A celebration of STEM with The Big Bang at Parliament
The UK’s top young STEM innovators and finalists in The Big Bang Competition were invited to Westminster this week as part of our annual Big Bang at Parliament event. They met MPs and Peers, and showcased their impressive projects.
A total of 20 students from 8 schools across the country attended the event, which celebrates young people's creativity and innovation in STEM. They were joined by parliamentarians, guests from the engineering and technology community and Siemens – who support the event and the technology strand of The Big Bang Competition.
Timi Banjo, from Queen Elizabeth School in Barnet, showcased his project ‘Multi-Table’, which was awarded runner-up in the senior engineering category. Timi commented, “It’s been an amazing experience talking to loads of parliamentarians and people from engineering companies – hearing about their innovations and telling them about mine.”
Grace Palmer, a T Level student from WMG Academy of Engineering in Solihull, awarded the senior engineering winner in The Big Bang Competition 2025, presented her project ‘Thrive Transfer Aid'. Inspired by the challenges faced by her young cousin, Grace wanted to create a product to improve the lives of disabled children and their families.
Grace gave an inspiring speech, saying “Completing this project taught me that real growth happens when you challenge yourself with something unfamiliar. Entering The Big Bang Competition pushed me to step outside my comfort zone and develop both soft and hard skills that I know will support me in the future.”
She continued “But the most important lesson I learned was about engineering itself: it often begins with empathy. When we understand the challenges faced by others, we can create products that truly change lives.”
Grace spoke alongside 2 prominent parliamentarians – Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Select Committee, and Dame Chi Onwurah MP, Chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Select Committee.
Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield, said, “Huge congratulations to all The Big Bang Competition entrants who are here today. I hope that passion for STEM which has been unleashed through this project will stay with you going forwards in your careers.”
“We’ve got a really amazing array of different ideas on display – they cover such a range which demonstrate the breath of directions in which STEM careers can now take you.”
Also delivering a speech, our Chief Executive, Dr Hilary Leevers said, “I would like to draw everyone’s attention to the nature of the projects that are here. You’ll see how incredibly purposeful and caring they all are – targeted at improving physical and mental health, environmental sustainability, and safety and accessibility. The fact that the students made these choices makes me feel so optimistic for the future, as much as the actual skills that we are seeing.”
Referencing the ongoing skills shortage and the need to bring more young talent into the engineering and technology sector, Dr Leevers encouraged industry to “continue to give young people opportunity to understand what careers are out there and provide older students with work experience and industrial placements.” She also urged parliamentarians to “ensure that working with younger students is a key part of skills strategies”.
Other prominent attendees included Rt Hon Emma Reynolds MP (Environment Secretary), Lucy Rigby MP (Economic Secretary to the Treasury), and Saqib Bhatti (Shadow Education Minister). In total there were 17 parliamentarians in attendance, including 3 ministers/shadow ministers. Six had project teams from their constituencies.
Entries to The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2026 are now open. Contact us to find out more about supporting The Big Bang Competition or exhibiting at The Big Bang Fair.
The most important lesson I learned was about engineering itself: it often begins with empathy. When we understand the challenges faced by others, we can create products that truly change lives.
— Grace Palmer, winner, senior engineering, Big Bang Competition 2025
Huge congratulations to all The Big Bang Competition entrants who are here today. I hope that passion for STEM which has been unleashed through this project will stay with you going forwards in your careers.
We’ve got a really amazing array of different ideas on display – they cover such a range which demonstrate the breath of directions in which STEM careers can now take you.
— Toby Perkins, Labour MP for Chesterfield
