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CompetitionJames Dyson Foundation

James Dyson Award

An international award for a design that solves a problem, open to university students, recent graduates and degree apprentices.

By the Born to Engineer editorial team Checked

At a glance

Run by
James Dyson Foundation[1]
Who it’s for
University students and recent graduates of engineering and design, aged 18 or over[2]
Year groups
Post-18
Where
UK-wide
Format
Online

Sources

3 sources

  1. James Dyson Foundation

    James Dyson Award

    It's open to current and recent design engineering students, and is run by the James Dyson Foundation , James Dyson’s charitable trust, as part of its mission to get young people excited about design engineering.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  2. James Dyson Foundation

    How to enter

    The James Dyson Award is open to current university students of engineering, product design and industrial design – and those who have graduated in these subjects in the last four years.

    Checked 14 October 2026

  3. James Dyson Foundation

    Terms and conditions

    4.1. The Website will open for entries from 11 March 2026 and close on 15 July 2026 at 23:59 (PST).

    Checked 14 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

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

Open now

CompetitionSamsung UK

A free national tech-for-good competition and innovation programme. Students, alone or in teams of up to four, come up with a tech idea in one of three categories: Smarter Sport, Greener Future or Safer Online. Semi-finalists get mentoring and prototype funding before a national final in London.

Worth
Mentoring, work experience with Samsung, Samsung tech and a place on the Piccadilly Circus screen
Who
Students aged 11 to 18 at secondary schools and colleges across the UK and Ireland, alone or in teams of up to four
Deadline
Entries close on 18 January 2027; national final on 29 and 30 April 2027

Visit solvefortomorrowuk.com (opens in a new tab)Details: Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

FIRST LEGO League Challenge

Open now

CompetitionThe IET (UK delivery partner)

Teams build and program a LEGO robot and work on an innovation project around the season's theme, then compete at regional tournaments.

Cost
From £285 a team; funding packages available
Who
Teams of up to 10 young people aged 9 to 16, through a school or youth group
When
Registration for the 2026-27 season is open; regional tournaments, then the UK final

Visit education.theiet.org (opens in a new tab)Details: FIRST LEGO League Challenge