CREST Awards

Young STEM Leaders can Unlock Free CREST Awards in Exciting New Partnership

YSL3-SL7 (1st August 2025 – 31st July 2026)

SSERC is thrilled to unveil an exciting new partnership between the Young STEM Leader Programme (YSLP) and the CREST Awards programme - marking a major step forward in celebrating and championing young people in STEM across Scotland.

For the 2025–2026 academic year (1st August 2025 - 31st July 2026), every young person who earns a Young STEM Leader Award at Levels 3 to 7 (YSL3–SL7) will be eligible

to automatically claim a free CREST Award. With a simple upload of their YSLP certificate. Learners can unlock CREST Awards ranging from Discovery to Silver—and for those ready to go further, there’s the opportunity to progress to Gold.

The process

Once your young people have achieved a Young STEM Leader Award, your young people have also achieved all the learning required to also apply for a CREST Award in Scotland, for no additional charge.

Who is eligible to receive a free CREST Award?

Anyone who successfully completes the YSLP (levels 3, 4 ,5, 6 or 7) in this current academic year (1st August 2025 – 31st July 2026) and has been issued with their certificate is eligible.

When is the CREST Awards application deadline?

All applications must be made by 16 August 2026.

Which Award Level should I apply for?

CREST Award levels are aligned with the following YSLP levels.

YSLP Level

CREST Level

YSL3

YSL4 (NF) and YSL4 (F)

Discovery CREST Award

Bronze CREST Award

YSL5

YSL6

SL7

Silver CREST Award

Silver or Gold CREST Award

How do I apply?

Applying for a CREST Award is a great way to gain extra recognition for Young STEM Leaders’ hard work, and further demonstrate the excellent skills and knowledge developed via the YSLP programme and applications should be made following the instruction in the PDFs below.

There are three ways Young STEM Leaders can apply for CREST Awards:

Tutor Assessors can apply on their behalf at any level (refer to Tutor Assessor CREST Award Instructions)
Young STEM Leaders can apply themselves (refer to Young STEM Leader/Carer CREST Award Instructions) and/or
With the support of parents or carers (refer to Young STEM Leader/Carer CREST Award Instructions)

At the heart of this collaboration is a shared ambition: to inspire, recognise, and elevate the next generation of STEM leaders.

CREST is run by the British Science Association and core funded by UK Research & Innovation. Thanks to additional support from the James Weir Foundation, young people in Scotland are currently able to access CREST Awards free of charge.