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CompetitionSentinus

Sentinus Young Innovators 2026 (Young Engineer of the Year)

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.

By the Born to Engineer editorial team Checked

At a glance

Run by
Sentinus[1]
Who it’s for
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.[2]
Entry
Students or a school can enter
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.[3]
Cost
No entry fee is stated on the page.
Year groups
Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, Year 12, Year 13
Where
Northern Ireland (Belfast (Ulster University))
Format
Hybrid
Dates

Sources

4 sources

  1. Sentinus

    Sentinus Young Innovators 2026

    Retrofit Revolution: Engineering greener buildings Flood Futures: Engineering for extreme weather Smart Streets: Engineering safer, greener travel

    Checked 24 October 2026

  2. Sentinus

    Sentinus Young Innovators 2026

    Entries for the Young Engineer category can be from Individuals or Teams of up to 3 people.

    Checked 24 October 2026

  3. Sentinus

    Sentinus Young Innovators 2026

    £1,000 prize for each of the other category winners

    Checked 24 October 2026

  4. Sentinus

    Sentinus Young Innovators 2026

    Registrations close 31st October 2026

    Checked 24 October 2026

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

Apply by

Closes in 7 days

Registrations close 31 October 2026. Online poster submission by 6 November 2026. Live finals on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Ulster University, Belfast.[4]

Apply on sentinus.co.uk (opens in a new tab)

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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

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Closes in 34 days

CompetitionQueen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation

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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

UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) 2027

Open now

CompetitionADS Group

Teams design, build and launch a model rocket carrying raw eggs to a set altitude. A well-established aerospace engineering challenge with regional heats across the UK.

Worth
A place at the UK National Final and a chance to compete in the International Rocketry Challenge
Who
Teams of students aged 11 to 18 from UK schools, colleges and youth groups
Entry
A teacher or school enters
Deadline
Registration closes 31 December 2026. Regional heats 19 March to 18 April 2027, UK National Final on 30 April 2027, International Final at the Paris Air Show on 17 and 18 June 2027

Visit ukroc.com (opens in a new tab)Details: UK Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKROC) 2027