Foundation (UKSDC)

    Home – UK Space Design Competition

    Students from multiple schools are combined to form an engineering company and take on the task of designing a crewed space settlement within our solar system.

    Checked 24 October 2026

  2. Space Science and Engineering Foundation (UKSDC)

    Registration – UK Space Design Competition

    Teams may consist of between 4 and 12 students, all between Years 10 and 13 (in England/Wales, or equivalent elsewhere in the United Kingdom).

    Checked 24 October 2026

  3. Space Science and Engineering Foundation (UKSDC)

    Home – UK Space Design Competition

    Those who qualify for the ISSDC are sponsored to travel to the Kennedy Space Centre at Cape Canaveral in Florida

    Checked 24 October 2026

Details checked by the Born to Engineer editorial team. Always confirm dates on the provider’s site before applying.

More competition opportunities

All opportunities

Sentinus Young Innovators 2026 (Young Engineer of the Year)

Closes in 7 days

CompetitionSentinus

Students choose a Sentinus engineering challenge (Retrofit Revolution, Flood Futures or Smart Streets) or their own idea and submit an online poster. Finalists are invited to Belfast to be judged by industry experts.

Worth
£1,000 for each category winner. The overall Sentinus Young Innovator wins a funded trip to the International Science and Engineering Fair 2027 in the USA, plus an accelerator programme and industry links.
Who
Individuals or teams of up to 3 for the Young Engineer category (there are also Young Scientist, Young Mathematician and Young Coder categories). Applicants must be aged under 19 on 1 July 2027.
Entry
Students or a school can enter
Deadline
Registrations close 31 October 2026. Online poster submission by 6 November 2026. Live finals on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Ulster University, Belfast.

Visit sentinus.co.uk (opens in a new tab)Details: Sentinus Young Innovators 2026 (Young Engineer of the Year)

Davidson Inventors Challenge 2026/27

Closes in 8 days

CompetitionUniversity of Cambridge Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, with IChemE

Teams pick a UN Sustainable Development Goal, research a real problem and propose a sustainable, innovative engineering solution. Each team gets a mentor and the process runs from November to a final in April.

Worth
An expert mentor for each team, webinars, and for the winners a cash prize, a trophy and a day at the department.
Who
Teams of Year 11 and Year 12 students from UK schools. Maximum of two submissions per school; up to 100 projects selected.
Entry
A teacher or school enters
Deadline
Team sign-up and initial project outline by 1 November 2026. Final reports mid March 2027, shortlisted teams announced early April, final at the Cambridge department in late April 2027.

Visit ceb.cam.ac.uk (opens in a new tab)Details: Davidson Inventors Challenge 2026/27

QEPrize Create the Trophy 2027

Closes in 34 days

CompetitionQueen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation

Design the trophy for the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering using a free 3D design app and submit it online. The winning design is 3D printed and presented to the prize winners in London.

Worth
A high-end laptop, a model of the winning trophy, and a trip to London to see the 3D printed design presented to the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering winners.
Who
Anyone aged 14 to 24 on 27 November 2026 (UK students can enter). Entry is individual, via the free QEPrize 3D Design Studio app.
Entry
Students apply themselves
Deadline
Entries opened on 1 September 2026. Closing date is 23:59 GMT on 27 November 2026.

Visit qeprize.org (opens in a new tab)Details: QEPrize Create the Trophy 2027