The Sidgwick Prize is an annual international essay competition for students aged 13–18, run by an organisation based in Cambridge, UK. It offers prompts across eight academic disciplines: Philosophy, Politics, Economics, History, Law, Theology, Psychology, and Art History. Students choose one prompt and write an essay of up to 2,000 words.
A distinguishing feature is that every submission receives substantive written feedback from academic specialists, including Faculty at the University of Cambridge — making participation valuable regardless of outcome. Discipline winners each receive £100 and a 75% discount toward a summer course; the overall winner receives £100 and a full fellowship to a residential course in Cambridge. An awards ceremony is held in September.
The standard submission fee is £12, with late submissions accepted at £20. Registration opens October 1 each year. The 2026 standard deadline is June 30, 2026 (midnight BST); late submissions are accepted through July 15, 2026.