The Blair Project's ProtoEV Challenge

The Blair Project’s ProtoEV Challenge empowers students to convert petrol go-karts into electric e-karts, fostering skills in engineering and sustainability.

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Who are we?

The Blair Project is a social enterprise dedicated to combating climate change by helping young people develop green technology skills. Through building, racing, and accelerating electric go-karts, they provide hands-on opportunities in the industry. Led by brothers Nial and Blair, the organisation is passionate about supporting underrepresented youth in motorsport.

Age

11-19 years old

Location

London

What do we do?

The ProtoEV Challenge is a STEM motorsport competition for schools, colleges, and youth clubs across the UK, integrated into the curriculum through eight lessons. Teams of 8-12 members retrofit petrol go-karts into electric e-karts, then test and race them to find the fastest and most energy-efficient design. The competition concludes with a grand finale in October.

In addition to racing, The Blair Project attend and offer careers days featuring various employers, allowing students to explore opportunities in STEM and motorsport.

Want to get involved?

Become a Volunteer: anyone aged 16+ with the required subject knowledge can volunteer. Click the link below to find out more.

How much does it cost? Per team it costs around £20,000 to compete, however there are initiatives in place to aid teams in getting sponsors to help with costs.

Funded by the educational provider.

Register a team Become a Volunteer Contact the Blair Project

Volunteer With This Organisation

Become a volunteer and gain hands-on experience.

Volunteer

Hear from Blair Henry, Operations Manager of The Blair Project

For young people who are looking to get involved with the programme my advice would be to not feel intimidated by something that they may not be familiar with. That this is something anyone can get involved with and because it is such a new area and not a lot of people have a lot of knowledge about it, if you get stuck in now you can be the expert in a few years!

Hear from Liam, a staff member at Leaways school who took part in the ProtoEV London 2024 Championship:

I couldn’t be more proud of the students, This has been a great opportunity for them to try something new, compete and test out the equipment. I am very excited to see where things go and to be part of the project

Frequently Asked Questions

The Inclusion Hub, developed by Motorsport UK and Mission 44, simplifies access to motorsport opportunities for young people, educators, and underrepresented groups. It offers clear pathways into the sport through volunteering, education, career resources, and community-building opportunities.

The Inclusion Hub is available to anyone looking to find opportunities in motorsport. However, the platform is aimed at young people that are interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM).

The Inclusion Hub will help Motorsport UK and its partners deliver on their mission to make motorsport more inclusive, diverse, and accessible. By providing a comprehensive digital hub, we can ensure that young people, regardless of background, have the tools and opportunities they need to thrive in motorsport.

Use the platform’s search and filter tools to explore opportunities based on location, interest, or type (e.g., clubs, volunteering, jobs, or education programmes).

The platform highlights job boards, career guides, webinars, tips, and scholarships. You can also connect with industry leaders and organisations to build your network. Additionally, the platform features extracurricular programmes that can help you build valuable skills and enhance your CV—qualities that employers in the motorsport industry highly value. These programmes include volunteering, club participation, and hands-on experience through STEM-related initiatives, all designed to give you a competitive edge in your career development.

The hub is regularly updated with new opportunities, resources, and success stories to ensure users have the latest information available.
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