Every year, 35,000 young people start or continue their journey to becoming the next generation of scientists, technologists and engineers through the British Science Association's CREST Awards programme.
With the UK facing a science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) skills shortage, we believe CREST is an essential route for young people into STEM careers.
CREST is a scheme that inspires young people to think and behave like scientists and engineers.
It is the UK’s only nationally recognised scheme for student-led project work in the STEM subjects.
We have proven success of improving student engagement and performance in STEM subjects, especially for disadvantaged students.
CREST reaches female and male students. An average of 54% of CREST Awards are completed by female students.
CREST is supported through statutory funding (grants from UK Research & Innovation and the Welsh Government) and a range of corporate sponsors and partnerships (current supporters include 3M, NCR Foundation, URENCO).
We are actively looking for new partners across a range of industry sectors to help support our ambitious expansion plans.
By supporting CREST, you’ll benefit from association with a flagship STEM programme, have the opportunity to co-develop activities relevant to your field, and be instrumental in inspiring tomorrow’s scientists, technologists and engineers.
To discuss how your organisation could support CREST, please email us.
URENCO has supported the CREST awards for the past four years. This partnership has increased awareness of our Richie education programme throughout the UK, enabling us to reach more young people and educators with our digital resources. We are proud to work alongside such an important science institution
EMILY ARMSTRONG, SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER, URENCO
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) provide grants for several BSA projects including British Science Week and CREST. This funding has helped the BSA deliver a digital delivery model for CREST and administer the Kick Start grants scheme for schools in challenging circumstances to organise STEM-themed Science Week activities.
All CREST Awards are free of charge to apply for students in Welsh schools, thanks to funding from the Welsh Government.
In 2016 the BSA received a Special Award from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 to fund the development of the new ‘project’s portal’ for the CREST Awards. This database of CREST Resources and project ideas has provided support to the students and teachers who participate in the programme.
Ricardo is a global strategic, environmental and engineering consultancy at the intersection of transport, energy and global climate agendas. As a partner of the CREST Awards, their support will be key to ensuring that CREST supports schools who are facing barriers in helping students who are most often underrepresented in science.
Since 2013, URENCO has worked with the BSA to develop new CREST resources, using URENCO’s Richie educational programme to teach children about energy topics in an engaging and fun way. In 2016 the BSA launched Enrich my classroom, a new CREST Discovery Awards Discovery Day Resource to enable students to learn about a range of different STEM topics through group work and interactive activities.
Mewburn Ellis LLP, one of Europe’s leading intellectual property firms, is offering free CREST Awards and funding for schools serving disadvantaged students in each of its four UK office locations: Bristol, Cambridge, London and Manchester.
The funding covered Award fees at all levels for eligible schools between October 2020 – March 2021. In addition to supporting around 1,000 students through the free Awards scheme, Mewburn Ellis is also providing £100 additional funding to invest in resources for the first ten schools per region to register.
The NCR Foundation are supporting primary pupils to achieve CREST SuperStar Awards, free of charge, by providing funding for new ‘CREST Kit Boxes’, encouraging them to engage in STEM subjects from a young age.
The Horners’ Charity is a long-term supporter of CREST. Their current donation will support a pilot CPD project for teachers working with disadvantaged pupils, enabling entire year groups to complete a CREST award.
For British Science Week 2019, the BSA accredited Amazon’s ‘Camp Amazon’ activity at SuperStar level. Participants who visited Amazon fulfilment centres during British Science Week and took part in Camp Amazon were able to achieve two out of eight challenges towards a SuperStar Award.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation supported the BSA to launch the Youth Grand Challenges, a novel education competition for 11-to-19-year olds to undertake a project designing innovative solutions to global health issues. The best projects, as judged by a panel of expert and celebrity judges, are rewarded with an exciting ‘money can’t buy’ prize.
BP were a long-term major sponsor of the CREST Awards, and continue to support the scheme via the BP Ultimate STEM Challenges and a work experience scheme.
The Ernest Cook Trust is a UK charity at the forefront of outdoor learning, which provided the BSA with a grant to develop a CREST Star activity that enables young people to discover science outdoors.
Thorpe Park have supported the CREST Awards, having worked with the BSA to develop a CREST Discovery Day resource, initially used in British Science Week 2017 as well as delivering activities throughout Science Week 2017.
The BSA is a supporter of the Fair Education Alliance, a coalition of the UK’s leading organisations dedicated to ending the achievement gap between young people from poorer communities and their wealthier peers. We are committed to helping to achieve the Fair Education Impact Goals, which aim to reduce educational inequality by ensuring more children get a fair chance in education, regardless of their background.
The 3M Young Innovators Challenge comprises practical, creative challenges for primary age children to encourage early interest in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) with the aim of inspiring the next generation of original thinkers. All students entering the competition will receive a Discovery Award, funded by 3M.
The British Science Association’s partnership with Silence Therapeutics has come on board as a supporter of the CREST Awards. Silence Therapeutics is a biotechnology company that aims to silence diseases through its precision-engineered medicines, transforming people’s lives and driving positive change for their communities around the world.
City Hall partnered with the BSA to deliver the Mayor’s London Scientist programme, to fund up to 5,000 pupils who were underrepresented in the STEM sector to enter projects for a CREST Award. The programme focused on encouraging Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) pupils to take up STEM subjects, as well as girls, children from poorer backgrounds and those with special educational needs.
CREST partnered with ACS International Schools to provide support and free CREST Star and SuperStar Awards to its partner schools.
The British Science Association worked with iLEAPS to develop a project resource pack at Silver level to inspire and enable student projects on the theme of climate science. The project was inspired by, and made use of, the professional expertise, data and tools made available through the iLEAPS research project.
Many of our partners have resources and activities that are perfect for CREST projects.
These resources can be viewed on the CREST accredited resources and activities page.
