Ten Years From Now
Northwood, United Kingdom
About Ten Years From Now
Ten Years From Now is a free essay competition for students aged 14 to 18, anywhere in the world. You pick one of three questions about how the world could change by 2037, research it and argue for what should happen next in up to 1,000 words. The three tracks are Enterprise & Innovation, Science & Technology and Society & Humanity, so the questions suit interests in business, science or the humanities. Succeed runs the competition. Succeed is the trading name of Immerse Educational Services Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales and based in Northwood, United Kingdom. It organizes the competition, manages entries and judging, and handles entrants' information. Its founder, Sean Stevens, chairs the judges. The 2027 competition has two rounds. Entries opened on 7 October 2026. Round 1 closes on 28 February 2027 and Round 2 closes on 15 June 2027, both at 23:59 UTC. You can enter once in each round. Succeed says there's no fee at any stage, and you don't need an account, a video or an interview.
Teaching style
Ten Years From Now is a competition, so there are no classes and nobody teaches you directly. You research and write on your own, and the support comes from published material. Succeed offers a guide on building an argument that follows the six judging criteria, along with the full judging rubric. There's also Open Question, a free 35-minute online session on whether AI will make it harder to find a first job in 2036. It runs on Tuesday 24 November 2026 at 10:00 UK time, and you can watch it live or later. Teachers and parents can talk ideas through with you and give general feedback. Succeed says they shouldn't edit or rewrite your entry. Succeed doesn't give written feedback on entries, so you'll get a result but no comments on your essay.
Reputation & Succeed take
Ten Years From Now has no track record yet. Succeed says past winners will be listed from 2028, so there are no past results to judge it by. What Succeed does publish is its process. Every eligible entry is scored on six equally weighted criteria. The first round is anonymous, and each entry is read by at least two assessors. Succeed also says that once results are out, each award will show how many eligible entries and countries it was chosen from.
Our take
Succeed runs Ten Years From Now, so weigh our view with that in mind. In our view, it's a good free way to practice arguing for a position on a question with no correct answer, backed by sources you've checked yourself. The published criteria and argument guide make clear what judges reward. Because the first round is anonymous, your school's name carries no weight. The limits are real. You won't get written feedback. Entries are text only and capped at 1,000 words, and the rules on AI are strict. Recognition is tiered, with a Distinction for the top 10% of each round. Cash prizes go to three Challenge Winners per round, one Grand Prize winner and one Students' Choice winner. Succeed makes no claims about university admissions, so treat any award as something you can describe accurately rather than as a credential. We'd suggest reading the judging criteria first and writing toward them from your first draft.
Who this provider suits
Who should choose them
This may suit you if you're 14 to 18 and enjoy digging into a big question, reading the evidence and taking a side. The three tracks cover business, science and society, so you don't need a particular subject background. It also suits students who want an individual project with a clear deadline and no cost, and homeschooled students can enter too. For teachers, Succeed suggests it as an extension task, a club activity or preparation for extended writing such as the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), the IB Extended Essay or AP Seminar.
Who it may not suit
Who should skip it: students looking for a creative writing contest. Succeed says this is an evidence-based essay competition, not creative writing. It's also a poor fit if you want detailed comments on your work, because there's no written feedback. Entries are individual, in English and text only, with no charts or images. That rules it out if you want a team project or a visual format. You can't submit work that has already been published or has won another competition. If you'd want AI to draft or structure your essay, the rules don't allow it.
