Thank you for your interest in applying for Pi Wars 2019. Unfortunately, the application form is now closed.
Selection process and more information
What are we looking for?
First and foremost, we are looking for reassurance that you are capable of, and dedicated to, producing a competing robot in time for the event.
Secondly, we are expecting, particularly in the case of Intermediate and Advanced applicants, that you can describe your expected robot build in a little detail. Beginners and School teams need not have too much information in this respect, but the rest of your application (for example, the “Why do you want to enter Pi Wars?” section) should be more complete.
Lastly, we are looking for ‘engagement’ – please give us confidence that you and your team are excited about the event and that you will progress steadily with your build.
Is there a fee to be paid?
There is no fee for applying to enter Pi Wars.
If you are selected to enter the competition, there is a £15 competition entrance fee per team. This covers all manner of things, from sending things to you in the post to running costs for the competition itself. It covers every member of your team, regardless of team size, so you can all attend the competition.
Although we have kept the fee the same for the past four events, we need to increase it a bit this year to cover increased venue and staffing costs.
Other information
- We are expecting a large number of applications. Each year, the number has grown: last year we received 151 applications. There are 76 spaces available in the competition – 38 per day. This is the maximum we can comfortably accept in order to make sure the competition days are not ridiculously long and drawn-out.
- Even though you may have competed before, please do not assume you will be selected again. This is to ensure that we keep the event fresh by allowing in newcomers as well as ‘old hands’.
- If your application is not successful, you may be offered a Reserve spot. For this, you will need to carry on planning and building your proposed robot. If a team drops out in your category, you may be offered a competing spot. From past experience, your chances of being “called up” as a reserve are good – we often have teams drop out.
- As preparation for the competition progresses, we will ask for updates from you on the status of your build. It is vital that you respond to these update requests. In the past, teams haven’t replied at all and have subsequently not shown up on the day, thus depriving another team of a space. We will be setting deadlines for your replies this year to ensure that spaces are not wasted. This why we ask for two ways of contacting you: email and telephone.
- If you’ve been involved in Pi Wars before, whether as a competitor, reservist, exhibitor, judge or marshal, please fill in that part on the application form – it will save us missing some vital piece of information when looking back at our records. Engagement with past events where you haven’t competed can often help towards your application.