Design Innovation in Plastics asks whether you are game for a challenge in 2026
Are you game for a challenge in 2026? This is the question being asked of university students by the Design Innovation in Plastics competition this year.
University undergraduates from the UK and Ireland are tasked to design an indoor or outdoor game which will provide either learning opportunities or just plain old-fashioned fun.
Announcing the 2026 competition and its theme, Chairman of DIP, Martin Sixsmith said traditional games still commanded a significant share of the total market, with healthy growth predicted annually.
“This represents a great opportunity to think of something that can bring people together, collaborating, enjoying activities and having fun, by providing alternative social engagement compared with the isolation of the phone app or computer screen” he said. “We are very much looking forward to seeing what students come up with this year!”
Students will need to submit their entries by March 13, when DIP’s panel of industry judges will convene to carefully evaluate the entries before selecting the final six.  Judging of the six finalists will take place in London on May 8, with the award ceremony on June 12. Details of how to enter, judges’ criteria and a submission form can be accessed via the DIP website:
https://www.designinnovationplastics.org/2026award
Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running plastics competition of its kind in Europe, having been established in 1985. It is supported by the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, the Worshipful Company of Horners, and sponsored by leading design and plastics organisations, including Covestro.
Sustainability is one of the key considerations applied by the DIP judges when critiquing the many designs submitted. Students entering the competition are asked to show evidence that a clear understanding of the principles of sustainability has been applied to their design.
DIP works in harmony with the British Plastics Federation which, via its member groups and expert committees, is championing several sustainability initiatives at different stages of the supply chain - including design - to achieve a circular plastics economy.
Notes to editors
- Established in 1985, Design Innovation in Plastics is the longest running student plastics design award in Europe. For more information visit designinnovationplastics.org
- The Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) is a major UK engineering institution and is the professional body for the advancement of materials, minerals and mining to governments, industry, academia, the public and the professions. For more information visit iom3.org
- The Worshipful Company of Horners is one of the oldest livery
companies in the City of London and was formed to regulate the horn-working trade. In 1943 it adopted its modern equivalent, the plastics industry. For more information visit www.horners.org.uk
Industry sponsor – Covestro
About Covestro:
Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, cosmetics and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.
The company is committed to becoming fully circular and is striving to become climate neutral by 2035 (scope 1 and 2). Covestro generated sales of EUR 15.9 billion in fiscal 2021. At the end of 2021, the company had 50 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,900 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Other competition sponsors:
- Brightworks: an award-winning UK product design and development consultancy dedicated to helping other companies develop the best products for their customers, their markets and their brands
- Innovate Product Design: specialises in helping individuals to protect, develop and commercialise their new product ideas and inventions
- PDD: provides integrated design and innovation skills, working with organisations worldwide to develop novel products, services and business processes that drive revenues and create competitive advantage
- Sumitomo (SHI) Demag – a world leading manufacturer of injection moulding machines
Media partners: British Plastics and Rubber, Materials World, Mould Technology