Presented by Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories:
2026 Invent Idaho State Finals:
May 1-2, 2026
ICCU Arena
University of Idaho-Moscow campus
–Registration is Required–
By April 10, 2026
Participants must have qualified at one of the 3 Invent Idaho Regional Competitions.
Logbook upload is required for Registration
Video upload is optional
For the State Finals, there is NO COST LIMIT. You continue to develop your prototypes in preparation for the State Finals without any financial limits.
State Finals T-Shirts are available for order:
Optional:
As part of the 2026 State Finals…You are invited to attend the University of Idaho’s Annual Engineering Design EXPO!
Friday, May 1, 2026
9:00 am – Noon
ICCU Arena
University of Idaho-Moscow campus
Attend the University of Idaho’s 33rd Annual Engineering Design EXPO, showcasing the U of I’s undergraduate engineering design innovation.
University of Idaho Campus Map
Invent Idaho State Finals
Event Schedule
Friday, May 1 (All times are Pacific Daylight Time)
– Invention Check-in: University of Idaho campus ICCU Arena in Moscow, ID
– Early bird check-in begins at ~1:00 pm
– Project Check-in closes at 5:00 pm
– In-person Invent Oral Presentations to Judges: 6:00 – 8:00 pm
– Participants deliver a ~2 minute “pitch” of their invention to the judges followed by a few minutes of Q & A discussion
– Presentation times will be assigned after registration closes
Optional activities earlier on Friday, May 1 (times are tentative)
– 9:00 am – Noon: U of I’s Annual Engineering Design EXPO (in ICCU Arena)
– 1:00 – 3:00 pm: Early Bird Project Check-in & Setup, and Ice Cream Social!
– 3:00 – 5:00 pm: Invent Idaho Invention Showcase (open to the public) Inventors informally showcase their inventions in an EXPO format!
Saturday, May 2 (all times are Pacific Daylight Time)
8:30 – 11:00 am: Keynote Presentation & Awards Ceremony in the ICCU Arena
Awards for Inventions
- 1st, 2nd, 3rd PLACE ribbons in every Grade Division & Category!
- 1st place Medals and High School Champion Award
- BEST OF CATEGORY: Winners each receive a 2025 State Winner trophy and a science kit!
- BEST OF SHOW: Two winners will each receive a trophy and a science kit!
- $1000 scholarship to the University of Idaho sponsored by the College of Engineering
- Invitations to Nationals for selected inventions!
- Notes:
- Awards are presented to the winning project. Duplicate awards are not provided for each team member, so please decide
ahead of time which partner receives the award. - A separate team of judges selects National attendees. Ribbon winners may or may not advance to Nationals. Students must do all work themselves, adult intervention for safety purposes only. Plagiarism is unacceptable and will not receive an award.
- Awards are presented to the winning project. Duplicate awards are not provided for each team member, so please decide
- For Invent Idaho State Finals or EXPO questions, please contact Dr. Matthew Swenson at swenson@uidaho.edu
For the National Invention Convention in Dearborn, Michigan, the registration date for selected inventors is May 8, which is VERY soon after the Invent Idaho State Finals. Therefore, if your child is invited to U.S. Nationals, you will need to confirm your decision to participate very quickly (less than 1 week). Talk to your family now, plan for the potential expense, and prepare your pitch video as needed (see U.S. Nationals FAQ)