Youth and Skills Europe: The Europe Challenge

A UK wide creative competition for college and VET learners to show why UK–EU connections matter.

The ALLIANCE and the Education Training Foundation are pleased to launch a UK wide creative competition for college and VET learners (16–30) to show why UK-EU connections matter. Young people gain skills, opportunities and confidence when the UK works closely with Europe. This competition invites you to share your creative take – in your voice, your style, your medium.

Who Can Enter?

• Young people aged between 16–30 
  Entrants aged 16-17 must provide signed parental/guardian consent
• Living in the UK
  UK citizenship is not required, but entrants should live in the UK, whilst enrolled in a UK college or VET provider.
• Currently in Vocational or Educational Training (VET) and not in Higher Education

What You Need to Create

Submit one creative piece responding to:

“How do young people in the UK benefit from improved relations with Europe?”

You can explore themes such as opportunity, mobility, identity, skills and connection.

Your creative piece can be submitted in any medium, and should be uploaded in one of the accepted digital formats listed below.

Accepted formats include image files (JPEG/PNG), documents (PDF/Word), audio files (MP3/WAV) and video files (MP4). Video submissions should not exceed 2GB. If your file is larger, please provide a link to hosted content (for example: YouTube, Vimeo, Google Drive).

Examples include:

• Artwork or illustration
• Film or video
• Essay or written piece
• Poetry
• Food or recipe
• Any other medium!

What to Include With Your Submission

Alongside your creative piece, include a short written reflection (around 250-500 words) This doesn’t need to be long, we simply want to understand:

• Your creative process – how you developed your idea
• Your inspiration – what motivated your message
• Research or lived experience – any examples, stories or evidence you drew on
• Your message – what you want others to understand about UK–EU relations

This written section is brief. The real focus is your creative work – your voice, your ideas, your originality.

Judges will look for creativity, clarity of message, authentic youth voice, evidence of thought or research, and a strong European connection.

How to Submit

Send your entry by email to: externalaffairs@alliance-scotland.org.uk by 12pm 9 October 2026.

Attach:

• Your creative piece (file, attachment or link)
• Short written reflection explaining your piece.

Include the following information about yourself in the email:

• Full name
• Age
• College / VET provider
• Course or programme
• Preferred contact email and phone number

The Prize

The winning entrant will receive a fully funded trip to Brussels, where you’ll have the chance to:

• Visit the European Parliament and see how decisions affecting millions of people across Europe are made
• Gain a deeper understanding of European cooperation, mobility programmes, youth opportunities and how the UK engages with Europe
• Meet people working in European policy, youth engagement and international collaboration
• Experience Brussels, one of Europe’s most vibrant political and cultural cities

As the winner, you’ll also attend the National Youth Dialogue in Manchester on 5-6 November, where the UK winners (one from each of the four nations) will be formally announced and celebrated.

This prize is designed to give you real insight, real access, and real inspiration, showing how young people’s voices and ideas can shape Europe’s future.

Key Dates

• Submission window opens: September 2026
• Submission deadline: 9 October 2026
• Winner announced: November 2026 at the National Youth Dialogue in Manchester
• Prize trip to Brussels: Early 2027

Apply now!

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