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, Public Policy, Science and technology, Theology.
Aldevere Research Question Prize
Run by Aldevere Aldevere
- 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. Next round (March 2027): question announced 15 December 2026, entries open 15 January and close 15 March 2027; entries submitted by 15 February 2027 are returned with written comments.
Full details and entry form · details checked 2026-10-26
Global Essay Prize
John Locke Institute · Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Psychology, Theology, Law, International Relations, Public Policy, Science and technology
- Who can enter
- Students who are not yet 19 by the submission deadline; a junior category exists for under-15s. Open internationally.
- Prizes
- Scholarships toward the Institute's programmes: US$5,000, US$2,000 and US$1,000 for the top three in each category, and US$10,000 for the best essay overall. Shortlisted entrants are invited to a paid conference in London.
- 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 are published early in the year. In 2026 registration closed on 31 March and essays were due on 31 May; the 2027 dates have not been announced. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
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.
- Prizes
- Five regional winners, invited to London for a week of events, and one overall winner; every other entrant receives a Gold, Silver, Bronze or Participation certificate.
- The task
- One written piece of up to 1,000 words on one of the year's published topics, in a single age category; AI-generated work is not accepted. Formerly the Queen's Commonwealth Essay Competition, running since 1883.
- When it runs
- Recent rounds have opened in the spring; the 2026 round ran from 4 March to 30 April. The 2027 dates have not been announced. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
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, including S5 in Scotland. Open to students worldwide.
- Prizes
- First prize £600 and second prize £400, each split equally between the student and their school, with the school's half in book tokens. Further strong essays are commended.
- The task
- An essay of up to 3,000 words, including footnotes and references, 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 2026-10-26
Robson History Prize
Trinity College, Cambridge · History
- Who can enter
- Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent, including S5 in Scotland. Open to students from any country.
- Prizes
- First prize £600 and second prize £400, each split equally between the student and their school, with the school's half in book tokens.
- The task
- An essay of up to 3,000 words, including footnotes, answering one of a list of set history questions. Generative AI may not be used.
- When it runs
- Questions announced each March; submissions due at the end of July (31 July in 2026). Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
Gould Prize for Essays in English Literature
Trinity College, Cambridge · English Literature
- Who can enter
- Year 12 or Lower Sixth students. Trinity runs its essay prizes for sixth-formers internationally.
- Prizes
- First prize £600 and second prize £400, each split equally between the student and their school or college.
- The task
- An essay of 1,500 to 2,500 words (excluding footnotes and references) answering one question from the college's set list.
- When it runs
- The 2026 round is closed: entries were due by 12 noon UK time on 31 July 2026 and results were announced in early September. Trinity will post the 2027 details in February 2027.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
Linguistics Essay Prize
Trinity College, Cambridge · Linguistics
- Who can enter
- Year 12 (Lower Sixth) or equivalent.
- Prizes
- No prize amounts are currently published.
- 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; Trinity will post its 2027 information in February 2027 without saying whether this prize returns. 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 2026-10-26
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, including footnotes and captions, answering one of three titles inspired by Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own.
- When it runs
- The 2027 round opens for submissions in February 2027 and closes in June 2027; Newnham has not yet published the titles or the exact closing date.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
The Orwell Youth Prize
The Orwell Foundation · Political writing, Journalism, Essay, Fiction, Poetry
- Who can enter
- Years 7 to 13 at school or college in the UK, or studying a British curriculum abroad. Free for individual entrants; independent schools sending more than ten pieces for feedback pay £5 for each extra entry.
- Prizes
- Winners in three age categories receive £100, a set of Orwell's works and a certificate; runners-up receive Orwell's essays and a certificate.
- The task
- Any written form responding to the year's theme: up to 1,000 words in Years 7 to 11 and 1,500 words in Years 12 and 13. Feedback on a draft is optional. The 2027 theme is Acts of Courage.
- When it runs
- The 2027 round is open, on the theme Acts of Courage. Drafts for feedback are due by 23:59 on 3 March 2027 and final entries by 23:59 BST on 28 April 2027; winners are announced in June 2027.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
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
- No cash prize is published. The five shortlisted entries present at a final at KPMG UK in London, and there are separate Welsh and Scottish awards.
- The task
- A blog of up to 1,000 words, a presentation, or a podcast or video of up to five minutes, on one of the year's set economic questions, by an individual or a group of two to five. Five shortlisted entries present at a final.
- When it runs
- Opens in March with the year's questions and closes at the end of June; finalists present in October. The 2026 round closed on 29 June; the 2027 round has not been announced. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
Immerse Education Essay Competition
Immerse Education · Any subject
- Who can enter
- Ages 13 to 18 when the scholarship programme begins, 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 a year across the organiser's four competitions, plus partial scholarships of up to 75 percent, toward its own summer programmes.
- The task
- An essay of about 500 words (450 to 550 accepted) answering a set question in a chosen subject.
- When it runs
- Rounds run through the year; the most recent closed on 25 October 2026, and the next had not been announced when we checked. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
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
- In 2026: £350 for category winners, £200 for runners-up and £100 for shortlisted entries, plus a funded visit to the FCDO and LSE for top UK-based entrants. Prizes are set each year.
- The task
- A letter of 1,000 words or fewer on a set economics question; in 2026 it was addressed to the FCDO's Chief Economist.
- When it runs
- Annual. Recent rounds have been published on GOV.UK in February or March and closed in late June; the 2027 round has not been announced. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
Julia Wood History Essay Competition
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
- Runs from January to July, with winners chosen in August. The 2026 round closed on 22 July; the college will publish the 2027 details in late January or early February. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26
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
- Runs from January to July, with winners chosen in August. The 2026 round closed on 22 July; the college will publish the 2027 details in late January or early February. Exact dates are set by the organiser each round.
Organiser's page · details checked 2026-10-26