Kipinä 2026 competition

To register, you will need the following information:

• Contact details for the project's contact person
• The category in which you wish to participate
• Short description of the topic (if known, not mandatory)

Please note that registration does not bind you to participating in the competition. If you change your mind about participating, you can inform the organisers.

After pre-registration, we will send the project's contact person a link to the Kipinä workspace (on the Howspace platform), that contains tips and information to support your participation. Invitations to the workspace will be sent to those who have registered after 2nd June 2025.

A dedicated "room" will be created for each project in the workspace, which can be used by the project team and supervisor. In the workspace, you can also ask the organisers directly for more information in remote meetings or via the Q&A box (open until 1st February 2026).

The materials and functions in the workspace will be available to you as soon as you receive the link – it's worth pre-registering!

In the official registration we will ask for your personal details and more information. 

The project can be, for example, a laboratory or field experiment, a theoretical research, a plan, or an innovation.

The written part:

• Report: maximum 10 pages (A4 size). The abstract and table of contents do not count.
• Attachments: you can add up to 10 pages of attachments (A4 size) to the report. Attachments can include:
  • Images, diagrams, descriptions of measurement or experimental setups.
  • Measurement results, data lists, program codes.
  • For example, statistical processing methods of data or measurements.
• Summary: One page (A4).

Video:

• A video of maximum 2 minutes in which you briefly present the content of your work.

In the Kipinä workspace, you’ll find instructions for creating the report and tips for carrying out your project.

And then you will have entered the competition – good luck!

Climate-related entries to the Kipinä competition will also be entered to the ESERO Climate Detectives competition. TEK will choose and enter the projects, Kipinä participants don't have to do anything. TEK will inform you, if your project will be entered to the Climate Detectives competition.

For more information: https://www.esero.fi/ilmastoetsivat

Organizer
The Kipinä competition is organized by the Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland TEK.

Free participation
Participation in Kipinä is completely free. However, the competition does not cover expenses incurred during the research or project.

Who can participate?

• Participants aged 13–20 can enter Kipinä. 
• Participants must be at least 14 years old by September 1st of the final year and under 21 years old by September 30th of the final year. 
• Participants must be Finnish citizens or studying in Finland. 
• Participants cannot be degree students at a university or college. 

You can participate multiple times until you turn 21 and still meet the other participation criteria. Participation in other competitions does not prevent participation in Kipinä. You can re-enter with the same topic if the work has been further developed and the new contribution is clearly visible.

Participation with multiple projects
One person can be involved in up to two projects, but can only represent one at the final event. The project that performs best in the preliminary evaluation will be selected for the final event.

Kipinä project
The project can be research, an invention, a computer program, or a literature review. Topics can be freely chosen, but the project must consider safety and ethical aspects.

Restrictions
Kipinä also serves as a qualifying competition for international science and technology competitions. International competitions have their own restrictions and requirements, which should be reviewed.

Role of the supervisor
The project can be done independently or under the guidance of a teacher at school. Assistance from an external expert is also allowed, but the role of the supervisors must be mentioned in the project report.

Participation alone or in a group
The project can be done alone or in a group of up to three members. A smaller group cannot represent a project done in a larger group (over three members).

Language of Kipinä
The official language of the competition is Finnish, but projects can also be done in Swedish or English. However, the summary on the registration form must be written in Finnish.

Preliminary evaluation
Projects submitted to the competition are initially evaluated anonymously, without the author's information. Rankings and most prizes are awarded at the final event. In the Kipinä competition, projects are evaluated and selected for the final based on the project material.

Selection of projects for the final event
Projects are selected for the final event so that different subject areas are equally represented. The same participant can only have one project in the final, even if they have done multiple projects. Participants under 18 must obtain permission from a guardian. A signed consent form is attached to the project in the electronic registration system.

Evaluation
At the final event, the projects are evaluated by a jury, which decides the rankings and prizes. At the same time, Finland's representatives for international competitions are selected. The evaluation is based on interviews, the presentation of the project, and the report. The final can also be held virtually if necessary.

Storing the project
Information and materials related to the competition are stored in accordance with Kipinä's privacy statement (in Finnish).