2026 Minds Underground™ Engineering & Design Innovation Challenge
Engineering Competition Overview
D E S I G N A W E A R A B L E
The Minds Underground™ Engineering Innovation Challenge invites ambitious students to think creatively about the future of wearable technology. This annual design competition is open to UK and international students aged 15–17 (Years 10–12). Participants will apply principles of design engineering, product innovation, and human-centred design to create a two-page proposal for a new wearable device that addresses a real-world need.
The challenge aims to inspire future engineers to combine creativity, scientific understanding, and sustainability - echoing the interdisciplinary thinking valued by leading universities such as Cambridge, Imperial, and UCL.
Produce a 2-page PDF (If you have a bibliography, this can be a third page) with the sections detailing its purpose, target customer, aesthetics & design, functions & technologies. Your submission should demonstrate your quality of research, and clearly explain the need for the product and how your solution will deliver that need. There will be a winner and runners up chosen in the following award categories of our international engineering competition:
Best inventive idea
Most realistic idea
Most visual submission
The 2026 Minds Underground Engineering Competition is live. Submit by 3 April 2026!
View General Competition Guidelines/ Criteria
2026 Challenge Theme - Wearable Tech for a Better World
Wearable devices are transforming medicine, sports, safety, and sustainability.
Your task is to design a wearable product that improves human life - whether through healthcare, environmental awareness, accessibility, or everyday convenience.
Your entry should include:
A short written explanation of your concept (purpose, design, and function)
A labelled sketch or diagram of your prototype
An explanation of the underlying engineering and scientific principles
A note on sustainability, materials, and energy use
Submissions should be clear, concise, and inventive - showing evidence of technical understanding as well as creativity.
Why Enter the Engineering Innovation Challenge?
Taking part offers students the chance to:
Develop problem-solving and design-engineering skills used in top university courses
Build an impressive project to discuss in personal statements or interviews
Gain feedback from mentors with experience in Design Engineering and STEM research
Compete internationally for the Minds Underground™ Engineering Prize
Many entrants go on to apply for courses such as Engineering, Design Engineering, Product Design, or Mechanical Engineering at leading UK and US universities.
How to Enter
Create your design - a two-page PDF submission (maximum 1000 words) explaining your wearable concept and including at least one clear diagram.
Ensure your work is original and written in English.
Submit your entry via the Google Form at the top of the page.
Deadline: 3 April 2026.
Entries received after this date cannot be considered.
Further STEM & Engineering Opportunities Beyond the Challenge
Students who enjoy the Challenge can extend their learning through a range of Minds Underground™ and U2 Tuition programmes designed to deepen STEM understanding and enhance university applications:
The STEM / Design Engineering Club (Weekly online extension sessions exploring innovation, sustainability, and technology in design).
STEM Essay Competitions in Physics, Maths, Biology & Computer Science
Research Projects with Oxbridge mentors to develop your idea into a university-level paper
1-1 University Application Support via our wider tuition company, U2 Tuition: Tailored guidance for competitive Engineering, Design, and STEM applications to top UK and international universities.
Useful Tips and Resources for the Engineering Competition
If you’re new to Engineering, you may want to take a look at some of our great online resources before launching into our Engineering Innovation Challenge.
Take a look at our comprehensive guides on:
These contain useful tips and resources to help guide your independent exploration of design engineering and develop your ideas for the Engineering innovation challenge.
We also run a Design Engineering club which introduces you to all aspects of Design Engineering, from idea generation to computer-aided design.
You may prefer to work independently with one of our Engineering tutors who can host masterclasses on areas of engineering that interest and inspire you, and can support you through the Engineering Innovation challenge.
Engineering Innovation Challenge FAQs
Why enter the Engineering Innovation Challenge?
There’s lots of great reasons to enter our Engineering Innovation challenge. It will teach you useful research and design skills, help you approach engineering from a practical angle and enhance your applications to Engineering courses or Design Engineering courses at university.
How will the Engineering Innovation Challenge support my Design Engineering application?
If you’re looking to get a place on competitive Design Engineering programmes, such as Imperial Design Engineering or Cambridge Design Engineering, taking part in our international engineering competition is a great way to make your application stand out. Submitting an entry to a competition showcases your dedication to exploring the subject, shows your aptitude for independent learning and gives you a really interesting topic to discuss in your personal statement and interview.
Who is the Engineering innovation challenge for?
The engineering innovation challenge is for Year 12 students, or more ambitious younger students, who are aspiring engineers. If you’re interested in engineering or design engineering courses at university, the Engineering Innovation challenge is perfect for you to boost your knowledge of the subject and develop useful engineering skills!
How should I present my entry to the Engineering Innovation Challenge?
How you present your entry to the Engineering Innovation Challenge is ultimately up to you. It just needs to fit in a 2-page pdf.
Whatever format you choose, your entry needs to:
demonstrate the quality of your research
clearly explain the need for the product
explain how your wearable offers a solution to it
Remember sometimes less is more: don’t feel like you have to write a side of A4 if a clearly labelled diagram would explain it better.
You should also consider the visual aspect of your submission to the Engineering Innovation challenge.
Maybe you’d like to present it as a sketch, CAD, diagram, image, GIF, video…
Is it an international Engineering Competition?
Yes, the engineering innovation challenge is open to international entries! You can submit your entry online from anywhere in the world.
Can I submit more than one entry to the Engineering Design Competition?
You can only submit one entry to the engineering design competition. However, you can enter an essay in a different competition category if you’d like to enhance your knowledge in another subject area. Take a look at our STEM essay competition questions this year, with questions in Maths, Physics, Biology Chemistry and Computer Science.
How can I learn more about Design Engineering?
If you’d like to learn more about Design Engineering, take a look at our blogs on Cambridge Design Engineering and Imperial Design Engineering, filled with useful resources. You could also register for our Design Engineering course, designed to take you from the basics of design engineering through to a more complex understanding.
Can I have support with the Engineering Innovation Challenge?
Yes, you can work with one of our engineering mentors to support you through the Engineering innovation challenge. A mentor can help you come up with ideas, offer feedback on your project, and teach you useful engineering skills to enhance your submission.
Are you in Year 11/12 & Thinking of Pursuing an Engineering Degree at a top UK University/ Oxbridge?
We offer a range of exciting opportunities for students aspiring to a degree in Engineering at a leading university:
Research Projects in exciting current fields with subject experts
Weekly STEM Club covering related topics
Engineering Summer School for university/ Oxbridge applicants
Long-term Oxbridge Engineering mentoring: Boosting knowledge beyond the curriculum, preparing for personal statement, test and interviews - visit our on-curriculum site, U2 Tuition for more information.
Interested in an Engineering Competition Mentor? Our Oxbridge-educated masterminds are here to help! Sessions from £75/h + VAT. Enquire here