The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) Student Design Awards is partnering with The Kitchen Education Trust (TKET), kitchen manufacturers and institutions to launch a competition.

Alongside support from industry sponsors AEG, Blum, Symphony, Blanco, Kesseboehmer, the Office for Disability Issues and National Innovation Centre for Ageing (NICA), the RSA has created a design brief, Beyond the Kitchen Table.

The focus is on “developing a convivial kitchen product or spatial solution that enables people of diverse generations and needs to prepare and eat food, entertain, engage in hobbies or work, and enjoy being together.”

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Visiting professor for the Foundation Degree in Kitchen Design at Buckinghamshire New University and TKET and NICA design ambassador Johnny Grey commented: “Multi-generational design is going mainstream.

“In this brief, we are asking for innovative products and spatial concepts that will make kitchens desirable places no-one wants to leave. Clever thinking that has emotional and functional appeal.

“The partnership aims to connect university educated students to the heart of the industry to create a kitchen design profession.”

There are 10 challenges in this year’s Student Design Awards that include over £30,000 in cash prizes and paid placements. Winners also receive practical support from the RSA and partners.

The competition will open for submissions in January 2019 and prizes of up to £2,500 are available for winning entries.

Students on the Buckinghamshire New University Foundation Degree will also be eligible to enter.

The RSA recently named the winners of its Student Designer Award winners, with a brief of “Eat, Share, Live”.