The James Dyson Award, a global design engineering competition that has supported more than 400 inventions, is open for submissions for 2026.
The Award invites current and recent design and engineering students across 28 countries and regions to present ideas that tackle real-world problems.
The James Dyson Award is your chance to make a name for yourself as an inventor. As well as winning a significant cash prize, you could generate media exposure to kick-start your career, earn the esteem of your peers – and perhaps gain the confidence to launch your own business.
The James Dyson Foundation is on a mission to get young people excited about design engineering.
The brief is broad. We’re looking for designers who think differently, to create products that work better.
Engineers follow an iterative design process. The judges – and James Dyson especially – are drawn to designs that employ clever yet simple engineering principles and address clear problems.
As well as proving your project’s technical viability, we’d also love to see that it’s commercially viable, too – so include any research you’ve done into manufacturing costs and retail prices.
James Dyson will also look for entries that address a sustainability issue, or have been designed, sourced or manufactured sustainably.
Shortlisted entries will be reviewed by national judging panels of design and engineering experts, including Dyson engineers. National winners will receive $6,500 and a chance to progress to the international stage. Sir James Dyson will select global winners to receive $40,000 and a platform to take their inventions to the next level.
All entrants must have undertaken their studies in one of the following countries or regions: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mainland China, Colombia, Hong Kong SAR, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In 2025, the James Dyson Award marked its 20th year and received more than 2,100 inventions from young engineers worldwide. Projects provided solutions in areas such as health screening, household waste, and disaster relief.
No Entry Fee!
It's free to enter.