Innovators Global Challenge Entry Criteria

2025 INNOVATORS’ GLOBAL CHALLENGE

entry criteria and guidelines

  • We have two competitions this year – a poster competition and a proposal competition. Please ensure you enter the correct one for your age group. 
  • You must be age 11 to 15 on the 1st of May 2025 to enter the poster competition. 
  • You must be 16 or over on 1st of May 2025 to enter the proposal competition.
  • You can enter the competition either as an individual applicant or as a team. Each team can consist of up to 6 people.
  • The competition is open to all those in full or part time education; sixth form, college, university students and apprentices are encouraged to apply.
  • Individuals employed by Air League Trust, IAG, Sustainable Aviation Member Companies or Farnborough International may not enter the competition. There is an exception to this rule if you are studying a full or part time apprenticeships with one of these companies. Please ensure your apprenticeship lead is aware you are entering the competition.
  • All work must be your own, you are welcome to get support from academic advisors, teachers or lecturers, but the content of the work must be your own. You must also correctly reference anybody else’s work you use, this is good practice.
  • These criteria apply to all individual applicants, or members of a team, and must be correct at time of the competition closure date. We accept that after submission, team composition may change, as well as the personal circumstances of applicants, such as place of study. Should their eligibility requirements change, applicants will be required to inform us as soon as possible and we have the right to ‘remove’ them from the competition. 

APPLICATION GUIDLINES FOR POSTER COMPETITION (11-15)

Submission Guidelines

Poster Size: A3 (297mm x 420mm).

Content: Posters must focus on one of the three topics (Sustainable Aviation Fuel, Electric Aircraft or Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft) and include at least two of the points below:

  •     Explain what the technology is and how it works.
  •     Why it’s important for making aviation more sustainable.
  •     Highlight the positives and challenges of this technology.
  •     Explain how it could it make aircraft greener and better for the environment.

Format: Posters can be designed on the computer or be hand-drawn but must be submitted as a PDF or high-quality colour scan of the physical poster.

Handy Hints

  • Make sure your posters are neat, clear and eye catching 
  • Although you can use the internet for researching your topic, no not just copy and paste text onto your poster (try to explain things in your own words) 
  • Make sure you reference any pictures you use (state where you got it from)
  • Imagine your poster was going to be used to introduce this topic to someone who has never heard about it before

How to enter

Entries must include:

  • Your team name, or nickname if you are entering alone 
  • The name of your school (If you are home schooled please ask your parent/guardian to submit on your behalf)
  • What school year you are in 

Submit your entry with your real name/s listed in the email to scholarships@airleague.co.uk no later than 17:00 BST on Friday the 25th of April 2025. 

APPLICATION GUIDLINES FOR PROPOSAL COMPETITION (16+)

Challenge teams or individuals should consider including the information below in their proposal. We are really interested in both technical and business related proposals and how likely your idea is to help the aviation industry reach NZE 2050.

You are not required to limit your entry to these headings, but you should include a section on each area. You are not required to answer all the points outlined in section 4. 

Submission Guidelines

Select one of the competition categories that you wish to develop (Carbon Capture and Storage, Sustainable Aviation Fuel or Engine Technology).

Submissions should be no more than 1000 words.

  1. Team Name – please ensure you do not add any personal details on the proposal, just the team name, you will add your team members names and details on the online application form. This is to ensure all entries are judged fairly.

  2. Project Title

  3. Project Summary (no more than one paragraph)

  4. The Challenge

– What subject area is being addressed by the proposed project?

– How would you address the challenges associated with the development or mass rollout of your idea? 

– Please provide details of any activities undertaken to validate the challenge that your application will address.

– What makes your idea innovative?

– How does your project address the objectives of sustainable aviation and accelerate the transition to a zero-carbon emission sector?

Handy hints

  • Describe how you feel your proposal could change the aviation industry and deliver NZE 2050.

  • Describe how your technology could be developed over time and the likelihood of future implementation

  • Discuss the overall CO2 reduction and environmental benefit of your proposal

  • Include a brief timeline for the development of your proposal (this is not included in your word count)

  • Briefly discuss the level of investment and external support you feel you may require in implementing your proposal

Further Questions to Consider 

You don’t have to include this in your proposal but be prepared to answer these questions if you are invited to present at the finals  

  • How can policy and government intervention have a positive effect on supporting the development of your idea?

  • Is the idea scalable outside of the UK?

  • What other opportunities would the implementation of your proposal offer? Job creation etc

HOW TO ENTER

  • Develop your 1000-word proposal using the submission guidelines above. 

  • Submit your entry via email including your full name/s and school/collage/university or organisation name to scholarships@airleague.co.uk no later than 17:00 BST on Friday the 25th of April 2025

Individual

Support the Air League and its vision of changing lives through aviation as an individual supporter.

Corporate

Support the Air League and its vision of changing lives through aviation as an corporate supporter.