Glasgow Science Festival

Application

We are delighted to launch Creating Engineers 2026. The competition is open to school clusters across the West of Scotland. 

The LEAs invited to take part in 2026 are: Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire and West Dunbartonshire.

Applications to the competition are made as a school cluster. There are four stages, which are described in more detail below. The initial stage is the 'Classroom Challenge', which is run by the primary schools, followed by the 'Cluster Challenge' which is hosted by the secondary schools. The next two stages are the 'Regional Finals' and 'Grand Final', organised by the Glasgow Science Festival team and partner organisations.

Only only one application per cluster should be submitted, with a nominated 'cluster contact' appointed. The cluster contact will liaise with the GSF team and will receive any relevant communication from the GSF team. Please note that not all schools in the cluster need to participate in order for the cluster to apply, however we are unable to accept entries with only 1 school. If you are part of a cluster with only one interested school please contact the GSF team directly at sciencefestival@glasgow.ac.uk.

Teams must be made up of two pupils only and can consist of P5 pupils, P6 pupils or a mix of the two. It is up to each participating schools to decide this. It is up to each cluster to decide how many teams participate in the Cluster Challenge. For example, it could be a single winning team from each primary school or the winning team from each participating class that goes on to compete in the cluster challenge. 

The applications are now open and will close on Wednesday 19th November 2025. 

Applications are submitted using the online form. The application form asks for: 

• Cluster contact details.
• Number of primary schools participating.
• Contact details for each primary. 
• How many classes and pupils per primary. 

Submit your Application Form for Creating Engineers Challenge 2026

Stage 1: The Classroom Challenge

Once your cluster has entered you are free to arrange the Classroom Challenge. The cluster contact will co-ordinate and decide how many P5 and/or P6 classes participate in this stage of the challenge. 

The classroom challenge is chosen and set by the teachers. All the resources including judging criteria, certificates and some example challenges can be found in the Classroom Challenge Pack.  

GSF26 Creating Engineers Classroom Challenge Pack

There are also two classroom challenges in our 'Previous Creating Engineers' section that were set as part of the digital offering for GSF 2021 and GSF 2022. 

Practicing for the Classroom Challenge

Before you hold your Classroom Challenge we recommend holding a practice session with the pupils. Use the worksheets below to gain a working knowledge of the K'nex pieces and the different ways they can be used.

Teacher practice worksheet

Pupils practice worksheet

Whilst the above worksheets will be very useful for the intial stages in the competition, as the winning teams progress through the competition each level will present a tougher challenge. To prepare the pupils for this progression it would be a good idea to explore / practice the following:

• Pulley systems
• Steering mechanisms
• Use of handles
• Gears

As the pupils progress throught the stages of the competition, there will be at least one of the elements above in each challenge.

Another useful resource for designing a Classroom Challenge, or practicing different techniques is the K'nex user group which provides access to 125 K'nex challenges.

Creating Engineers Kit Loan

If your school doesn't have access to K'Nex Kits to run your Classroom and Cluster Challenges, Glasgow Science Festival (GSF) have a class-worth of kits available on short-term loan for a period of one week, during the period 5th November 2025 to 18th March 2026. One slot only should be booked per Cluster. 

Details and instructions are found on the booking page. If you need the K'Nex kit loan please book as early as possible, the available slots are allocated on a first come first served basis.

Booking System for K'Nex Kit Loan -Opens 5th November 2025

Next Stage

The next stage of the GSF Creating Engineers challenge is the Cluster Challenge. This will be hosted by the secondary school. It is up to each individual cluster whether all classroom winners participate in this challenge or one team is selected per primary school. 

Stage 3: The Semi-Final

Regional Semi-Finals will be taking place during April 2026. Each cluster will be invited to one of three regional finals.

Invitations to a Regional Semi-Final will be sent to the Cluster Contact and Primary School contact of the Cluster Challenge winners. 

Each of the Cluster Challenge Winning teams will invited to the Regional Final. For larger Clusters, both the Cluster Challenge Winners and Runners Up will be invited. Glasgow Science Festival will contact the Cluster contact and Primary School contact directly in late November, early December to let clusters know how many places they will have at the Regional Finals along with the dates and location of the Regional Final. 

Creating Engineers Kits

Glasgow Science Festival will provide all K'Nex and other kit required to complete the challenge.