GAIN Schools Investment Challenge
Discover the world of investment with confidence
Inspire the next generation of investors
The GAIN Schools Investment Challenge is a national stock pitch competition for young women and non-binary students in Years 10 to 13. It’s a unique opportunity to explore how investment decisions are made – and to experience first-hand what it’s like to think like an analyst.
Working in teams of 3–5, students research a real company, analyse its performance and future prospects, and present a pre-recorded video stock recommendation to industry professionals.
Timeline:
September to November: Registration window for schools/teams
November to December: Onboarding
January to March: Challenge runs, including 7 live sessions & mentoring
End of March: Deadline to submit work
April: Judging rounds
May: Winners & Results announced
June: Events and awards event for winners & runners up
Pupils must be studying in England or Wales.
If you are in Scotland, please visit our friends at Future Asset to check out their competition.
Meet the 2026 winners!
Dr Challoner’s High School in Little Chalfont claimed top honours in the 2026 GAIN Schools Investment Challenge.
Over a seven-week period, a team of 5 pupils from Dr Challoner’s – Sofia, Lasya, Tanisha, Anushka and Hanna – demonstrated exceptional financial acumen, commercial awareness and presentation skills that impressed industry professionals from leading investment firms.
Here, the team talk to The Girls Are Investors Podcast about their experience:
Why take part?
Investment management shapes the world around us – from how companies grow to how pensions are invested.
By taking part, students will:
- Gain a real understanding of how investment decisions are made.
- Work directly with a professional mentor from the industry.
- Build valuable teamwork, research, and presentation skills.
- Boost confidence for university, apprenticeship and future career applications.
- Compete for exciting prizes and the chance to attend a special summer event with leading investment firms.
No previous finance or economics experience is required — just curiosity and enthusiasm!
The Programme
Professional Mentorship
Each school is matched with a volunteer mentor working in investment management. Mentors guide students through company analysis, valuation and the investment decision process.
Research & Analysis
Guided by by industry experts during live sessions, students learn how to assess a company’s performance, study its competitors, and decide whether to recommend buying or selling the stock.
Final Pitch
Teams submit a video presentation and a written investment report, which are reviewed by a panel of investment professionals — an exciting opportunity to showcase their understanding, analysis, and communication skills.
Prizes
Awards for 2026
Winning team
£1,000 for their school and a £200 voucher for each team member.
Runners up
£500 for their school and a £100 voucher for each team member.
The winning and runner-up teams will be invited to attend the GAIN Awards to collect their prizes and visit an investment firm, where they’ll meet inspiring women from across the industry.
The GAIN Investment Challenge prizes are kindly donated by the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment
How it works
Over six to eight weeks, mentors & industry experts meet with students over seven live online sessions to work through the following steps:
1
What to consider when analysing a company
2
How does the company make money?
3
Investment fundamentals
4
What are the non-financial success factors?
5
Creating an investment hypothesis
6
Bringing it all together
Meet the 2026 top 10 teams
Out of an incredible 151 teams who completed the challenge in 2026, making it into the top 10 is an outstanding achievement. Every student who took part – whether you placed or not – should be extremely proud. The top 10 teams in 2026 are:
1st place, our winners 🏆
Dr Challoner’s High School Team 2
2nd place, our runners up 🎊
Wimbledon High School Team 1
3rd place
Chelmsford County High School Team 1
4th place
Chelmsford County High School Team 2
5th place
Lady Eleanor Hollies School Team 1
6th place
Wimbledon High School Team 2
7th place
Becket Keys Church of England School Team
8th place
Rosebery School Team 1
9th place
Nottingham Girl’s High School Team 1
10th place
Sheffield High School Team 1
Congratulations to all our 2026 finalists and winners!
In 2025 we won ‘Closing the Gender Gap Award – UK’ at the Money Awareness Inclusion Awards!
What students say
What teachers and mentors say
Hear more from previous participants
FAQs
In addition to the 1 hour live session each week, we recommend a further 1–2 hours per week for teams to work on their research and stock pitch. Students will also receive mentoring sessions throughout the challenge, which we recommend last between 30 minutes and 1 hour every couple of weeks. Overall, the challenge typically runs for 6–8 weeks.
Not at all! The challenge is designed for all students. We only ask that you bring your enthusiasm and critical thinking.
Teachers or school coordinators can register their school using the form linked below (registrations open in September 2026 for the 2027 challenge). Up to 3 teams per school can apply.
Students must be in Years 10 to 13 and studying in England or Wales.
The 2027 Challenge begins in January 2027.
Yes — the challenge is completely free for schools and students.
We are excited to be bringing the challenge to international schools in 2027!
Ready to get started?
Inspire your students, build confidence, and open doors to the world of investment.
Got questions?
We’re here to help. If you’d like to learn more about the programme or your application, please email:
schools@gainuk.org
