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EUCYS: EU Contest for Young Scientists (ages 14–20), top prize €7,000

You reach the European final only by winning your national contest. There is no direct application: start with the national round.

European Commission· European Union Contest for Young Scientists (EUCYS)

At a glance

Amount

First prize of €7,000 for each of the four best projects; second and third prizes of €5,000 and €3,500, special jury prize of €2,500. The 2027 final will be in Genoa

Deadline
No application deadline
Covers
Cash paymentTravelProgramme
Duration

One-off

Cycle: 2026-2027

About this grant

EUCYS is the European Commission's European Union Contest for Young Scientists for pupils aged 14–20. The prizes are: first, €7,000 for each of the four best projects, second €5,000, third €3,500 and a special jury prize of €2,500. The 2027 final will be in Genoa.

You cannot apply to EUCYS directly: you must win first prize at your country's national contest, and the EUCYS jury assesses the winners' projects. In Spain that route goes through the “Certamen Jóvenes Investigadores”. The record's source is the European Commission press release of 28 September 2026 (EUCYS 2026, Kiel).

Is this right for you

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Who can apply

Citizenship
any
Fields of study
Natural sciences, Engineering, Computer science, Health and medicine
Other
You must win first prize at your national science competition (in Spain, via the Certamen Jóvenes Investigadores)

How to apply

Where to go and what to do, step by step

Where to apply
Your country's national science competition; the EUCYS final is run by the European Commission
https://research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/news/all-research-and-innovation-news/curiosity-breakthrough-europes-young-scientists-take-stage-2026-09-28_en
Go to the application page
Who submits it
You yourself

Steps

  1. 1

    Check your age: 14 to 20.

  2. 2

    Prepare a science, technology or maths project (alone or as a pair, under the national competition's rules).

  3. 3

    Enter your country's national science competition: in Spain the route runs through the Certamen Jóvenes Investigadores; confirm with the organisers what exactly serves as national selection.

  4. 4

    Win first prize in the national competition: only winners go on to EUCYS.

  5. 5

    Prepare for the final: in 2027 it will be held in Genoa.

What exactly to submit

Documents and materials to attach to the application.

  • A science project (description, results, presentation)
  • Proof of first prize at the national competition
  • Proof of age (14–20)

Example

Example (written by us): Ana and a classmate build a microplastics-filtering project, win first prize in the national competition and earn the right to represent Spain at the EUCYS final.

An example we wrote to illustrate: it is not an official sample, replace the details with your own.

How applicants are chosen

There is no direct entry: you must win first prize at the national competition; the EUCYS jury judges the winners' projects.

What happens after you apply

Prizes: first, €7,000 to each of the four best projects; second €5,000, third €3,500, a special jury prize €2,500. The 2027 final is in Genoa. Source: the European Commission press release of 28.09.2026.

Common mistakes

  • Trying to enter EUCYS directly: you need to win the national competition
  • Not confirming which national competition gives the route in Spain
  • Leaving the project late: results are needed, not just an idea

Official links

Guide checked against the official pages: 9 October 2026. Guide written from official sources. Details may change: check them on the application page.

A letter template and a checklist to review before sending. If a local model is running on your computer, the text reads more naturally.

Verbatim from the source

“EUCYS is the European Commission's contest for young science students, open to 14- to 20-year-olds who have won first prize at their national science competition.”
Original in englishOfficial source

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