EngineeringUK is excited to announce that Thales will join Siemens as a key supporter for top awards at The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition. The global leader in advanced technologies will, for the first time, support the UK Young Engineer of the Year award. Global technology company, Siemens, will return to support the UK Young Technologist of the Year award. UK Young Scientist of the Year award is also up for grabs, as well as a host of special awards supported by key industry partners.
The Big Bang Competition invites students aged 11 to 18, from state-funded schools, home education, or community groups, to enter a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) project and develop confidence and teamwork. Students can explore any STEM topic that sparks their curiosity and imagination. New for this year, young people will be asked to explore how their project could affect people, communities and the environment, encouraging them to think ethically about their inventions. All participants receive feedback from STEM professionals to help them learn and improve their skills.
Phillip McShane, Associate Director of the Big Bang at EngineeringUK shared his thoughts:
“We’re delighted to share the latest partnership for The Big Bang Competition. Working with supporters like Thales and Siemens will allow us to reach and inspire more young people to develop a passion for science, engineering and technology. We’re looking forward to working closely with them as we look to crown our big winners of 2026.”
James Mackay, Head of STEM in the UK at Thales, commented:
“At Thales, we’re proud to sponsor The Big Bang Competition because it aligns with our core mission—to inspire innovation and build a future we can all trust. The creativity and determination we see from young people here remind us that the next big breakthrough could come from anyone. Supporting these future innovators is truly exciting for everyone at Thales.”
A key advocate of connecting the engineering community to inspiring the future workforce, Thales is also supporting the 5th annual Tomorrow’s Engineers Live conference, which will take place on 10 February 2026. This engaging event will once again bring the community together to share, learn and innovate engineering and technology outreach.
The winners of The Big Bang Competition will be announced at a spectacular awards ceremony at The Big Bang Fair, which returns to the NEC from 9 to 11 June 2026. This annual event provides an opportunity for school groups to discover hands-on activities in STEM.
Mark Wood, Social Sustainability Lead, Great Britain & Ireland, at Siemens said:
“The Big Bang Competition is a truly equitable way to inspire the next generation to put their ideas and creative thinking into solving real world STEM problems. The imagination and passion we see in these projects is awe inspiring and Siemens are immensely proud to support these young minds, nurture their interests and ambitions around using technology to solve contemporary problems.”
Other awards on offer include IHEEM Innovation in Wellbeing and Healthcare Engineering Award, a fully funded place to the 67th London International Youth Science Forum 2026 (LIYSF), the ECITB Teamwork award, The Intellectual Property Office innovation award and the EUK Education teacher award.
In 2025, winning projects included an automatic pill dispenser, an alternative telecommunications system for emergency communications, and an investigation into the physics behind karate.
To support teachers and students, the free Big Bang Challenge resource offers step-by-step guidance to create and develop a STEM project. With several themes to choose from, the Big Bang Challenges cover topics from AI and robotics to extreme weather, air quality and more. Each resource helps to bring exciting STEM concepts to life in the classroom.
Entries to The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition 2026 are now open. To find out more about supporting The Big Bang Competition or exhibiting at The Big Bang Fair, email [email protected]
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About The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition and Fair
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition aims to recognise and reward young people's achievements in all areas of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and provide them with the opportunity to build their skills and confidence in project-based work. It is open to 11 to 19 year olds from across the UK who have completed a project or activity in any field of science, technology, engineering or maths. www.thebigbang.org.uk/competition
The Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Fair is the largest celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) for young people in the UK. Taking place from 9 to 11 June 2026 at The NEC in Birmingham. The Big Bang Fair is an award-winning combination of inspirational talks, interactive workshops, hands-on exhibits and careers information from STEM professionals. The Big Bang Fair is made possible through the collaborative efforts of over 50 organisations. The Big Bang Fair 2025 - The Big Bang
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About EngineeringUK
EngineeringUK is a not-for-profit organisation that drives change so more young people choose engineering and technology careers. Our mission is to enable more young people from all backgrounds to be inspired, informed and progress into engineering and technology.
We work closely with our Corporate Members and in partnership with hundreds of organisations. We lead collaborative efforts to improve the impact of all engineering and tech inspiration and careers activities for young people through managing The Tomorrow’s Engineers Code.
We ignite a passion for STEM among young people from all backgrounds through EUK Education and our school engagement programmes such as The Big Bang. Our careers resources help teachers bring STEM to life through real-world engineering and tech stories via Neon.
Our research and evidence build insight into the current workforce and our future needs. And our evaluations build understanding of what really works to inspire and inform the next generation. We also advocate for policy development in STEM and careers education and workforce planning for engineering and tech.
