IF.GIC 2026 — the challenge for young inventors aged 5–19
The annual online InventFuture.Global Innovation Challenge. Students from around the world present their inventions to an international jury — individually or in a team of up to three.
In Kazakhstan, Access Codes are issued by TransforNATION — the IF.G member organization. See the section below.
An innovation — new or significantly improved
It can be a new method, idea or product — or a significant improvement to an existing one. Any format: a prototype, an app, an idea, a social-good initiative, a service, a process or an AI agent.
It may or may not be electronic. It works or theoretically works: what matters is that you know what is needed and that the plan is scientifically and logically sound. Record your thinking in the logbook.
Two rounds, fully online
Jury review
Everyone takes part. An international jury independently reviews the pitch video, logbook and up-to-6-slide presentation and recommends the best projects to Round 2. Judges may invite you to a short live interview.
Presenting at GIFT
Finalists present live at the Global Innovation Field Trip to judges, peers and a global audience. Session format: up to 10 projects, ≥2 judges, 3 minutes to present + 5 minutes of questions.
Five required Round 1 materials
Image of individual or team
JPEG or PNG · max 512 MBA photo of the innovator or team — may be publicly used in IF.GIC materials.
Image of the innovation
JPEG or PNG · max 512 MBGives judges a general sense of the project. Do not reveal critical detail — protect your intellectual property (a sketch, part of a diagram, a UI/code screenshot, a process chart).
60-second pitch video
mp4 / mov / avi · max 512 MBNo longer than 60 seconds (judges stop watching at 60s). Tell your own story on camera — no digital animation of yourself; shoot portrait on a phone. The video is in English (fluency does not matter; captions allowed). Name the innovation, the innovators, the problem and the solution.
Logbook / journal / diary
PPTX or PDF · any lengthThe story of your process: from finding the problem through testing and refining. Keep the mistakes — they are part of the journey. Note who helped and what materials were used.
Presentation, up to 6 slides
PPTX or PDF · max 512 MBMaximum 6 slides of project content (judges ignore anything beyond). You may optionally add a title slide, a thank-you slide and a citations slide. Build in any tool, but upload only PPTX or PDF.
💡 The innovation title is short and catchy — no more than 6 words. One registration form covers the whole team; you cannot save partway and return later, so prepare all files in advance.
Three judging criteria
Innovation Process
How the process works: finding the problem, generating and improving ideas, designing, testing and refining.
Innovation Impact
What real problem the innovation solves and what effect it has.
Communication
How clearly and convincingly the problem, solution and result are conveyed.
Detailed rubrics are per grade band: K-2 (ages 5–7) · 3-5 (8–11) · 6-8 (12–14) · 9-12 (15–18). A team is judged at the level of its oldest member.
Key 2026 dates
- 10 March
Program starts. Member organizations invite students and issue Access Codes.
- 15 March
Website goes online — registration with an Access Code begins.
- 18 September
Deadline to register and upload ALL materials. Nothing can be changed or accepted after this date.
- 20 September – 6 October
Round 1 review by the international jury (offline).
- 7 October
Finalists notified by email. Semi-finalists do not present at GIFT but remain eligible for awards.
- 12 October
Finalists select their live GIFT presentation time.
- 17–18 October (Sat–Sun)
Finalists present live at the Global Innovation Field Trip (GIFT).
- 25 October (Sun)
Live online Awards and Honors Celebration.
⚠️ The official guide notes that deadlines may change or be extended with little to no advance notice. Check the current challenge page before submitting — inventfuture.global/IFGIC.
AI policy: you are the inventor, AI is a tool
- —Using AI is optional. Projects with and without AI are judged equally: no bonus, no penalty.
- —AI is an assistant and advisor, not a teammate. The core work — the idea, the design, the presentation — is yours.
- —If you used AI you must acknowledge it in both the logbook and the live presentation: how you used it and how it shaped your thinking.
- —Judges value the process, not only the product, and may ask questions in a live interview to confirm authorship.
You are the inventor. AI is just a tool.
In Kazakhstan, the IF.G member organization is TransforNATION. The entry point for Kazakhstani students: get an Access Code and qualify through TransforNATION, then register on the official site before 18 September.
If there is no member organization in your country, the Global Independent Innovator route is available — a direct submission via IF.G (write to IFGIC@InventFuture.Global).
A direct bridge for Kazakhstani students into the international innovation ecosystem — no intermediaries, no barriers.
The essentials, briefly
Can I submit two projects?+
No. At IF.GIC an entrant represents only one innovation — choose your best.
Do all team members take part in the pitch and the final?+
Yes. The pitch video and the live GIFT presentation are key parts — all team members participate.
What if the video is longer than 60 seconds or the deck is over 6 pages?+
Judges are instructed not to watch beyond 60 seconds or read project content beyond 6 pages.
How is a mixed-age team judged?+
By the age of the oldest member. A team of 6 and 10 is judged at the 10-year-old level (bands K-2 · 3-5 · 6-8 · 9-12).
Can I change my registration after submitting?+
All registrations close on 18 September. To change important data or files you must fully re-register and let the team know; the prior entry is then ignored.
What about prizes and honors?+
IF.G secures a range of awards and opportunities for young innovators. Details are on the official challenge page.
Ready to enter?
Source of these rules: the official IF.GIC 2026 Student Guide (InventFuture.Global) + AI Use Policy (pp. 9–10). Questions: IFGIC@InventFuture.Global. Dates and conditions may be updated — check the official challenge page.