Call for Entries: CEGIBAT Student Competition 2026 (France)

Deadline: 16-Nov-2026

Applications are open for the CEGIBAT Student Competition, inviting students in France to develop innovative and practical solutions that can help municipalities reduce carbon emissions by 2030. Now in its fourth edition, the CEGIBAT Student Challenge uses a simulated municipal council scenario to engage students with real-world sustainability challenges faced by local authorities. Participants are encouraged to develop actionable strategies involving areas such as gas networks, energy renovation, waste recovery, the circular economy, and local energy infrastructure. The competition encourages multidisciplinary collaboration between students from fields such as engineering, architecture, and urban planning. Members of the three winning teams will each receive a prize worth up to €300, along with opportunities for professional media coverage and presentation of their projects at the EnerJ’meeting trade show in Paris.

About the CEGIBAT Student Competition

The CEGIBAT Student Challenge is a student competition focused on finding innovative approaches to municipal carbon reduction. The competition places participants in a simulated local-government setting where they are asked to consider the challenges faced by municipalities working toward carbon-emission reduction targets for 2030. Students can use their academic knowledge and creativity to develop solutions that are practical, innovative, and relevant to sustainable urban development. What Is the CEGIBAT Student Challenge? The competition simulates a municipal council scenario. Participants are expected to examine a local authority’s sustainability challenges and propose actionable solutions that could contribute to reducing carbon emissions. The challenge can involve different aspects of local energy and resource management, including: - Gas networks. - Energy renovation. - Waste recovery. - Circular economy approaches. - Local energy infrastructure. The competition provides students with an opportunity to apply their academic knowledge to a practical sustainability challenge. Who Can Apply? The competition is open to students in France studying from the second year of undergraduate education through the fifth year of postgraduate education.

Eligible study levels are:

- Bac+2 - Bac+3 - Bac+4 - Bac+5 Students from different academic backgrounds are encouraged to participate, particularly where their expertise can contribute to developing multidisciplinary solutions. Multidisciplinary Teams

Participants are encouraged to form multidisciplinary teams

Students can bring together different areas of expertise to develop broader perspectives on municipal carbon reduction. Relevant academic backgrounds may include: - Engineering. - Architecture. - Urban planning. - Other fields that can contribute to sustainable urban development. Combining different disciplines can help teams approach the challenge from technical, architectural, planning, and sustainability perspectives. What Solutions Can Students Develop? Participants are expected to propose innovative solutions addressing municipal efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 2030.

Potential approaches can make use of:

Gas Networks Students can consider how gas network infrastructure could be incorporated into strategies addressing local energy and carbon-reduction challenges. Energy Renovation Projects can explore energy renovation approaches that improve the efficiency of buildings and contribute to lower carbon emissions. Waste Recovery Participants can consider ways of recovering value from waste as part of local sustainability and emissions-reduction strategies. Circular Economy Teams can incorporate circular economy principles into their proposed municipal solutions, focusing on more efficient use and recovery of resources. Local Energy Infrastructure Solutions may also consider local energy infrastructure and how it can contribute to sustainable urban development and carbon reduction. What Is the Aim of the Competition? The CEGIBAT Student Challenge aims to encourage students to think creatively about practical sustainability challenges faced by municipalities.

The competition seeks to:

- Foster innovative thinking. - Encourage multidisciplinary collaboration. - Develop practical carbon-reduction strategies. - Connect academic learning with real-world challenges. - Encourage sustainable urban development. - Explore innovative approaches to municipal energy and resource management. The simulated municipal council format allows students to consider how different solutions could be applied within a local authority context. What Do Winners Receive? The competition will recognise three winning teams. Each member of the three winning teams will receive a check worth up to €300. In addition to the financial prize, winners will receive opportunities to increase the visibility of their projects.

Winning teams will:

- Be featured in an article in professional energy media. - Have the opportunity to present their projects at the EnerJ’meeting trade show in Paris. - Have the opportunity to pitch their solutions to an audience connected with building energy efficiency. Opportunity to Present at EnerJ’meeting The winning teams will have an opportunity to present and pitch their projects at the EnerJ’meeting trade show in Paris on February 23, 2027. EnerJ’meeting is a major event for professionals working in building energy efficiency. The presentation opportunity allows winning students to take their ideas beyond the competition and present their proposed solutions in a professional energy-sector environment. Why Should Students Participate? The CEGIBAT Student Competition provides students with an opportunity to work on a practical challenge connected to municipal sustainability and carbon reduction.

Participation can allow students to

- Work on a real-world sustainability issue. - Collaborate with students from different disciplines. - Develop innovative solutions. - Apply acade