Meet the finalists of The Big Bang Competition! We'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who took part in The Big Bang Competition 2025/26.

We continue to be extremely impressed by the creativity and innovation shown to solve real-world problems shown by all the young people who participated. It’s brilliant to see so many young people making the connections between their own creativity and how STEM can help solve real-world challenges. 

Make sure to check back soon and meet our winners after our Award Ceremony at The Big Bang Fair at the NEC on 9 June!

Meet the finalist schools and check out the projects:

AI, robotics and digital technology

Design for people and communitities

Entertainment and hobbies

Health, medicine and wellbeing

Sustainability and environment

The Big Bang Competition Finalists 2026

AI, robotics and digital technology

  • AeroGenome AI, Bexley Grammar School
  • AI Hospital Appointment Filter System, Home educator
  • AI Sign Language Learning Platform, Lumen Christi College, Derry
  • Astro: No-one should face the infinite alone, The King's (The Cathedral) School
  • The Anomaly Scout: An AI-Powered Search for Exoplanets and Stellar Flares, Chase High School
  • BinBot, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
  • BinSmart, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
  • Cherry Mind🍒, Redbridge Community School
  • DriveSafe: AI Safety Assistant, Reading School
  • DrowseGuard, Townley Grammar School
  • Drug Repurposing for Cancer AI, Herschel Grammar School
  • Endeavour – Point Nemo, The King's (The Cathedral) School
  • GESTE: Small Gestures. Big Independence, The Sixth Form College Farnborough
  • Hull Cleaning Robot, Cranbrook School
  • Laser Cutter Automation System, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
  • Mitasu Bins, Katherine Warington School
  • Neurosignal: Autonomous Traffic Flow Management, Tiffin School
  • Plant Pal, Barton Peveril Sixth Form College
  • Project Flux, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
  • The Reward Trap: Investigating Reward Misalignment in a Reinforcement Learning Agent, Imperial College London Mathematics School
  • SmartGrow-AI: Intelligent Precision Farming, Dartford Grammar School
  • Tree Hugger, Madras College
  • Web-based flashcard system for GCSE students, Herschel Grammar School
  • XGBoost, Kendrick School

Design for people and communitities

  • Adapta Kane, Derby Moor Spencer Academy
  • A Dual-Disc Hybrid Shielding Infrastructure for Mars Orbital Stations., Aston University Engineering Academy
  • AeroAid: Autonomous VTOL QuadPlane, Community group
  • Algae – the future of Omega-3 supplements, The King's School, Grantham
  • Application of bioreactive indicator strips for detecting schistosome cercariae in freshwater bodies, Lasswade High School Centre
  • Biomimicry in Aircraft Design, King Edward VI School
  • The Click Check, Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School
  • Complex Fractal Plotter, Richard Hale School
  • Dextera, The Latymer School
  • Dynamis, Nonsuch High School for Girls
  • E.C.H.O. – Environmental Capture and Hazard Observer, Altrincham Grammar School for Boys
  • Firestorm Protector System, Home educator
  • From Invisible to Visible: Testing Variables That Affect Latent Fingerprint Testing, Northgate High School
  • Ideas to reduce low flying plane propeller noise, The King's School, Grantham
  • Python Quantum Logic Visualiser Program, Lancaster Girls' Grammar School
  • RefreshaBraille, Wilson's School
  • RUDY, Newstead Wood School
  • The Scouse Sea Garden, The Belvedere Academy
  • SmartSort, Sutton Coldfield Grammar School for Girls
  • Using SEM and EDX Analysis to Identify Historic Paint Composition for Restoration and Worker Safety, Liverpool Life Sciences UTC
  • VoltAlertTENG, Newham Collegiate Sixth Form Centre, City of London Academy
  • X-HYDRA: High Yield Desalination via Radial Atomisation, The King's (The Cathedral) School

Entertainment and hobbies

  • Arc Trac, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
  • AURION – The Jungle Pinball Machine, Cobham Free School
  • MaestROBOT, Simon Langton Girls' Grammar School
  • Nautilx – A smart Kickboard for Swimmers, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
  • Not being last (go-kart racing), Alleyne's Academy
  • Smart Sport Vision Lens, Newstead Wood School
  • TrailTalk: AI-Powered Experience Mapping, Cookstown High School
  • The Woodpecker Drumstick Project, Home educator

Health, medicine and wellbeing

  • 153 Lives: When Maths Beats the FDA, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
  • Adapting Red Light for skin repair, Invicta Grammar School
  • BioBarrier – Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections Using Antibacterial Surface Treatments, Featherstone High School
  • Can Parkinson's symptoms be improved using electronics?, Durham Johnston Comprehensive School
  • Can Technology Improve Osteoporosis Tests?, Invicta Grammar School
  • Carbon Monoxide Group, Bournemouth School for Girls
  • EP4P, Hadley Learning Community – Secondary Phase
  • How can design be used to improve the quality of life for people who suffer from oedema?, Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys
  • CardioPredict, King Edward VI Grammar School, Chelmsford
  • IntelliHeal, Queen Elizabeth's School, Barnet
  • Medi-mirror, Walton High School
  • NeuroBox: Improving Emergency Response to Stroke in Teenagers, The Frances Bardsley Academy for Girls
  • Oralyser, The King's (The Cathedral) School
  • Quintec: Quantum in technology, The Tiffin Girls' School
  • Seek Vira – Android Eye Care Game, New College Pontefract
  • SIRA, Lampton Academy
  • The "Smart-Grommet": A Dual-Action Approach to Preventing Middle-Ear Infection, Debden Park High School

Sustainability and environment

  • AI bin-trashy, Northwood School
  • Algalink, Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School
  • Atmosphere powered rocket, Home educator
  • Bio-assisted Micro-Combustion: Using Soybean Chemiluminescence to Modulate Ignition and Investigating if this can Lead to a More Sustainable Fuel Source, Community group
  • Can we use gutters to utilise renewable energy?, Invicta Grammar School
  • Dahlias Air Filter, Eltham Hill School
  • De extinction using bioengineering and biotechnology techniques, Upton Court Grammar School
  • Dragon Stompers, Fort Pitt Grammar School
  • Effect of Washing Mode on Microfiber Emission from Polyester Textiles, Fitzalan High School
  • EnviroPane, The King's School, Grantham
  • Generation Hybrid Cargo Ship powered by forces of the ocean, Outwood Academy Valley
  • How Can Enzymes Help End Plastic Pollution?, Invicta Grammar School
  • How to make space travel eco friendly, The Tiffin Girls' School
  • The Invisible Laser Power Network – [Radio wave powered devices], The King's (The Cathedral) School
  • Micro-Pyrolysis Drone, Derby Moor Spencer Academy
  • Moss and Activated Carbon Air Filter, Bishop Wordsworth's Church of England Grammar School
  • The Plant Perfectionists – How does different masses of biochar affect plant growth?, Hexham Middle School
  • Poseidon's Power, The Thomas Hardye School
  • PropaGro, The Thomas Hardye School
  • Put a Jumper on! – Alternative, Sustainable Insulation, Liverpool Life Sciences UTC
  • Rapid Replanting Capsules, Community group
  • Reducing Food Waste, Newstead Wood School
  • Re-ink, Derby Moor Spencer Academy
  • Sun tracking autonomous solar panel, Community group
  • Thermoelectric generation: using the Seebeck Effect to provide renewable energy, Freman College
  • Wettability of Plants-opportunities for Biomimicry, Liverpool Life Sciences UTC