Subjects covered: Any subject, Classical reception, Classics, Creative writing, Economics, English Literature, Essay, Fiction, Gender studies, History, International Relations, International development, Journalism, Law, Linguistics, Philosophy, Poetry, Political writing, Politics, Psychology, Science, Theology.
ScholarBridge Research Question Prize
Run by ScholarBridge ScholarBridge
- Who can enter
- Ages 14 to 18, any country. Free to enter.
- Prizes
- $500 / $300 / $200 in cash, unconditional, plus programme scholarships and a certificate for every valid entry.
- The task
- Explain a difficult question in a subject you care about to a curious 12-year-old, in no more than 1,000 words. Entries are read blind against published criteria.
- When it runs
- Closes 15 November 2026. Entries submitted by 15 October 2026 are returned with written feedback. Next round (March 2027): question announced 15 December 2026, entries open 15 January and close 15 March 2027.
Full details and entry form · details checked 2026-08-29
Global Essay Prize
John Locke Institute · Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, Law
- Who can enter
- Students who are not yet 19 by the submission deadline; a junior category exists for under-15s. Open internationally.
- Prizes
- Category prizes and a grand prize, awarded as scholarships toward the Institute's programmes; shortlisted candidates are invited to an academic conference.
- The task
- One essay of up to 2,000 words answering one of the set questions in a chosen category. An academic referee confirms the work is the student's own.
- When it runs
- Questions announced in late January; registration usually closes at the end of May and submissions at the end of June. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-25
The Queen's Commonwealth Writing Competition
Royal Commonwealth Society · Creative writing, Essay
- Who can enter
- Ages 18 or under, nationals or residents of any Commonwealth country or territory. Free to enter.
- Prizes
- Winners' events and publication; certificates for entrants.
- The task
- Up to 1,000 words responding to the year's theme, in a senior and a junior category. Formerly the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, running since 1883.
- When it runs
- Opens around the turn of the year; the 2026 round closed on 30 April. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-25
R.A. Butler Prize
Trinity College, Cambridge, with the Department of Politics and International Studies · Politics, International Relations
- Who can enter
- Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent.
- Prizes
- Cash prizes; strong entries are commended.
- The task
- An essay on one of a list of set questions released in the spring, covering contemporary and theoretical political themes.
- When it runs
- Questions released each March; submissions due in July. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-25
Robson History Prize
Trinity College, Cambridge · History
- Who can enter
- Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent. Recent rounds have restricted entry by school type; check the current rules.
- Prizes
- Cash prizes; amounts are on the college's per-prize pages.
- The task
- An essay answering one of a list of set history questions.
- When it runs
- Questions in the spring term; submissions due in the summer. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature
Trinity College, Cambridge · English Literature
- Who can enter
- Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent. Recent rounds have restricted entry by school type; check the current rules.
- Prizes
- Cash prizes; amounts are on the college's per-prize pages.
- The task
- An essay on one of a list of set English literature questions.
- When it runs
- Questions in the spring term; submissions due in the summer. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
Linguistics Essay Prize
Trinity College, Cambridge · Linguistics
- Who can enter
- Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent.
- Prizes
- Cash prizes; amounts are on the college's per-prize pages.
- The task
- An essay on a set linguistics question, designed to need no prior study of linguistics.
- When it runs
- Not running in 2026, per Trinity's own page. In past rounds, questions appeared in the spring term with submissions due in the summer. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
Woolf Essay Prize
Newnham College, Cambridge · English Literature, Gender studies, Essay
- Who can enter
- Women in Year 12 or equivalent, any school, any country.
- Prizes
- Book tokens (£300 / £200 / £100 in the 2026 round) plus commendations.
- The task
- 1,500 to 2,500 words answering one of three titles inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.
- When it runs
- Titles announced in the spring; the 2026 round closed on 8 June. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-25
The Orwell Youth Prize
The Orwell Foundation · Political writing, Journalism, Essay, Fiction, Poetry
- Who can enter
- Ages 11 to 18 at school or college in the UK, or studying a British curriculum abroad. Free to enter.
- Prizes
- Winners and runners-up in age categories; all entrants receive feedback on a draft if submitted early.
- The task
- Any written form responding to the year's theme; every entrant receives feedback. The 2026 theme was Truth.
- When it runs
- Theme announced in the autumn; draft feedback deadline in late February; final entries due in late April. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-25
Young Economist of the Year
Royal Economic Society, with Discover Economics · Economics
- Who can enter
- Years 10 to 13 in the UK or equivalent. No economics study required.
- Prizes
- Cash prizes and finalist presentations to industry judges.
- The task
- A blog post, presentation, podcast or video on one of the year's set economic questions; finalists present to a panel.
- When it runs
- Questions in the spring; the 2026 round closed on 29 June. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-25
Peterhouse Essay Prizes (Kelvin, Thomas Campion, Vellacott)
Peterhouse, Cambridge · Science, English Literature, History
- Who can enter
- Penultimate school year (Year 12 in England and Wales, Year 13 in Northern Ireland, S5 in Scotland), educated in the UK or Ireland.
- Prizes
- Cash prize pools shared between winners; the 2026 Kelvin pool was £750.
- The task
- An essay on one of a list of set questions in the relevant prize: Kelvin for science, Thomas Campion for English, Vellacott for history.
- When it runs
- Questions released in the winter; submissions due in the spring. The 2026 Kelvin round closed 20 April. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
Immerse Education Essay Competition
Immerse Education · Any subject
- Who can enter
- Ages 13 to 18, international. Free to enter. Run by a commercial summer-school provider; the prize is a scholarship toward their own programmes.
- Prizes
- Up to 10 full scholarships, plus further 50 to 75 percent scholarships, toward the organiser's own programmes.
- The task
- An essay of about 500 words (450 to 550 accepted) answering a set question in a chosen subject.
- When it runs
- 25 October 2026
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
FCDO Next Generation Economics Competition
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office · Economics, International development
- Who can enter
- Ages 14 to 18, studying in the UK at secondary level (including sixth form and home education) or at a British international school.
- Prizes
- Cash prizes (£350 for category winners, £200 for runners-up, £100 for shortlisted entries) plus a funded visit to the FCDO and LSE for top entrants.
- The task
- A letter of 1,000 words or fewer on a set economics question, addressed to the FCDO's Chief Economist.
- When it runs
- Annual. The 2026 round closed 28 June; the 2027 round is to be announced on GOV.UK. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
Julia Wood Essay Prize
St Hugh's College, Oxford · History
- Who can enter
- Sixth Form (Years 12 to 13) or equivalent; gap-year students who have not started further study are also eligible.
- Prizes
- A prize is awarded; the college's current page does not state the amount.
- The task
- An essay of 2,000 to 4,000 words on any historical topic of the entrant's choosing.
- When it runs
- Submissions due in the summer; the 2026 round closed 22 July. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26
Mary Renault Essay Prize
St Hugh's College, Oxford · Classics, Classical reception
- Who can enter
- Sixth Form (Years 12 to 13) or equivalent; gap-year students who have not started further study are also eligible.
- Prizes
- A prize is awarded; the college's current page does not state the amount.
- The task
- An essay of 2,000 to 4,000 words on the reception of classical antiquity in any later period or medium.
- When it runs
- Submissions due in the summer; the 2026 round closed 22 July. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-08-26