Built environment, engineering & IT

Taking part in competitions can enhance your career opportunities in this sector. You could win a cash prize, an internship or even a chance to travel abroad.

Deadlines are staggered throughout the year, so check each link for up-to-date information.

Built environment

TARGETjobs: Construction and Engineering Undergraduate of the Year - opportunity to win a paid summer internship with Laing O'Rourke, working on one of their overseas projects. Open to 1st and penultimate year undergraduate students studying construction, civil, mechanical, electrical or architectural engineering or quantity surveying. Applications for this year closed on 29 January 2018.
120 hours - global architecture competition for students (individuals and teams of up to 3). Assignments are released then you have 120 hours to work on your submission. The competition usually takes place in April.
Telegraph STEM Awards - opportunity for STEM (Science, Technolgy, Engineering and Maths) undergraduates to get their ideas in front of some of the most influential companies in industry and potentially win £25,000 and a bespoke mentoring programme. Categories include construction. The competition usually opens in November and closes in February each year.
JCT (Joint Contracts Tribunal) Student Competition - open to any student studying a construction-related degree. Topics change each year and there are cash prizes for the best entries. This year's competition closed on 14 March 2018.
Autodesk 'Design for Industry' Challenges - interested in demonstrating your design skills to industry professionals? This year's challenge asked you to put your skills to use to design a sustainable housing shelter and gain the chance to win a cash prize. Applications closed on 19 April 2018.
Cities for our Future - RICS competition seeking imaginative, problem-solving students involved in surveying, urban design, architecture, or engineering. Share your transformative ideas for projects and policies that will solve some of the defining issues of our time. The winning idea received a £50,000 prize and mentoring with industry experts to bring their ideas to life. The competition opened in January and closed in May.

Energy & the environment

Telegraph STEM Awards - opportunity for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) undergraduates to get their ideas in front of some of the most influential companies in industry and potentially win £25,000 and a bespoke mentoring programme. Opens in November and closes in February each year.
Freshhh - technology-focused, virtual competition for students interested in the oil and gas industry. Usually takes place in November.
Earth Model Award - competition for UK-based geoscience students working towards a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences. Opportunity to gain industry recognition for your project and win up to £2000. Open now, closes on 31 October 2018.
UK Environmental Law Association (UKELA): Students - events, competitions and internship opportunities.
Go Green in the City Challenge - annual global student competition for sustainable energy solutions, organised by Schneider Electric. Open to business and engineering students, you'll work in teams of 2 to compete for a trip around the world as well as a career opportunity at Schneider Electric. The competition usually opens in January and closes in June each year.

Engineering

TARGETjobs: Engineering Undergraduate of the Year - opportunity to win a paid 48-week placement or 10-week internship with E.ON, including a trip abroad, and the chance to be recognised as the very best. Open to second year undergraduate students studying control and instrumentation, electrical, electronic, integrated, mechanical, renewable energy or software engineering or engineering project management. Applications closed on 29 January 2018.
TARGETjobs: Construction and Engineering Undergraduate of the Year - opportunity to win a paid summer internship with Laing O'Rourke, working on one of their overseas projects. Open to 1st and penultimate year undergraduate students studying construction, civil, mechanical, electrical or architectural engineering or quantity surveying. Applications closed on 29 January 2018.
Autodesk 'Design for Industry' Challenges - interested in demonstrating your design skills to industry professionals? Put your skills to use to design a sustainable housing shelter or cooking device and gain the chance to win a cash prize, plus access to industry professionals who will review your work and potentially help to mentor you. Applications closed on 19 April 2018.
Hyundai: Innovators of the Future - design competition to re-imagine car interiors of the future. The winner and a friend will have a 5 day trip to Seoul, South Korea, where they'll visit Hyundai's Experience Centre and meet top designers, innovators, and creatives, plus receive £1000 spending money. Applications closed on 4 February 2018.
Autocar: Next Generation Award - come up with a problem-solving idea/innovation that will improve the UK automotive business and win £8000 and a five-month work experience placement at Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, McLaren Automotive, Peugeot, Skoda and Toyota. Open now, closes at 5pm on 31 August 2018.
Formula Student - challenges engineering students to design, build and develop a single seater racing car for competition.
YES Competitions, includes Engineering YES - business plan competition for postgraduate students and post-doctoral researchers, with cash prizes worth over £2000. Applications opened in March and closed in May this year.
Valeo Innovation Challenge - global team-based competition for engineering students to design and build the product or system that will make the cars of 2030 smarter and more intuitive. This year's competition closed on 30 March 2018.
Smart Logistics Challenge - come up with an innovative solution to help the logistics and material handling industry meet the challenging demands of the future. You could win a paid traineeship with top companies in Europe such as Toyota Material Handling and Balyo, and get a VIP seat at the FEM Congress in Antwerp, Belgium to mingle with CEOs and experts in the field. Applications closed on 30 March 2018.
Telegraph STEM Awards - opportunity for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) undergraduates to get their ideas in front of some of the most influential companies in industry and potentially win £25,000 and a bespoke mentoring programme. Categories include design in the built environment, energy, healthcare and aerospace. Opens in November and closes in February each year.
Gradcracker - register with Gradcracker and share with friends to be in with a chance to win a monthly prize, including visits to graduate employers.

IT

TARGETjobs: Computer Science, IT and Physics Undergraduate of the Year - opportunity to win a paid internship in London with gradute employer, FDM. You must be an ambitious and perseverant team player with the desire to learn and innovate. Applications closed on 29 January 2018.
Cyber Security Challenge - runs national online competitions throughout the year to raise awareness of cyber learning opportunities and careers. Prizes include internships with sponsor companies, training bursaries and conference places.
Grads in Games: Search for a Star - graduate programming competition with a guaranteed job interview with one of their partner studios.
Grads in Games: Sumo Digital Rising Star - win a guaranteed interview for an exclusive internship with Sumo Digital, the Sheffield studio behind games such as LittleBigPlanet 3 & Forza Horizon 2 for Xbox 360. Applications closed for this year.
Telegraph STEM Awards - opportunity for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) undergraduates to get their ideas in front of some of the most influential companies in industry and potentially win £25,000 and a bespoke mentoring programme. Categories include design in the built environment, innovation and aerospace. Opens in November and closes in February each year.
Big Chip - digital industry awards competition for the North of England. Categories include best student and best placement award - you would need to be nominated by a university or employer; you can't enter as an individual. Opened in January and closed on 19 March this year.
Microsoft Imagine Cup - annual global student technology competition. Working in a team of up to 4 students, you'll use your imagination and passion to create a technology solution to problems facing the world today - and maybe even turn your idea into a business. Opens in September.
BAFTA UK Scholarships Programme - award scholarships to UK students in need of financial assistance to take a postgraduate course related to a career in the games industry. Scholarships provide up to £10,000 to cover one year's course fees, an industry mentor and free access to BAFTA events around the UK for a year. Applications opened in March and closed on 11 June this year.
Kaggle - range of data science and machine learning competitions, some with prizes.
Smart Logistics Challenge - come up with an innovative solution to help the logistics and material handling industry meet the challenging demands of the future. You could win a paid traineeship with top companies in Europe such as Toyota Material Handling and Balyo, and get a VIP seat at the FEM Congress in Antwerp, Belgium to mingle with CEOs and experts in the field. Applications closed on 30 March 2018.