The Maker Challenge

To attend this programme, you must:

• Be 14-18 years old
• Live in London (applicants local to White City prioritised) 
• Be available to attend all sessions, as listed in the 'How to apply' section

You must not have previously completed the Maker Challenge programme to be eligible.

Applications for the Maker Challenge programme are now open

The programme takes place over 11 weeks between 16 January and 20 March. There are two groups to choose from: Group A takes place on Tuesdays, and Group B takes place on Thursdays. Weekday sessions are 17:00 - 20:00 and weekend workshops are 10:00 - 16:00. There are four weekend dates including the finale showcase on Saturday 20 March. Workshops take place at the Dangoor Reach Out Makerspace in White City.  

Programme dates 

Group A (Tuesdays):  

• January dates – Saturday 16 January, Tuesday 19 January, Tuesday 26 January, Saturday 30 January

• February dates – Tuesday 2 February, Tuesday 9 February, Saturday 13 February, Tuesday 16 February, Tuesday 23 February

• March dates – Tuesday 2 March, Tuesday 9 March, Tuesday 16 March

Finale showcase on Saturday 20 March 

Group B (Thursdays):  

• January dates – Saturday 16 January, Thursday 21 January, Thursday 28 January, Sunday 31 January

• February dates – Thursday 4 February, Thursday 11 February, Saturday 13 February, Thursday 18 February, Thursday 25 February

• March dates – Thursday 4 March, Thursday 11 March, Thursday 18 March

Finale showcase on Saturday 20 March

Please select your chosen day when applying online:  

• Group A (Tuesdays) OR  
• Group B (Thursdays)  

Application deadline: Monday 14 December 2026

Lunch/a hot dinner is provided and all materials needed for the programme are included. If you have any barriers to applying, please contact us at makerspace@imperial.ac.uk as we are keen to accommodate you on our programme.  

Please check you can attend all the dates listed above before applying.

At the Makerspace, we value and nurture individuality, creativity and novel ideas. In light of this, we strongly discourage the use of OpenAI software such as ChatGPT to generate (and then copy, paste and submit) all or a large part of your personal statement/application answers and then present it as your own words. Doing so could negatively affect your chances of being accepted onto the programme.

If you think your participation in this programme / event will not be possible due to the costs associated with travel to our campus, please get in touch with the programme team, no later than a week before the event, and they will be happy to discuss these circumstances with you. 

Application process

Applications need to be made through the Imperial Outreach Application Portal our online application system. 

When prompted to select the option that best describes you, please select “I am applying to an Outreach programme” and create a student account to complete your application.

We recommend you use a personal email address, as opposed to a school email address when creating an account. Security settings used in some school email servers may prevent you from receiving emails. 

As part of your application, you will be asked to provide details for a parent/guardian and a teacher. Both your parent/guardian and your teacher will be contacted to provide a supporting reference and verify the information you provide.

Please do inform your parent/guardian of your interest in the programme before making an application. They may wish to read our Parent and Guardian FAQs.

Making your application

You will need to know:

• whether you are eligible for free school meals
• your household income
• whether your parents/guardians have attended university
• your parent/guardian contact details (email, address, phone number)

If you have any questions, or are having problems with your application, please do contact the Makerspace team by email at makerspace@imperial.ac.uk and they will be able to help you. 

Personal statement

In your application, we may ask you to submit a personal statement but do not worry - we do not use this to choose applicants. We are just curious about what you already make or would like to make. It helps us plan and make sure we have the correct materials and tools ready for you in the Makerspace.

You can write up to 250 words, but how much you write is entirely up to you.

You could include:

• Why you want to join
• If there is anything you particularly enjoy making
• Any relevant hobbies you enjoy
• How the programme may help you in the future
• Something interesting about yourself that you would like to share