International Greenwich Olympiad: A Practical Guide to Projects, Fees and Participation

Editorial overview

The International Greenwich Olympiad is called an Olympiad, but its central activity is not a timed examination. Students develop a project, submit research or descriptive material and then present their work online or in London. North London Grammar School organises the event, and the category list extends well beyond conventional laboratory science to engineering, computing, energy, health, social science, film, photography, performance and public speaking.

That breadth creates opportunity and ambiguity. A project must fit one category, align with the UN Sustainable Development Goals except in specified categories, and be understood well enough for live questions. The official science judging criteria reward a focused question, method, data, interpretation, originality and oral explanation. A large display or an ambitious social claim cannot compensate for evidence that does not support the conclusion.

Our view is that IGO is best treated as a project-and-presentation programme with several participation packages, not as a simple medal contest. The online route reduces travel but still carries fees and requires a recorded explanation plus live judging. The London route combines the competition with a multi-day programme whose cost is substantial. Families should first decide whether the project format and feedback experience are worth the work; only then should they compare packages. The word “international” is not, by itself, a reason to spend heavily.

Quick Facts

Review Evaluation

Rated Advanced. The workload comes from developing an original project, documenting evidence, preparing a display or video and answering judges’ questions.

For the current competition record and organiser links, see the International Greenwich Olympiad page. This guide was checked on 6 September 2026.

First understand the project, then choose a category

IGO currently presents 15 categories, including AI, engineering, computer sciences, energy, environmental sciences, health sciences, social sciences, STEM lesson presentation, short film, art, photography, sumo, performance arts, public speaking and STEM storytelling. The requirements differ, so “an IGO project” is not one uniform output.

Scientific categories expect more than a proposal. The organiser’s research-paper guidance requires a focused question or hypothesis, a method that can be explained and repeated, results, discussion of limitations, a conclusion and references. Projects without results are not accepted under that guidance. The science rubric also gives weight to systematic data, interpretation, creativity, presentation and the student’s command of the work.

Students should therefore choose a category by asking what evidence they can realistically produce. An environmental investigation may use measurement and comparison. An engineering project may need a design cycle and testing. A public-speaking entry is judged through a different form entirely. Selecting the most impressive-sounding label and forcing an existing idea into it creates unnecessary risk.

One project or category is allowed per student, and plagiarism is prohibited. Scientific projects use an abstract, while non-science entries use the relevant project description and evidence files. Most projects may be individual or completed by a team of up to three; the performance-art category allows a larger group under its separate rules.

Eligibility and supervision

The current requirements divide entrants into two age groups:

Every individual or team needs a supervisor aged 20 or over. One supervisor may oversee up to six students, while the usual team maximum is three. A parent or relative may act as supervisor only within the organiser’s stated role and qualification conditions; the participation pages distinguish a supervisor from a visitor.

The official language is English, including responses to judges. Students do not need ornate academic language, but they must be able to explain their method, results and limitations clearly. If a team divides the presentation so narrowly that each member understands only one slide, live questions are likely to expose the gap.

Most projects must connect to one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals. The requirements page lists exceptions for STEM Lessons and Lego/Robotics. The connection should arise from the actual problem and evidence, not from adding an SDG logo after the project is complete.

The IGO 2027 calendar

Registration for IGO 2027 opened on 1 September 2026 and closes on 1 March 2027. The organiser’s current calendar then lists finalists on 15 March, an online event on 8 May and the London programme from 14–20 June.

For the online format, the requirements page currently lists a pre-recorded video deadline of 23 April 2027. The video should be two to five minutes and cover the project background, hypothesis, methods, results and conclusion. Live Zoom judging is normally ten minutes, with a three-minute introduction followed by questions; separate timings apply to short film.

Face-to-face participants prepare for an exhibition and live questions. Display regulations limit the board and prohibit hazardous or unsuitable materials such as live animals, microbial cultures, open flames, hazardous chemicals, sharps and food. Students travelling to London should read those rules before designing a demonstration, not after building it.

Fees need to be part of the decision

The current requirements list a £35 non-refundable registration fee per participant. Participation then uses a package. At the time of checking, the published options include:

Package inclusions and supervisor costs differ. Travel, visas, accommodation outside the residential option and family arrangements can add considerably to the total. The organiser also publishes cancellation and refund conditions, including no online-participation refund. Families should verify the final invoice and current terms directly before paying.

This cost structure changes how CompeteMap assesses fit. A student may have a strong project and still reasonably decide that another science fair offers better value. Conversely, a family already seeking a structured London programme may value the combined event. The decision should compare the whole experience with the whole cost, not compare medal names.

What the judging criteria imply for preparation

The official science criteria ask whether the question is clear and testable, the plan is appropriate, variables are defined, background research is credible, data collection is systematic and conclusions follow from results. Creativity and innovation, oral presentation and overall understanding also carry substantial weight.

That leads to a practical order of work:

1. Narrow the question until the available time and equipment can answer it.
2. Read enough prior work to understand what has already been tried.
3. Write the method before collecting data and decide what will count as a useful comparison.
4. Keep a project journal that records failures and changes as well as successful trials.
5. Analyse the evidence before designing the display or video.
6. Practise explaining limitations and the next useful experiment.
7. Make sure every team member can describe the whole project and their own contribution.

A tidy board matters, but it is downstream of the investigation. The oral-presentation criteria explicitly consider the student’s understanding, independence, interpretation and response to questions. A professionally styled display cannot substitute for work the student cannot explain.

Choosing IGO rather than another project competition

IGO may suit students who want a wide category choice and a defined online or London presentation. Students seeking an Irish school science-fair pathway can compare SciFest Ireland and the Stripe Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition. Those competitions have different entry routes, calendars and progression structures.

Students still trying to turn an interest into a workable question can use How to Find a Science Fair Project Idea. A student who prefers explaining an existing concept in a short video rather than conducting an investigation may be better matched to the Breakthrough Junior Challenge.

The useful comparison is not which event sounds largest. It is which format gives the student a credible chance to own the work, finish it safely and explain the result.

Key Takeaways

The International Greenwich Olympiad is a broad project competition with online and London routes, not a conventional written Olympiad. Entrants aged 10–19 need an adult supervisor, must select one category and should expect to document and present their work. The 2027 registration window runs from 1 September 2026 to 1 March 2027. Fees vary substantially by package, so families should judge the project experience and total cost together. Start with a feasible question and evidence; choose the participation package only after the project is a genuine fit.

Sources checked

• https://igolondon.co.uk/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/requirements/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/categories/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/registration/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/igoparticipation/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/judging/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/how-to-write-a-research-paper/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/display-regulations/
• https://igolondon.co.uk/igo-2026-online-awards/