The Explore Kit Box is a one-stop solution for primary school educators to deliver relatable practical science activities that support students to develop the skills that underpin research and innovation. Applications open now.
Apply for an Explore Kit Box
Deadlines and funding decisions
Applications open: 21 September 2026 at 12 pm
Applications close: 4 November 2026 at 5 pm
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by: 14 December 2026
We aim for delivery of the Explore Kit Box to successful applicants by: 15 February 2027
Activities/events can commence as soon as the kit box is received, and delivery of CREST project work is to be completed by 31 July 2027.
Who can apply?
Schools that meet our ‘schools in challenging circumstances’ eligibility criteria.
Primary school, special school, and alternative provision educators supporting young people aged approximately 5-11 (or working at that level).
We will only accept one Explore Kit Box application per school. Both types of Explore Kit Box (Star and SuperStar) can be applied for on the same application (should your school wish to apply for both types). Please check with school colleagues to coordinate your application.
What’s in an Explore Kit Box?
If you are successful in your application for an Explore Kit Box, you will receive a reusable physical equipment kit posted to your school. There is no cash award.
An Explore Kit Box is self-contained set of eight hands-on enquiry-led science challenges with cross-curricular links. The challenges are from the British Science Association’s CREST programme, which supports young people to develop skills such as investigation, problem-solving, and research through practical, flexible and impactful projects.
There are two types of kit boxes:
- Explore Star for children aged 5-7 (or working at that age)
- Explore SuperStar for children aged 7-11 (or working at that age)
Each Explore Kit Box contains:
- the essential physical equipment required to deliver the eight challenges
- printed teacher and student instructions for each challenge
- CREST passports for children to record their progress
- enough CREST Award certificates to reward two classes of 30 pupils (60 learners)
- a STEM Person of the Week activity and accompanying diverse role model profiles, designed to help learners explore STEM character attributes and jobs; challenging children’s stereotypes of scientists and researchers
See what’s inside the Explore Star Kit Box before you apply
See what’s inside the Explore SuperStar Kit Box before you apply
Explore Kit Box funding priorities
We prioritise funding for schools that demonstrate a commitment to support target groups of young people to participate in the Explore Kit Box activities and provide pupils with additional opportunities to engage with research projects and researchers.
Any additional planned activities (beyond the challenges in the Explore Kit Box) need to have a link to science to tie in with British Science Week, but we take a broad and inclusive view of what that means. We welcome activities that relate to STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) as well as projects that reflect research and innovation in other fields such as the arts, humanities and social science.
Planned activities do not need to meet every criterion but those meeting multiple criteria will be prioritised for funding.
Participants
We will prioritise funding schools that can demonstrate that their plans to utilise the kit box will target and support the following:
- children aged 5-11 in primary settings, or young people up to age 19 who are working at primary level in special school and alternative provision settings
- whole year classes or year groups
- young people from groups more likely to be underrepresented in STEM:
- girls and non-binary young people
- young people with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND)/ALN
- young people from ethnic minority backgrounds
- young people experiencing economic disadvantage such as those eligible for pupil premium, free school meals or living in the most deprived areas according to the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation
- young people with lower prior attainment or in mixed attainment science groupings
- young people who wouldn’t normally choose to participate in STEM activities.
Other considerations
We will also prioritise support for schools for schools that:
- plan to use the kit boxes across multiple subject areas, in a cross-curricular way
- have defined plans/interventions to build on the skills developed via the use of the kit box
- have additional planned activities to engage with researchers or support learning about how research connects to pupils’ lives and interests
- have additional planned interventions to introduce learners to pathways to a variety of careers in STEM, research, and innovation – suitable for all abilities.
We will also prioritise applications from schools that haven’t received funding before.
Apply for an Explore Kit Box
British Science Week school funding FAQs
Explore Kit Boxes Terms and Conditions
Go back to school funding page