Cyber Explorers Cup 2026

Cyber Explorers Cup

Join a nationwide cyber security competition for students aged 11-14.

Cyber Explorers, an initiative led by the UK Government, is a free learning programme that teaches cyber security skills to 11-14 year olds, and introduces them to careers in the field. Complementary to the learning programme, the Cyber Explorers Cup, launched in 2024, returns for its third year, offering a fun, interactive competition for students across the nation.

The competition is free, online, and open to all UK schools and home schools.

About the competition

Your students will join the Cyber Squad on a mission to save Cyber City’s brand-new Smart Mall, where its advanced AI system, SAM-U.L, has malfunctioned and caused the Mall to shut.

Teams will race against the clock to solve cyber puzzles, restore the AI, and reopen the mall - with the fastest, most accurate team in each nation titled Cyber Explorers Cup Champions.

Prizes

Winning teams from each nation will receive tech vouchers for their school to purchase IT equipment (£2,000 worth for winning schools and £1,000 worth for home schools).

Winning schools from each nation will also enjoy an exclusive Cyber Explorers assembly delivered at their school, introducing whole year groups to key cyber security essentials after the competition.

Key details

• Entry deadline: 6 March 2026
• Competition week: 16–20 March 2026
• Format: 1-hour online competition (choose your preferred time slot)
• Location: Compete virtually from your school or home
• Winners announced: 1 April 2026

Who can enter

• Open to UK schools and home-school learners
• Students aged 11–14 years old
• Each school can enter up to five teams (4–6 students per team)
• Home-educated students can compete individually

Before you enter

The Cyber Explorers Cup is based on content from the free Cyber Explorers learning programme.
If your students are already registered on the programme, you can go ahead and enter your team.
If your students are not registered yet, please register them on the Cyber Explorers learning programme before entering this competition here. [link to https://www.cyberexplorers.co.uk/register ]

Please note: entering the competition does not automatically register students on the Cyber Explorers platform, and vice versa.

What to expect

• Teams compete virtually in timed one-hour slots
• A teacher must be present during each session
• This year’s competition focuses on Information Security
• Challenges are inspired by Cyber Explorers’ Missions and real-world cyber scenarios
• Students can refer to the Cyber Explorers learning platform during the competition

How to win

The fastest and most accurate teams will be crowned winners within their nation - England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

Home-school competitors will have their own category.

Comms process for teachers who have entered

Teachers will receive the following communications ahead of the competition:

• A thank you message for having entered
• Reminder about what they need to do ahead of the day (including the platform, CTFd, websites and email addresses they should safe list).
• Two reminder messages in the weeks before they participate to prevent dropouts on the days the competition runs.

On the day

On the day, teachers will receive instructions to log in and will be supported by Cyber Explorers Cup host in their hour time slot. The Cyber Explorers support team will also be on hand to provide additional support via a Teams chat and via the ‘Support’ mailbox.

Post event

Post event a ‘thank you’ message will be sent to participating schools, which will include details of when winners will be notified and contain a survey link to collect participation feedback.

Winners will be announced on 1 April 2026 and the Cyber Explorers team will organise for prizes and certificates to be distributed. A wider winner announcement to all users will be via the newsletter.

Prizes will be distributed by the end of June 2026.

Prizes

Winning schools will be rewarded with:

• A £2000 IT voucher to spend in their school.
• An assembly by Cyber Explorers, delivered in their school.
• A certificate of achievement

Winning home school will be rewarded with

• A £1000 IT voucher
• A certificate of achievement