The China-US Young Maker Competition is an annual Maker competition celebrating the ingenuity and potential of the global Maker Movement. In this competition, individuals and teams from across China and the US show off their skills, vision, and innovation, through projects that have the potential to improve the world at large.

The objectives of the competition are threefold:

• Showcase innovative maker projects;
• Recognize projects with the potential to make a positive impact on society;
• Foster an international maker community, in particular amongst individuals in the United States and China.

Eligibility: Open to Chinese/American citizens or permanent residents aged 18–40 (born between June 1, 1985, and June 1, 2007). Employees of organizing entities or their direct relatives are prohibited .

Teams: Main track teams can include up to 5 members (cross-border teams encouraged); vocational track teams must be the full-time students of vocational colleges .

Two tracks:

Main Track: Open to all eligible participants, including China-U.S. joint teams.

Vocational College Track: limited to vocational college students .

No: Each project can only register for one sub-region and one track. Duplicate registrations will lead to disqualification .

No: The competition is free to enter

Key rules:

• Projects must be newly created within the past year, unpublished, non-commercialized, and not previously awarded in top-tier competitions .
• Prototypes must be demonstrable, use open-source technology where possible, and avoid relying on institutional patents without authorization .

Regional rounds:

Main Track: Top 5 teams per sub-region advance, with at least 1 China-U.S. joint team (if available) .

Vocational Track: 2–3 teams advance based on the number of participating teams (10–29 teams = 2 spots; ≥30 teams = 3 spots) .

Regional rounds (100 points):

Innovation (40%), social value (30%), technical implementation (20%), teamwork/open-source (10%)

Finals (100 points):

Innovation/cross-border integration (20%), social value (20%), technical maturity (30%), open-source sustainability (10%), application prospects (20%) .

Ownership: Participants retain IP rights, but organizers may use entries globally for non-commercial purposes (e.g., demonstrations, publications). Commercial use requires team consent .

Team members in each of the top 10 projects will receive an all-expenses paid trip to China for the grand finals plus cash prize up to $2,000

To register for the China US Maker Competition, visit our official website, where you will find an online application form. Fill out the necessary information, and you'll be on your way to showcasing your innovative projects!