Over the years, PCBWay and KiCad have worked closely together to support the hardware community, from design to production.
With the launch of KiCad 10 in 2026, enhanced features and improved workflows empower engineers and creators to transform ideas into real, manufacturable products more efficiently than ever. There has never been a better time to innovate.
This contest celebrates the release of KiCad 10 and aims to inspire engineers to push the boundaries of what's possible. We invite you to design, share your ideas, and turn them into reality-while connecting with a global community that values innovation, collaboration, and engineering excellence.
The contest runs from April 15, 2026 to June 15, 2026. All projects must be created or updated and submitted within this period. Submissions made before or after the contest period will not be considered. All entries must be designed using KiCad.
The participation reward is a Raspberry Pi Pico 2, and will be credited to your account in the form of platform credits (beans), which can be used in our gift shop to redeem items. To ensure the overall quality of the competition, reward will be distributed based on the quality of submitted projects, encouraging thoughtful and well-prepared entries.
We are pleased to invite Seth Hillbrand, an engineer from KiCad, and Anson Bao, our PCB Design Manager as judges for this contest. From June 16 to June 29, 2026, they will select three outstanding projects based on their design quality and completeness. Each winning project will receive a cash prize of $500 and a Raspberry Pi 5, 2GB.
To participate, simply submit your project. Click “Publish the Project” on the contest page or create a new project in our community, then select “2026 KiCad PCB Design Contest” from the “Submit project to…” menu in the top right corner.
Participants are encouraged to open-source their projects, as this helps others learn from your work and allows for a more comprehensive evaluation by the judges. Derivative works are allowed, but the original project must be credited, and any innovations or improvements should be clearly highlighted. Any detected plagiarism will result in disqualification. Any questions, please contact partner@pcbway.com.
Seth is an IPC CID-certified design engineer with over two decades of experience in systems design, manufacturing and testing. He has worked in both government and industry, designing systems that meet critical functioning goals. His completed projects span a range of demanding requirements. From high frequency electronic warfare counter measures to low-noise cryogenic readout to high altitude HF communications.
Anson has previously worked as a Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) engineer and electronic engineer, and is currently in charge of the PCB Design department at PCBWay, dedicated to turning clients' ideas into reality and optimizing their designs.
We will assess the overall design of the project, including its complexity, creativity, and the level of technical innovation demonstrated.
Clear and complete documentation-including project description, functional demonstrations (videos, code, etc.), and supporting resources-will make your project easier to understand. Availability of open-source files will also be considered favorably.
We value projects that are practical and have a tangible impact on society, addressing real-world problems or providing meaningful solutions that benefit people’s daily lives.
Community engagement is important! Share your project widely to increase visibility, gather support, and receive votes from the community.
We invite you to describe your most memorable experience with KiCad in a single sentence. After the competition, we'll select the most interesting stories and feature them on our blog, along with your avatar and nickname. Grab the opportunity to share in a community that loves sharing!
