Secondary School
International Challenge
The #DigiInventors Challenge is organised by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre (DHI) as it's flagship schools’ competition in collaboration with leading partners in education, innovation, entrepreneurship, and healthcare across Scotland and the UAE.
We’re Live - Are You In?
The 2025 Secondary School Challenge is now open! If you’re aged 11-18 in Scotland or the UAE, this is your chance to invent, create and pitch digital solutions that make life healthier, happier and smarter.
Discover what the #DigiInventors Secondary Challenge is all about.
In this quick intro, one of our team breaks down how you can take part, what you’ll create, and why your ideas could shape the future of digital health and social care.
Whether you're a teacher or a young innovator - this is where your journey begins.
The #DigiInventors Secondary School Challenge is your chance to tackle a real health, social care or wellbeing issue and wow our expert judges with your digital solution.
Here’s how it works:
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Pick Your Focus: Choose one of this year’s challenge questions - you can shape it around a health, social care or wellbeing topic, or tackle a problem highlighted by one of our partners
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Build Your Dream Team: Get together with up to 6 classmates and decide who does what - researchers, designers, presenters… you’re in charge
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Do the Research: Dig into your topic. What’s the problem? Who does it affect? How can digital tech help?
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Design Your Solution: Bring your idea to life! Answer the key submission questions, sketch out a concept or prototype, and record a 1-minute elevator pitch video
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Impress the Judges: If your idea stands out, you’ll become one of our 8 finalist teams. Finalists join an exclusive 2-day entrepreneurial Bootcamp with DHI and partners - then pitch your solution at the grand final for a chance to win!
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- Date in textActivity18th August 2025#DigiInventors Challenge launch SCO25th August 2025#DigiInventors Challenge launch UAE10th October 2025Application deadline13th October 2025Shortlisting of finalist teams24th October 2025Announcement of finalist teams going to boot camp27th October 2025Access to digital resources17th November 2025Entrepreneurial bootcamp (SCO 1200 – 1500 / UAE 1600 – 1900 both days)18th November 2025Entrepreneurial bootcamp (SCO 1200 – 1500 / UAE 1600 – 1900 both days)8th December 2025Final Pitch SCO 1200 – 1530 / UAE 1600 – 193011th December 2025Winners announced (SCO 1000 / UAE 1400)Feburary 2026Award ceremonies
Option 1:
Set by Scottish Women’s Football
Your Challenge, Your Pitch
Scottish Women’s Football is challenging you to develop a digital idea that challenges stereotype, attracts girls and women to get involved in playing football, and how this solution can help educate and inform them about leading healthy lifestyles (both physically and mentally)?
Option 2:
Set by the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre
Your Challenge, Your Way
The Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre is challenging you to identify a real health or wellbeing issue that matters to you - and develop a digital idea to help solve it. This could be anything personal to your team or community - from mental health and disability to chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease. Use your creativity to design a solution that could make a real difference in people’s lives.
How to get started:
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Build Your Squad - Up to 6 people
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Pick Your Challenge - Which question will you tackle?
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Grab the Toolkit - Download our free guides and resources
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Submit & Shine - Upload your entry before the deadline
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Everyone who participates and applies will receive a #DigiInventors Challenge Certificate!
All participants who submit an entry, can use their submission to apply for the Young STEM Leader Level 4 Auto Award (YSL4) – Scotland only for now!
Finalist teams will receive:
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Official #DigiInventors Challenge Finalist Certificate for each pupil
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Goodie bags to reward all team members for their fantastic effort
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All participants who are selected for bootcamp and the final can use their idea to apply for the Young STEM Leader Awards at SCQF Level 4 (Formal) (YSL4) - Scotland only for now!
The winning team will receive:
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The coveted #DigiInventors Challenge Trophy for your school
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Official #DigiInventors Challenge Winner Certificate for each team member
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Goodie bags to reward all team members for their fantastic effort
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A fantastic tech prize for each team member
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All participants who are selected for bootcamp and the final can use their idea to apply for the Young STEM Leader Awards at SCQF Level 4 (Formal) (YSL4) - Scotland only for now!
Winning schools can:
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Display the coveted #DigiInventors Challenge Trophy
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Earn 3 insight points per pupil for each winning student that achieves their Young STEM Leader Awards at SCQF Level 4 (Formal) (YSL4) Accreditation - Scotland only for now!
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As a teacher, it’s been incredibly rewarding to guide our team of four students through the #DigiInventors Challenge. The boys worked diligently on every aspect of the project, from market research to user experience, and even explored manufacturing processes and production costs. The hands-on experience they gained was invaluable and seeing them present their ideas to both local and international teams, a critical step towards ultimately winning the competition, was truly inspiring. I would highly encourage other schools to get involved in #DigiInventors - it’s an excellent program that helps students develop critical skills in design, technology, and teamwork, while also fostering a real-world understanding of how innovation can positively impact society.
Josh Farquhar - Merchiston Castle School, Edinburgh, Scotland
Partnering with the Digital Health & Care Innovation Centre has been a fantastic experience for Scottish Hockey. It has allowed us to connect with partners and change-makers beyond our usual scope. We highly recommend getting involved with the #DigiInventors Challenge.
Keith Macleod, Scottish Hockey
The #DigiInventors competition has been an incredible experience for our school, as we have participated for many years now. It’s been amazing to see how the challenge refines each year, consistently raising the bar in innovation and engagement. Our students benefit greatly from interacting with insightful professors and leaders from the UAE and Scotland, receiving invaluable feedback on their ideas and pitching techniques. They also have the unique opportunity of interacting with students who reside in Scotland!
Mrs Zaineb Mahdi, Assistant Headteacher & Cluster Director
Innovation and Digital Technology, GEMS Wellington International School Dubai