uk essay competitions 2021

• Editorial Team
• Curiosities Submissions
• Puzzle Submissions
• Application Form
• Printed Copies Form
• National Committee
• Local Committee
• Institutional Reps
• Summer Schools
• Student Conferences
• Graduate Opportunities
• Internships and Part-Time Jobs
• Postgraduate
• ULAB Events
• Public Calendar

ULAB Undergraduate Essay Competition

Next competition, past competitions, results per year.

• Andrew Tobin (University of Edinburgh)
• Adam Heron (University of Glasgow)
• Sylvia Shi (University of Cambridge)
• Veatriki Michailidi (Northumbria University)

Equality and Diversity Essay Competition 2021

Associated people

Kristin van Zwieten Professor of Law and Finance

The Faculty of Law is excited to announce its first ever Equality and Diversity Essay Competition in direct response to a request from students.

The essay competition is open to all undergraduate students in the Oxford Law Faculty, including those who were finalists in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Competition entries will be judged by a panel that will include Baroness Hale of Richmond DBE, Christopher Hare, and Kristin van Zwieten.

A prize of £750 will be awarded to the winner of the competition. This sum has been set with a view to enabling the prize-winner to take up opportunities for vacation work that might otherwise be inaccessible given travel and accommodation costs. The winning essay will also be published on the Oxford Law website.

A second prize of £250 will be awarded to the runner-up.

The judges may, at their discretion, select additional essays for special commendation. 

Your essay should develop an argument for equality and diversity-related law reform in a particular area. You should be specific about the reform(s) you advocate and why you advocate for it/them. Essays will be evaluated by reference to the clarity and cogency of the argument that is developed.

Word limit and style

Your essay must be no longer than 2,500 words, including all footnotes/endnotes.

Footnotes/endnotes should be in OSCOLA format. Bibliographies are not required.

Essays should be typed and submitted in Word format, using size 12 font.

Submission process

Essays must be submitted to  [email protected] by no later than midday on Monday 20 September 2021 . The winner and runner-up will be announced in the first two weeks of Michaelmas term.

Your covering email should include a statement that the essay you are submitting is entirely your own work, except for where otherwise indicated, as well as a statement of the word count (again, including footnotes/endnotes).

Essays will be anonymised before being given to any judge for evaluation.

Global Governance Institute

• Publications
• Commentaries

Student Essay Competition: Joint Approaches to the Climate and Biodiversity Crises

11 March 2021

We want to hear your thoughts on how we can tackle the climate and biodiversity crises. Submit your short essay (up to 1000 words) by 28 May 2021 for a chance to get published and win up to £100. The competition is open to postgraduate students across UCL.

There is growing recognition that accelerating climate change and mass biodiversity loss are mutually reinforcing challenges. Global warming is already putting massive pressure on vulnerable ecosystems, including coral reefs and the polar regions. Unless decisive climate action is taken, we could experience sudden and dramatic disruptions to key ecosystems as early as 2030.

In turn, the decline of biodiversity is making it more difficult to address the climate crisis . This is because biodiverse ecosystems, such as forests, mangroves or peatlands, act as significant natural carbon stores and also provide protection from extreme weather events and other adverse effects of global warming.

The implications for humans are immense. The combined challenge of climate change and ecosystem breakdown poses a multitude of interrelated risks, from food insecurity to the spread of  infectious diseases . We are on a “ collision course with the laws of ecology ;” eroding the natural life support systems upon which human civilisation ultimately depends.

But there is also positive news. Because climate change and biodiversity loss are closely linked, we can address them together – in a way that simultaneously offers benefits to human communities. There is growing interest in policy interventions that work with nature to make societies more environmentally and socially sustainable. A move towards such integrated solutions could also help facilitate the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We invite postgraduate students across UCL to share their thoughts on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Students from any discipline can participate. Essays should not exceed 1000 words. They should be aimed at (and accessible to) a general university audience.

The following list provides examples of the types of questions students might want to select for discussion. Authors are free to pose their own questions of a similar nature.

• How can we best make sense of the interrelated challenges presented by climate change and biodiversity loss?
• Where do we see compelling examples of community-based solutions that work with nature rather than against it?
• What are the implications of accelerating global warming and biodiversity loss for the prospect of achieving the UN SDGs?
• How can we effectively catalyse action to bring political reality into alignment with biophysical reality?
• What kind of governance frameworks (local, national, regional and/or global) are needed to address climate change and biodiversity loss in an integrated manner?
• How can societies become more resilient to the risks posed by a warmer, more volatile planet?
• How can governments incentivise an ecologically and socially sustainable post-COVID-19 recovery?

The best three essays will be published on the website of the UCL Global Governance Institute. The author of the winning essay will receive £100. There will be prizes of £50 each for the two runner-up entries. The winning essays will also be circulated to a network of UCL colleagues and external experts working on the climate-biodiversity interface.

To participate, submit your essay as an attachment (in Word or PDF) to [email protected] by 28 May 2021. If you have any questions about the competition, please contact Julia Kreienkamp at [email protected] .

This essay competition is facilitated by a grant from UCL Grand Challenges and the UCL Global Engagement Office. It forms part of a wider project on “ A Shared Agenda for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals on Biodiversity and Climate Change ,” hosted by the UCL Global Governance Institute.

Grant Award: UCL Grand Challenges & Global Engagement

Tweets by GGIUCL

Top login menu

Search form.

• Murray Edwards College Franklin Society: Essay Competition 2021
• She Talks Science

Main page content

Franklin society essay competition 2021.

To enter the competition, students should choose one of the following questions to answer:

• Can we cure cancer? Use examples to back up your argument.
• From medical imaging to new microscopy techniques, physics can be applied in many ways to biological sciences. Discuss how this multidisciplinary approach is useful, giving specific examples.
• How can a knowledge of science help us tackle climate change?
• The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the massive problem of scientific misinformation. Discuss the importance of the scientific process in ensuring published research is reliable, and how it can be applied to prevent misinformation spreading.

The writers of the best essays will receive a prize: £50 for first place, £30 for second place and £20 for third place. The top three essays will also be posted online on the Franklin Society's Facebook page.

If you would like to take part, send your essay (between 1,000 and 3,000 words) to [email protected] with the email subject “Franklin Society Essay competition 2021” by 12 noon on 31 May 2021. Please include your full name, email address and the name of your school/college with your submission.

Take a look at the following documents for further information:

Competition details, judging criteria and top tips

Terms and conditions

Winners should be chosen by the end of June. Good luck!

Related posts

Bell burnell society essay competition 2023, related information, paula browne house, new hall society international day 2021, career path: understanding dark matter – a collaborative venture, school winner: could the neutrino be the most interesting particle in physics.

JESS LAWRENCE

[email protected]

BOOK EDITOR, UK

Services   |  Testimonials   |   About   |   Contact   |   Blog

• Jess Lawrence
• Dec 21, 2020

21 Writing Competitions for 2021

Well, 2020 has been a wild ride, hasn't it? But let's put this mess of a year behind us and make 2021 the year you get your writing out there. There are loads of writing competitions and I've selected a handful that look particularly exciting. Whether you're in it for glory and financial reward, or you just want to have some fun and create based on prompts, take a look at the below list and see what sparks your creativity.

I've split the list into categories so it's easier to find the competitions you're most interested in. Click on any of the links below to jump to that section.

Short Stories and Flash Fiction Competitions

Novel competitions, poetry competitions, essay competitions, recurring competitions.

Cheshire Prize for Literature

Deadline: 31st January

Prize: £500

Entry Fee: Free

1500 words max

Entrants must have been born, lived, studied or worked in Cheshire

Open to all ages

Website: https://www1.chester.ac.uk/press-office/cheshire-prize-literature-2020

Paracombe Prize

Prize: £100, £50, £25

Entry Fee: £5

2020 words max

Open to all

Website: https://prize.parracombe.org.uk/

Elmbridge Literary Competition

Deadline: 5th February

Prize: £250, £150, £100

Entry Fee: £5 (free for under 18s)

1500 words max (for 14+), 1000 words max (for 8-13)

Theme: Music

Website: https://www.rcsherrifftrust.org.uk/copy-of-the-2020-elmbridge-literary

Bath Flash Fiction Award

Deadline: 7th February

Prize: £1000, £300, £100, £30

Entry Fee: £9

300 words max

Any theme or subject, adult and YA fiction

Website: https://bathflashfictionaward.com/

Stella Kupferberg Memorial Short Story Prize

Deadline: 5th March

Prize: $1000 + 10-week Gotham Writers course

Entry Fee: $25

750 words max

Open to all.

Website: https://www.writingclasses.com/contest/stella-kupferberg-memorial-short-story-prize-2021

Bristol Short Story Prize

Deadline: 5th May

Prize: £1000, £500, £250, £100

4000 words max

Any theme, subject and genre

Website: https://www.bristolprize.co.uk/news/2021-bristol-short-story-prize-is-open

Zizzle Literary Flash Fiction Contest

Deadline: 15th March

Prize: $1000, $500, $150

Entry Fee: $5

1000 words max

Must include the dialogue prompt from Zizzle's social media

Website: https://zizzlelit.com/contest/

Anthology Magazine's Short Story Competition

Deadline: 30th April (Early Bird), 31st July (Final)

Prize: €500

Entry Fee: €10 (Early bird), €15

Theme: Memories

Website: https://anthology-magazine.com/short-story/

The Debut Dagger Crime Novel Award

Deadline: 26th February

Prize: Shortlisted entries are sent to select agents and publishers for review

Entry Fee: £36

3000 words max + 1500-word synopsis

Must be a crime novel (obviously)

Doesn't need to be completed work

Website: https://thecwa.co.uk/debuts/debut-dagger

Rubery Book Award

Deadline: 31st March

Prize: £1500

Entry Fee: £37

Books must be self-published or published by independent press

All genres welcome

Website: https://www.ruberybookaward.com/

Bridport Prize Novel Award

Deadline: 31st May

Prize: £1500, £750, £150

Entry Fee: £20

8000 words max + 300-word synopsis

Work need not be completed, but long-listed entrants will need to send 15,000 words, and short-listed entrants will need to send 30,000 words

Open to Brits only

Must not currently have representation

Any fiction for adults (including YA with adult crossover)

Website: https://bridportprize.org.uk/the-competition/novel-award/

Magma Poetry Competition

Deadline: 15th January

Prize: £1000, £300, £150

Judges' Prize: 11-50 lines

Editors' Prize: up to 10 lines

Website: https://magmapoetry.com/magma-2020-21-poetry-competition/

Sentinel Literary Quarterly

Prize: £250, £125, £75, £30

50 lines max

Website: https://sentinelquarterly.com/competitions/poetry/index.htm

Nature and Place Poetry Competition

Deadline: 1st March

Prize: £1000, £500, £250

Entry Fee: £7

40 lines max

Theme: any aspect of nature and place

Website: https://www.therialto.co.uk/pages/nature-poetry-competition-2021/

Wergle Flomp Humor Poetry Contest

Deadline: 1st April

Prize: $2000, $500, $100

250 lines max

Inspired gibberish is allowed (what an excellent criterion!)

Must be humorous

Open to all (except Syria, Iran, North Korea and Crimea due to US restrictions)

Website: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/wergle-flomp-humor-poetry-contest-free

Calibre Essay Prize

Prize: $7500 AUD

Entry Fee: $25 AUD

5000 words max

Essays of all kinds, including personal, political, literary and speculative

Website: https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/prizes-programs/calibre-prize/current-prize

Tom Howard/John H. Reid Fiction and Essay Competition

Deadline: 30th April

Prize: $3000 USD

Entry Fee: $20 USD

6000 words max

Any theme or subject

Website: https://winningwriters.com/our-contests/tom-howard-john-h-reid-fiction-essay-contest

WriteTime Short Story Competition

Deadline: Quarterly (March, June, September, December)

Prize: £50, £25

Entry Fee: £3

Entrants must be aged 60 and over

Website: https://writetime.org/about-writetime/

Creative Writing Ink Competition

Deadline: Monthly

Prize: £10 Amazon voucher

Poems up to 40 lines

Website: https://creativewritingink.co.uk/competitions/free-to-enter-creative-writing-ink-competition/

Writing Prompt Competition

Deadline: Every two months

No word limit

Writing must be inspired by images shared on Creative Writing Ink account

Entry must be posted online (details in link)

Website: https://creativewritingink.co.uk/writing-prompts/

The Writing Quarter Competition

3000 words max

Open to all aged 18 and over

Website: https://writingquarter.com.au/the-writing-quarter-competition/

Classics and Ancient History Essay Competition 2021/22: Winners Announced

Date 17 May 2022

• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Facebook

The competition is open to all UK students currently studying in Year 12 or equivalent, whether or not they are studying a Classical or Ancient subject, and gives students of any subjects an opportunity to write an essay on the classical world. The organisers are interested in providing an occasion for independent research, to encourage curiosity and reflection in those who have studied the ancient world before and those who have not.

For this year’s competition, entrants were asked to write a reflective and convincing essay in response to one of the following questions:

• ‘No (wo)man is an island.’ How self-sufficient are characters in ancient literature?
• Was one’s community in the ancient world limited to one’s city?
• Many ancient philosophers emphasised the importance of friendship and community in the good life. What place do you think others have in the happy life?
• Does Greek and/or Roman art ever express notions of community, or is it simply a reflection of wealthy and powerful individuals?

The range of questions reflects the range of subjects on offer in the Oxford Classics course, and the range of expertise of our tutors. This year, the questions were set and the essays marked by Dr Marion Durand (Associate College Lecturer), Dr Emma Greensmith (Fellow in Classical Literature), Dr Georgy Kantor (Fellow in Ancient History), Dr Matt Hosty (Lecturer in Classical Languages) and Dr Alison Pollard (Lecturer in Classical Archaeology).

An £100 book token was awarded to the best entry in each category, and an additional £75 book token was presented to the overall winner. A further £75 book token was awarded to the best essay submitted by a pupil who has not previously studied a Classical or Ancient subject, while all participants received a certificate of entry.

Congratulations to this year’s winners and commendations:

• History winner (and overall winner): Maisie (Buckinghamshire)
• History commendations: Claudia (London), Holly (Surrey), Toby (Buckinghamshire)
• Literature winner: Hebe (Oxfordshire)
• Literature commendations: Carl (Berkshire), Emily (London), Holly (Surrey), Samara (Brighton and Hove)
• New to Classics: (and commended in Literature): Nathaniel (Durham)
• Philosophy winner: Declan (Hertfordshire)
• Philosophy commendations: Hilary (Cambridgeshire)
• Archaeology winner: Giselle (London)
• Archaeology commendations: Amelia (London), Hansen (London)

You can read the full marker’s report by clicking here.

Competition entrants, alongside pupils from Inspire 12 & 13 , were invited to join us at one of two Classics and Ancient History Study Exploration Afternoon, which we were delighted to host in-person on the 21st and 29th of April. We had 110 attendees over the two days, who attended academic taster sessions and spoke to our tutors and current students about studying Classics and Ancient History at Oxford.

Both sessions began with a welcome talk and an introduction to studying classics at Oxford, followed by a prize giving ceremony for the winners of the essay competition. Participants then attended two academic taster sessions led by St John’s tutors, with a total of eight talks on offer. Topics ranged from how to decorate a Roman house and feasts and spectacles in Pompeii, to gendered desire in ancient poetry and constitutional debates in classical Greek literature.

Pupils were also given a tour of St John’s, as well as lots of opportunities to chat to tutors and current students at a formal Q&A session and during afternoon refreshments.

We received some lovely feedback from pupils after the day, including:

• “I loved both of my academic sessions. As a state school student who’s never been able to study classics as a subject, it was a wonderful experience and [I] fully enjoyed it.”
• “I really enjoyed the sessions with the tutors as I feel I got a good insight into what the dynamics of real tutorials at Oxford would be like.”
• “The academic sessions were the most fun, as I got to have a taste of how wonderful teaching at Oxford is and it inspired me to look further into Classics.”
• “My favourite part was that I was able to talk to the professors personally and enable to carry my interests more depth.”

A huge thank you to all our participants, pupils, Tutors and students, who helped make the Subject Exploration Afternoons a fun event for all!

Our website uses cookies

We use essential and non-essential cookies that improve the functionality and experience of the website.

For more information, see our cookies policy.

Necessary cookies

Necessary cookies ensure the smooth running of the website, including core functionality and security. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.

Analytics cookies

Analytical cookies are used to determine how visitors are using a website, enabling us to enhance performance and functionality of the website. These are non-essential cookies but are not used for advertising purposes.

Advertising cookies

Advertising cookies help us monitor the effectiveness of our campaigns as well as enabling advertising to be tailored to you through retargeting advertising services. This means there is the possibility of you seeing more adverts from us on other websites that you visit.

• Save settings

• Appointments & Staffing
• Asset Management
• Autonomous Vehicles & ADAS
• Cloud Computing
• Congestion Reduction
• Connected Vehicles
• Cybersecurity
• Data & Modeling
• Deals, Acquisitions & Mergers
• Electric vehicles & infrastructure
• Emissions & Low Emission Zones
• Enforcement
• Incident Detection
• Infrastructure
• Intersections & Traffic Signals
• Legal / Government Regulation
• Machine Vision / ALPR
• Mobility as a Service
• Multimodality & Micromobility
• Planning, Testing, R&D
• Public transit
• Smart Cities
• Smart Parking
• Traffic counting & categorization
• Traffic Management
• Traveler Information Systems
• Tunnels & Bridges
• Variable Message Signs
• Vulnerable Road Users
• Weather systems
• December 2023
• September 2023
• Nov/Dec 2022
• Archive Issues
• Subscribe Free!
• > Tolltrans
• The Transportation Podcast
• Additional Audio
• Technology Profiles

ITS (UK) launches 2021 Early Careers Essay Competition

The UK’s Intelligent Transport Systems industry association, ITS (UK), has launched this year’s essay award competition for professionals in the early part of their careers.

This year’s subject covers ITS solutions and innovations that will help to enable decarbonization objectives – particularly solutions that do not exist at the moment. The competition is aimed at members who are either students or apprentices.

The title of the essay is, ‘The Innovative Application of ITS Solutions to Achieve Decarbonization Goals’. Entrants are asked to write around 1,500 words on what they consider to be the key challenges and barriers facing de-carbonization, how and why ITS will play an integral part in realising decarbonization goals and how the writer envisages the transport industry of the future, if the potential solutions are successful.

The competition is open to UK residents who were apprentices, undergraduates, or MSc students at any time during 2021. More information can be found here .

“ITS (UK) runs these awards to encourage interest and participation in the development of ITS technologies,” explains operations manager Rukshan Soysa, who manages the competition.  “Work may be based on existing coursework, or written especially for the award. Marks will be awarded for technical understanding, innovative ideas and a holistic approach to transport technology.”

Awards will be made in two categories: best essay by an apprentice and best essay by an undergraduate or MSc student.

For the 2020 competition, Lynsey Michelle Turner of AECOM was awarded the prize in the apprentice category while Ethan Boys from Newcastle University won amongst the students.

ITS (UK) is also reminding members that its annual awards will be held in November and nominations are open now .

Lauren is a regular contributor to Traffic Technology International (TTi) and a freelance technical journalist. Over the past 15 years, she has worked on a wide variety of B2B publications and websites, including a stint as deputy editor of Traffic Technology International from 2014-2016. She has a degree in English from the University of Exeter. Lauren is mum to two busy little girls. She is always in demand!

Related Posts

Intertraffic video: quarterhill ceo chuck myers on launching a new its giant, intertraffic video: jenoptik showcases noise camera, distracted driving detection…, tti webinar: kapsch to share insights from ireland’s c-its pilot program.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Blog Competition and Markets Authority

https://competitionandmarkets.blog.gov.uk/2024/04/17/cma10-essay-competition-winners-announced/

CMA10 essay competition: winners announced

We ran an essay competition to mark the 10th anniversary of the CMA . 85 students and recent graduates sent in their entries in response to the question: ‘What are the benefits of a strong competition and/or consumer protection regime, and how can the CMA best deliver them?’

The essays were judged by an eminent panel comprised of Sarah Cardell (Chief Executive of the CMA), Amelia Fletcher CBE (Professor of Competition Policy at Norwich Business School), Richard Whish (Emeritus Professor of Law at King’s College) and Dr Mike Walker (Chief Economist at the CMA).

The winner was Maxwell Curtis , who completed a Masters in Corporate Law from Cambridge in July 2022 and is currently studying at BPP for the Solicitor Qualifying Exams. The judges enjoyed Max’s creativity in presenting his answer as a CMA merger decision.

The 2 runners-up were Alex Christou who is studying economics at Strathclyde University, and Henry Rugg who wrote an essay that caught the eye of the judging panel, despite still being in Year 13 (at Dame Alice Owens' Sixth Form in North London). Henry hopes to study maths and economics at university next year and became interested in the work of the CMA when following Microsoft's acquisition of Activision Blizzard in the news last year and seeing the role that the CMA played in safeguarding consumer interests.

All 3 winners will be joining CMA staff and key figures from the business, consumer, and competition communities at an event on 18 April to make the CMA’s 10th anniversary.

Maxwell's winning essay

Adopting the framework of a CMA merger decision, this essay contends that the CMA, through its expanding statutory powers, can align the interests of consumers and businesses to unlock the competitive potential of ‘UK plc’.

Counterproductively, much of the debate concerning competition law policy is premised on the notion that businesses and consumers are on opposing sides. The polarised political climate is undoubtedly contributing to this false dichotomy. This narrative presents the CMA with a seemingly impossible task to promote the interests of both groups. Much like a football referee, it inevitably faces backlash from all directions.

In reality, like most things in our complex society, the situation is more nuanced. It is not a zero-sum game. Businesses and consumers have many shared interests, which the CMA can foster by promoting a competitive market and enforcing consumer law pragmatically.

The ‘merger’ proposed below sets out how the CMA can best achieve this, ‘clearing’ the way for a reinvigorated UK plc.

Proposed Merger between Consumer and Business Interests in the UK

1. the parties.

The proposed transaction seeks to bring together the interests of the 2 key organs of the economy - consumers and businesses - to establish a more competitive UK plc.

There are approximately 5.6 million private sector businesses in the UK, with 8,000 ‘large’ businesses (employing over 250 staff) (Footnote 1). There are approximately 67 million consumers in the UK (Footnote 2), spending approximately £1.4 trillion annually (Footnote 3). The UK’s share of supply in the global production of goods and services is estimated at 2.17% (Footnote 4).

The interests of consumers and businesses already overlap in many ways. Whilst businesses are legal persons, they are managed by, and employ, natural persons i.e., consumers. Equally, consumers are vital (active and passive) shareholders and stakeholders in business.

2. Background to the Transaction

The proposed transaction would take place at a critical juncture. The UK economy is amidst a cost-of-living crisis, still recovering from the lingering effects of the pandemic. Globally, increased geopolitical conflict is threatening the rules-based order and the risks of climate change can no longer be ignored. Adding to this mix is the rapid proliferation of generative AI, which is disrupting all sectors of the economy.

In times of such immense challenge and profound uncertainty, the consequences of anti- competitive markets and unfair business practices are particularly severe. Accordingly, the rationale of this proposed transaction is to optimise the UK’s strong competition and consumer protection regime.

Not only would this deliver tangible benefits for consumers through lower prices (Footnote 5), it would signal that UK plc is, in fact, ‘open for business’.

3. Counterfactual

The counterfactual is a continuation of the partisan discourse of businesses pitted against consumers, distracting from meaningful action to align their interests. The various risks of the status quo are clear:

First, in the absence of a formal co-ordination agreement with the EU, the UK economy would face increasing isolationism from its closest long-term trading partners. There would be a lack of legal certainty, reduced investment and a downward trend in the UK’s global share of supply.

Second, if consumers remain largely unaware of their consumer rights and the CMA’s role in safeguarding these, consumers will continue to feel helpless in seeking redress for misleading and unfair practices. Intervention will also be less impactful.

Third, the merger control process will grow more adversarial and unpredictable, alienating businesses from the outset of the process. Mergers are an important source of innovation due to their combinatorial nature. Too much unpredictability in merger control can disincentivise start-ups and dampen dynamic competition. This could curtail the UK’s potential as an international leader in AI (Footnote 6).

4. Implementation

Considering the counterfactual risks, the proposed transaction involves three key steps which all have as their object (and hopefully their effect) enhanced legal certainty, consumer protection and dynamic competition for UK plc:

4.1 Entering into a formal co-operation agreement with the EU

Exiting the European Competition Network has made it harder for the CMA to share expertise and coordinate investigations with the European Commission and National Competition Authorities. A formal co-operation agreement with the EU would harmonise the institutions and their processes to enhance legal certainty.

Substantively, the agreement could reduce multi-jurisdictional divergence, for example by including guidance on a unified approach towards behavioural remedies.

4.2 Improving public awareness of consumer rights and making more targeted interventions

The CMA is poised to significantly enhance its consumer protection enforcement, wielding its impending powers under the Digital Markets Competition and Consumers Bill (DMCC).

Regrettably, consumers in the UK remain largely unaware of their consumer rights and how the CMA acts to protect them. If consumers do not know their rights, they cannot identify illegal practices. This proposal calls for the CMA to ramp up its educational function alongside its enforcement. For example, by entering partnerships with consumer advocacy bodies and launching more digital campaigns. With more informed consumers, unfair trading practices could be deterred without the CMA’s involvement. Furthermore, the CMA would intervene in areas where consumers have expressed greatest concerns, leading to more targeted and impactful enforcement.

Ongoing monitoring of potential loopholes is also imperative to effective consumer protection. For example, despite the CMA’s open letter to grocery retailers on unit pricing (Footnote 7), various retailers continue to conceal unit prices for goods which are on ‘special’ through a loyalty scheme.

4.3 Allowing for more meaningful engagement earlier in merger inquiries

A merger inquiry is fundamentally a fact-finding mission. The process aims to uncover the true rationale behind a transaction and how it is likely to affect consumers. However, much of the process is dominated by lengthy written submissions, and opportunities are limited for in-person meetings with key stakeholders until after substantive decisions have been made. This can result in material facts emerging late in the process, frustrating all parties involved and wasting important public resources.

Opportunities for early engagement would also be enhanced if case teams comprised of staff with (‘in-house’) business experience from a range of different industries. Merging businesses could then exercise their right to be heard more meaningfully, reducing antagonism and leading to more pro-active future engagement with the CMA.

Conclusions

With the imminent introduction of the DMCC, and the emergence of new forms of market power in AI, the proposed transaction would take place at a watershed moment. The CMA’s ability to align consumer and business interests by promoting a well-functioning competitive environment has never been more important.

The CMA has a successful track record of preventing anti-competitive industry consolidation (Footnote 8), sanctioning anti-competitive conduct and championing consumer rights. However, by ‘clearing’ the proposed transaction and adopting the above proposals, the CMA can unleash the competitive potential of a revitalised UK plc.

Crucially, the CMA can achieve this whilst preserving its political independence, which is a hallmark of the UK’s competition and consumer protection regime.

(Footnote 1): Business population estimates for the UK and regions 2023: as of the start of 2023

(Footnote 2): Population estimate as of mid-year 2021.

(Footnote 3): Household final consumption expenditure in 2022 .

(Footnote 4): Using ‘2024 GDP based on PPP, share of world’ measured by the IMF as a proxy .

(Footnote 5): In this essay, the term ‘price’ is used as a proxy for various parameters of competition including price, quality and innovation.

(Footnote 6): For example, UK signals step change for regulators to strengthen AI leadership .

(Footnote 7): Summary of consumer research and unit pricing analysis .

(Footnote 8): For example, CMA blocks merger between Sainsbury’s and Asda .

A well done and thank you from the CMA

Congratulations to our winner Maxwell, and our 2 runners-up Alex and Henry for their brilliant essays.

And a thank you to everyone who entered and took part in the competition.

Tags: 10Years , CMA10 , CMAat10 , EssayCompetition , Graduates , WritingCompetition

Sharing and comments

Share this page, leave a comment.

Cancel reply

By submitting a comment you understand it may be published on this public website. Please read our privacy notice to see how the GOV.UK blogging platform handles your information.

Related content and links

About the cma blog.

The official blog of the Competition and Markets Authority. We will use this blog to share updates on our work and encourage debate and discussion.

Find out more about this blog .

Sign up and manage updates

Comments and moderation.

• Read our guidelines