The James Dyson Award is back for 2026, and it’s calling on Filipino innovators to step up with inventions that solve real-world problems. If you’re a university student or a recent grad, this global design competition is open for your ideas.
If your entry makes the shortlist, it’ll be reviewed by a panel of design and engineering experts, including Dyson engineers themselves. National winners get ₱398,280 and a shot at the international stage. Make it all the way, and Sir James Dyson could pick your invention for the global prize: ₱2,390,230 and a chance to take your idea even further.
The competition
What does the James Dyson Award ask? Design something that solves a problem. This problem may be a daily frustration we all face, or a global issue. The important thing is that the solution is effective and demonstrates considered design thinking. Unlike other competitions, participants are given full autonomy over their intellectual property.
Entries are judged first at the national level by a panel of external judges and a Dyson engineer. Each operating market awards a national winner and two national runners-up. From these winners, a panel of Dyson engineers then selects an international shortlist of 20 entries. The top 20 projects are then reviewed by Sir James Dyson, who selects his global winners.
Winners don’t just get prize money, but they also score media exposure, international recognition, and a real boost to turn their ideas into something big.
The global winners, chosen by Sir James Dyson, will each receive a prize of ₱2,390,230. Each national winner receives ₱398,280.
Sir James Dyson, Founder of Dyson, said: “I established the James Dyson Award to encourage young ‘doers’ in life who are focused on solving the problems they see in the world, not grandstanding about them. It has been inspiring to see so many brilliant ideas from young design engineers, many of whom have gone on to build businesses and take their problem-solving ideas to people and markets all over the world. I look forward to judging this year’s submissions.”
Last year, the James Dyson Award celebrated its 20th anniversary with over 2,100 inventions from young engineers around the world. Entries tackled everything from health screening and household waste to disaster relief.
Past Filipino winners
Filipino winners have made a real difference, developing solutions that change lives in local communities and classrooms.
Back in 2023, Make-Roscope tackled a major problem in Filipino classrooms: a lack of science equipment for hands-on learning. Jeremy De Leon’s invention turns any smartphone or tablet into a microscope, making it easy for students to dive into the microscopic world.
Since then, Jeremy has turned Make-Roscope into his own brand, JereMAKE. The device has reached thousands of users, with over 12,000 units distributed. JereMAKE now partners with more than 70 schools and universities, helping students across the Philippines and beyond.
“The James Dyson Award opened opportunities that helped Make-Roscope move beyond a prototype and be used in real classrooms by students in the Philippines and beyond,” Jeremy said.
SolAsin, the 2025 National Winner from the Philippines, was created by John Carlo Reyes from UP Diliman. His invention eliminates the guesswork and hard labor from salt production. Using sun-powered evaporation in a compact setup, SolAsin helps small salt farmers make better, more consistent flaky salt—boosting efficiency and improving lives in coastal areas.
“I saw the James Dyson Award as a great platform to showcase my work. Maybe it could inspire others to design with and for communities. That possibility alone made it all worthwhile for me,” John Carlo said.
How to enter
To enter, submit your entry on the James Dyson Award website. The deadline is midnight, July 15, 2026. If you’re a university student or a recent grad in design or engineering, you’re eligible.
The best entries solve a real problem, show off smart design thinking, and bring something original and doable to the table.
For more information, visit https://www.jamesdysonaward.org/en-ph/home/
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