AT CIUK 2025 WE INTRODUCED A NEW FORMAT FOR THE CLUSTER CHALLENGE… and it worked so well we are keeping it for CIUK 2026!
Over recent years we have seen massive growth in the CIUK cluster challenge. From 3 teams in our first competition to 17 teams last year the challenge is proving to be very popular amongst University students. We have now become victims of our own success and the previous format of the competition was no longer sustainable. So at CIUK 2025 we made some positive changes, one of which was the introduction of an online qualifying round.
This year we are again partnering with three Universities - The University of Edinburgh, UCL and Durham University. These Universities will be hosting a series of online challenges for the teams. Team members will also be required to complete the ARCHER2 driving test before commencing the challenges.
At the conclusion of these online challenges the top 8 teams will qualify to attend CIUK 2026 at Manchester Central in December, with all travel and accommodation costs covered by CIUK. Once at CIUK 2026 the qualified teams will complete a series of in-person challenges working with our partner companies Alces Flight and OCF to crown the overall CIUK 2026 Cluster Challenge Champions 🏆
Our champion team will then go forward to represent CIUK in the online version of the ISC’27 cluster challenge competition in June 2027.
Team applications for this year’s challenge are now open.
Not sure what the cluster challenge is all about? Check out this video from a previous competition... https://youtu.be/uY6dEjFeOMo?si=nEAICZ2Q4zh99GIY.
IMPORTANT DATES
- Deadline for applications 10am on Friday 2 October
- Selected teams confirmed on Monday 5 October
- ARCHER2 Driving Test to be completed before close of play on Friday 9 October
- Challenge materials (x3 - 1x EPCC, 1x Durham, 1x UCL) sent out Friday 9 October
- Challenge 1 - EPCC - MONDAY 12 to FRIDAY 16 OCTOBER
- Challenge 2 - DURHAM - MONDAY 19 to FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER
- Challenge 3 - UCL - MONDAY 26 to FRIDAY 30 OCTOBER
- Team presentations between Monday 2 and Friday 6 November
- Qualified teams confirmed by Wednesday 11 November
- Teams travel to Manchester Wednesday 2 December
- In-Person challenges at Manchester Thursday 3 and Friday 4 December (treasure hunt Thursday am, 1x challenge Thursday pm Alces, 1x challenge Friday am OCF)
- Winning team announced Friday 4 December at 1pm
NOTE: the cluster challenge is limited to undergraduate and postgraduate students from “taught degree courses”. There is also a limit of 2 teams per institution.