Organisers & Partners
Organisers
The National Science & Engineering Competition is organised in partnership by four main organisations:
The Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS)
This government department funds the Competition and is involved in strategic
decisions. BIS, led by the Secretary of State, the Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, is
responsible for building a dynamic and competitive UK economy by promoting
innovation, enterprise and science.
The British Science Association
This science charity, established in 1831, was selected by the government to
coordinate the National Science & Engineering Competition. The Association's
aim is to connect people with science by promoting openness about science in
society and affirming science as a prime cultural force through engaging and
inspiring adults and young people directly with science and technology, and
their implications.
As well as coordinating the National Science & Engineering Competition, the Association also organises the CREST Awards, a project-based scheme that allows 5-19 year olds to pursue their personal interests in science, technology, engineering and maths in a nationally-recognised programme.
Young Engineers
Young Engineers is a registered charity which aims is to inspire young
people to develop an interest in engineering, and, in doing so,
recognise the importance and excitement of engineering as a future
career. It manages a national network of extracurricular engineering
clubs in both the primary and secondary sectors and a number of competitions including Young Engineer for Britain for secondary school students and Junior Engineer for Britain K'NEX Challenge for primary pupils.
The Big Bang
Launched in 2009, The Big Bang Fair is the UK’s biggest single celebration
of science and engineering for young people and aims to celebrate and
inspire them. The 2011 Big Bang Fair took place in London's ExCeL centre
and gained over 29,000 visitors. As well as headline shows from Sky 1's
Brainiac Live and BBC's Bang Goes the Theory, there were many workshops
and activities for visitors to engage with.
The Big Bang also hosts the finals of the National Science & Engineering Competition, where the finalists have their ownstands to display their projects to the visitors and VIPs. The Big Bang Fair also hosts the National Awards Ceremony where the winners of the National Science & Engineering Competition are announced.
The CREST Awards and the Young Engineer for Britain competition are both feeder schemes for the National Science & Engineering Competition. They also hold their own competition finals at The Big Bang Fair, so there are three major competitions taking place at The Big Bang Fair. Judging for these three competitions has been largely combined so that competitors are not judged separately for the three different competitions.
Partners
The following organizations work closely with the British Science Association to ensure the success of the National Science & Engineering Competition:
EngineeringUK
Research Councils UK
EDT
The Royal Society
We are delighted that the following organizations, companies and competitions support the National Science & Engineering Competition:
4x4 Schools Technology Challenge
British Biology Olympiad
British Physics Olympiad
Design and Technology Association (DATA)
Earthwatch Institute
F1 in schools
FIRST LEGO League UK
Formula Gravity
Greenpower F24
International Space School Educational Trust (ISSET)
NPL Water Rocket Challenge
Planet SciCast
Plus New Writers Award
Rolls-Royce Science Prize
Schools Aerospace Challenge
Shell Eco-Marathon
Society of Biology
UK Aerospace Youth Rocketry Challenge (UKAYRoC)
UK Schools Computer Animation Competition
Wallace and Gromit Cracking Ideas Competition
Young Optimists Competition
Young Scientists Journal
Date Published: July 12, 2011