The Institution of Engineering and Technology has launched the 2026–27 IET Faraday Challenge with a new flexible format allowing schools, youth groups and home-educating families to run engineering design challenges on their own timetable rather than fixed competition days. Teams of 6–8 students aged 12–13 will work on a real-world brief from an industry partner, using standardised kits of electronic components and structural materials supplied by the IET. The format is intended to widen access beyond well-resourced schools and give more pupils early exposure to structured engineering problem-solving.

MPs on the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee have opened an inquiry into how effectively the UK state delivers major infrastructure, with a focus on procurement models and governance. The review will examine how current contracting approaches, such as design-and-build and alliancing, affect cost overruns, programme slippage and risk transfer on large schemes like HS2 and major road upgrades. Outcomes could influence future Treasury Green Book guidance, Cabinet Office procurement rules and how client bodies structure frameworks and long-term delivery partnerships.

Development finance for critical minerals mines, processing plants and supporting infrastructure is expanding, while funding for transparency tools, civil society oversight and community participation is being cut, according to a Washington-based donor network. The group warns of a “second funding gap” in governance support as multilateral banks and state-backed lenders prioritise capital-intensive extraction and refining projects. For miners and engineers, this signals rising scrutiny risks around licence-to-operate, community consent processes and ESG reporting, even where project finance appears readily available.