Student Challenge 2026 – Invitation to Participate | European Commission

The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Competition invites students from EU institutes of higher education to participate in the Student Challenge 2026, linked to the conference “Green, Just and Competitive – A Blueprint for Europe’s Economies and Societies” taking place in Brussels on 29 January 2026.

Students enrolled at EU academic institutions are invited to submit 250-word abstracts responding to one of the conference panels and reflecting on what they would have said as panel speakers. The panels are:

1. Better and more equal business conditions;
2. A clean, sustainable and resilient Europe;
3. Competition Policy for our Economies and Societies and 
4. Fairness and Standards in the EU and in Global Markets

The main terms of the Challenge are: 

• Submission deadline: 10 February 2026, 18:00 (CET) 
• Submission email: COMP-BLUEPRINT-CONFERENCE@ec.europa.eu 

Further information, including access to the conference, is available here. You will find the complete Student Challenge rules at this address. It is important that prospective entrants read them carefully before they enter the Challenge.

Students who submit the ten best abstracts will be invited to Brussels to present their ideas to Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera at the European Commission on 3 March 2026.