# Competition Pipelines & Talent-ID Programs (Math / Science / Robotics / Informatics)

Mapped for a child born Oct 2014 (age 11 now, turning 12 in Oct 2026), based in Hamar, Norway. Interest: science, invention, robotics, programming. Goal is to identify what to ENTER NOW and what to BOOKMARK for ages 13/14/15.

Verified against 2025/26 and 2026/27 cycles. Sources at bottom.

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## TL;DR — what to do this autumn (2026)

The single biggest unlock for an 11–12-year-old in Norway who likes science/tech is **getting onto a FIRST LEGO League Challenge team for autumn 2026** — registration closes **October 1, 2026**, the regional final for Innlandet (Hamar's region) is **November 9 at Håkons Hall in Lillehammer**, and Techløftet Innlandet **covers the registration fee and challenge sets** for Hamar-area teams. The team needs an adult mentor (often a teacher or parent).

Second priority: get the school to register for the **NIO Round 1 (week 46 — mid-November)** and **Bebras (second week of November)**. Both are run by the teacher on a school PC in ~40 minutes; the school just needs an account. The teacher must register by **Nov 1** for NIO.

Third: get on the **Reale Talenter** Hamar/Gjøvik/Kongsvinger list for 8th-grade entry (free, includes Hamar region) — apply by **September 11** when the portal opens. He'd enter 8th grade in autumn 2027 so this is the year to bookmark and apply.

Fourth: **Kengurukonkurransen** in March 2026 (already passed this cycle — bookmark for March 2027, deadline mid-March) and **MatteMaraton** in May 2026 — both school-based, low effort.

Math camps abroad (Mattekollo in Sweden) and EJOI/IJSO open up at 13–15, after he's built a track record nationally.

---

## MATH

### Norwegian-domestic math competitions

#### Kengurukonkurransen (Math Kangaroo, Norwegian edition)
- **URL:** https://www.matematikksenteret.no/konkurranser/kengurukonkurransen
- **Ages/grades:** 4.–10. trinn. Three age categories:
  - **Ecolier** — grade 4–5
  - **Benjamin** — grade 6–8 ← this is where the 11–12 yo fits now
  - **Cadet** — grade 9–10
- **Country/scope:** Norway (international parent: Math Kangaroo, ~75 countries)
- **Format:** School-based, individual, multiple-choice, ~24 problems, 75 min. Done at the school on a chosen date in a 4-week window after release. Mix of easy/medium/hard so it's accessible.
- **Cost:** Effectively free (school-paid; symbolic per-pupil fee).
- **Pipeline:** No formal training-camp follow-on. Diplomas to top scorers per grade. Mostly a "motivator + thermometer." Good national score sometimes flagged by teachers for Talentsenter recommendations later.
- **2026/27 cycle dates:** Registration deadline **March 16, 2027** (12:00); competition opens **March 19, 2027**; submission window closes **mid-April 2027**.
- **Norwegian access from Hamar:** School registration via Matematikksenteret. If his school doesn't run it, ask the math teacher to register — it's literally 10 minutes of teacher time and free. Available in bokmål, nynorsk, English.
- **Action:** **ENTER MARCH 2027** (Benjamin category — he'll be in 6th grade).

#### MatteMaraton (Kikora)
- **URL:** https://www.mattemaraton.no/
- **Ages/grades:** 1.–10. trinn — Norway's largest school math competition.
- **Format:** Online platform (Kikora), month-long, individual + class scoring. Runs **May 1–31** each year. Open to all schools regardless of license in 2026.
- **Cost:** Free in 2026.
- **Pipeline:** Class-level prizes, no individual talent-ID feed.
- **Action:** **ENTER MAY 2026** — ask the teacher to enroll the class. Low-friction warmup.

#### UngeAbel (former Kappabel)
- **URL:** https://lamis.no/ungeabel/
- **Ages/grades:** **9. trinn only** — class-based competition (not individual).
- **Format:** Two web-based qualifying rounds (Nov + Jan, 100-min sessions), deepening assignment, semifinal, **final at Gardermoen in April**. 16 classes invited to final.
- **Pipeline:** Winning Norwegian class represents Norway at the **Nordic Math Class Competition (NMCC)**, a 5-country (DK/FI/IS/NO/SE) ages-14–15 contest with rotating host.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK for autumn 2029** (when he's in 9th grade). Tell the 9th-grade math teacher then — many teachers don't enter it by default.

#### Niels Henrik Abels matematikkonkurranse (Abelkonkurransen)
- **URL:** https://www.matematikksenteret.no/konkurranser/abelkonkurransen and https://abelkonkurransen.no/
- **Ages/grades:** Videregående (upper secondary) — VG1–VG3. **Too old now.** He'd enter at age 16+, autumn 2030.
- **Format:** Two digital prelim rounds (early Nov + early Jan) at school, final at NTNU Trondheim in early March, with a **training camp at NTNU March 6–11** for top finalists ("Abeluka" tradition).
- **Pipeline:** Top scorers selected for **Nordic Mathematical Contest (NMC)**, **Baltic Way**, **Junior Balkan MO** (under 15.5 — small Norwegian footprint), and eventually the **IMO national team** (training camp typically late spring/summer).
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK for autumn 2030.** Note that strong ungdomsskole students sometimes get school dispensation to enter early — worth asking when he hits 9.–10. trinn if he's clearly above level.

#### Adventskalender / Julekalender (matematikk.org)
- **URL:** https://www.matematikk.org/julekalender
- **Ages/grades:** Four parallel calendars by difficulty:
  - **Kringle** — barnehage and 1.–2. trinn
  - **Snøkrystall** — 3.–5. trinn
  - **Stjerne** — 5.–8. trinn ← current fit
  - **Rudolf** — 8. trinn through videregående ← within 1–2 years
- **Format:** Daily problem during advent, optional submission of solutions for prize draws. Done individually at home; teachers also run as class activity.
- **Cost:** Free.
- **Pipeline:** None formal, just exposure / habit-building.
- **2026/27 cycle:** Calendar runs December 1–24, 2026; submission deadline typically mid-January 2027.
- **Action:** **ENTER DECEMBER 2026** (Stjerne, with optional Rudolf for stretch). Pure habit-builder.

#### NTNU Hidden Treasures (Julekalender, ntnu.julekalender.no)
- **URL:** https://ntnu.julekalender.no/
- **Format:** NTNU-run programming/puzzle advent calendar in December. Open to anyone. More technical than matematikk.org one — a fit when he's coding more.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK** — try a couple of doors in Dec 2026 as a stretch; serious entry from age 13.

### Nordic / international math, accessible from Norway

#### NMCC — Nordic Math Class Competition
- **URL:** https://mathclasscomp.com/
- **Ages:** 14–15 (entry via UngeAbel as the Norwegian class).
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK 9th grade** — flows from UngeAbel.

#### UKMT Junior Mathematical Challenge (JMC)
- **URL:** https://ukmt.org.uk/junior-challenges/junior-mathematical-challenge
- **Ages:** Year 8 and below (≈ Norwegian 7.–8. trinn — i.e. ages 12–13). Overseas schools may enter.
- **Format:** 60 min, 25 multiple choice. Date for 2026 cycle was **Wed 29 April 2026**; next cycle ~late April 2027.
- **Pipeline:** Top scorers invited to **Junior Mathematical Olympiad (JMO)** (overseas entry allowed) and **Junior Kangaroo** (UK only). Excellent stretch for a strong 12–13-year-old.
- **Access from Norway:** The school must register with UKMT (small per-pupil fee, ~£ low). Alternatively some private/online entry routes via approved overseas testing centers. **Bergen International School, Oslo International School and similar** sometimes run it — worth asking.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK April 2027 (age 12, 6.–7. trinn-ish overlap with Year 8).** Requires school sponsorship. If Hamar school won't, look into Norwegian private routes (Akademiet, NRG) or international school proxies.

#### EGMO — European Girls' Mathematical Olympiad
- **Not relevant** (boy + age cutoffs ~under 20).

#### IMO / Junior MO pipelines
- IMO: too old. JBMO (Junior Balkan MO): not a Norwegian member.
- **Action:** Skip. The Norwegian feeder is Abelkonkurransen → NMC.

### Swedish/Nordic math (cross-border)

#### Pythagoras Quest (Sweden)
- **URL:** http://www.pythagorasquest.se/
- **Ages:** Högstadiet (Swedish 7.–9. klass, ages 13–15).
- **Format:** School-based qualifier in week 4 (January), then district finals, riksfinal in Malmö (team-based).
- **Norwegian access:** Sweden-only in practice. **Skip** unless he attends a Swedish school.

#### Skolornas matematiktävling (Sweden)
- **URL:** https://www.mattetavling.se/
- **Ages:** Gymnasium (16+), with possible dispensation for younger students.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK age 14+** if he's clearly accelerated; requires arranging with the organizer.

#### Pangea Matematiktävling (Sweden)
- **URL:** https://pangea-tavling.se/
- **Ages:** Grades 4–9, ~15,000 Swedish participants/yr.
- **Action:** Bookmark — Sweden-only entry route. Mostly informational.

#### Mattekollo (Sweden) — math summer camp
- **URL:** https://www.mattekollo.se/
- **Ages:** Grades 6–9 + gymnasium 1–2. Open to skilled/interested students; **no Swedish residency mentioned as a barrier** — worth a direct ask.
- **2026 cycle:** **July 28 – August 7, 2026**, Valla folkhögskola, Linköping. ~70 participants. Topics: graph theory, combinatorics, number theory, geometry + programming.
- **Cost:** 5,500 SEK standard; subsidies "so finances are never a reason." Applications open early year.
- **Action:** **TRY APPLYING FOR SUMMER 2027** (he'll be turning 13 in October 2027, eligible). Norwegian applicants do appear in past cohorts. Application is short-essay style + teacher rec.

---

## INFORMATICS / PROGRAMMING

### Bebras (Beaver) — computational thinking challenge
- **URL (Norway):** https://www.bebras.no/ (UiB is national hub, Prof. Frances Rosamond)
- **International parent:** https://www.bebras.org/
- **Ages:** Explicitly designed 8–16, multiple age brackets (Mini, Benjamin, Cadet etc).
- **Format:** School-based, ~45 min on PC/tablet, no prior CS knowledge required. Run during **2nd week of November** worldwide.
- **Cost:** Free.
- **Pipeline:** Not a direct olympiad feeder, but score is used by teachers as a signal for NIO eligibility / talent-ID. Major value: zero-friction introduction to algorithmic thinking.
- **Norwegian access from Hamar:** Teacher must register the school at bebras.no. If the school isn't already enrolled, that's a 5-minute teacher action. **No individual entry route in Norway.**
- **Action:** **PUSH TEACHER TO REGISTER BY EARLY NOV 2026.** Lowest-friction, highest-leverage step.

### NIO — Norsk Informatikkolympiade
- **URL:** https://nio.no/ — registration https://nio.no/pamelding/ — rounds https://nio.no/rundene/
- **Ages:** Open to videregående and **lower levels** (i.e. ungdomsskole and even barneskole). No prior programming required for Round 1.
- **Rounds (verified for 2025/26 cycle, same pattern annually):**
  - **Round 1** — week 46 (mid-November), at school, ~40 min, 10 problems with 3 difficulty variants (2/3/4 pts). PC-based, link + code from teacher. No install. **Teacher registration deadline: November 1.**
  - **Round 2** — January, online, top ~200 invited. 4–5 actual coding problems (Python 2/3, Java, C++11). AI tools banned.
  - **Final** — ~4 days at **University of Bergen**, top ~15 + selected younger / female participants (explicit pipeline-development practice).
- **Pipeline:** Final selects:
  - Top 6 → **BOI** (Baltic Olympiad in Informatics)
  - Top 4 female → **EGOI** (European Girls' Olympiad)
  - Top 4 from BOI → **IOI** (International Olympiad in Informatics)
- **Norwegian access from Hamar:** Teacher just needs to register the school. **Round 1 is totally accessible to a coding-curious 11–12-year-old** with zero formal prep — it's essentially logic puzzles with optional code.
- **Action:** **ENTER ROUND 1 NOV 2026.** Get the teacher to register before Nov 1. Even getting through Round 1 and into Round 2 at age 12 would be a strong signal and lands him on NIO's young-talent radar (they explicitly seed younger participants into finals for pipeline development).

### EJOI — European Junior Olympiad in Informatics
- **URL:** https://www.ejoi2026.lmio.lt/ (2026 in Kaunas, Lithuania, 24–30 July 2026)
- **Ages:** Born after Dec 31, 2010 — i.e. under 16.
- **Norwegian participation:** Not currently strong / not always represented. Selection would be via NIO if Norway sends a team.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK age 13–15.** Ask NIO directly whether Norway sends a team for 2027–2029. If yes, NIO performance is the route.

### Cyberlandslaget (Norwegian National Cybersecurity Team)
- **URL:** https://cyberlandslaget.no/
- **Ages:** **14–25** (min 14). Run by NTNU Center for Cyber and Information Security.
- **Format:** Online CTF-style qualifier in spring, physical finale picks 10-person team. Pipeline to **European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC)**.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK for spring 2029** (when he turns 14 in Oct 2028, becomes eligible). Adjacent prep: HackTheBox / TryHackMe / CTFLearn now/12+.

### CyberSmart (NSM-led youth cybersecurity initiative)
- Loose initiative, school-curriculum-flavored. Worth knowing exists; not a competition pipeline per se.

### Things that don't exist anymore / not useful for this age
- **Google Code Jam / Hash Code:** discontinued.
- **NCPC / NM i programmering:** university-team competition, too old + team-based.

---

## ROBOTICS

### FIRST LEGO League Challenge (the headline thing for this age)
- **URL:** https://hjernekraft.org/no/om-fll-challenge
- **Innlandet regional info:** https://hjernekraft.org/no/turneringer/587
- **Ages:** 10–16. Teams of 4–10 + adult mentor.
- **Format:** 8-week annual challenge; team builds & programs a LEGO SPIKE robot for missions, plus does an "Innovation Project" researching a real-world problem in that year's theme, plus presents to judges on Core Values and Technology.
- **2026/27 timeline (verified):**
  - **April 30, 2026** — registration opens
  - **September 11, 2026** — annual challenge released
  - **October 1, 2026** — registration closes ← HARD DEADLINE
  - **November 9, 2026** — Innlandet regional final at **Håkons Hall, Lillehammer** (the relevant tournament for Hamar; another runs Nov 8 for the broader region, Nov 11 in Gjøvik)
  - **November 27–28, 2026** — Scandinavian Finals (Sandnes)
- **Cost in Innlandet:** **Free** — Techløftet Innlandet covers registration fee + challenge set for all teams in the region. This is a huge subsidy not available everywhere in Norway.
- **Pipeline:** Regional final → Scandinavian final → FIRST LEGO League World Festival (US, ~April/May) and Open European Championship (location varies). Winners and top award teams (Innovation Project Award, Robot Design, Core Values etc.) get invites — and these often go to teams that don't win robot game but win on project/values.
- **Norwegian access from Hamar:** Either (a) find an existing team at the school or via Vitensenteret Innlandet (Gjøvik), or (b) start one with 4+ kids and a parent/teacher mentor. Vitensenteret Innlandet (post@vitensenteret.no) is the contact for FLL in the region.
- **Action:** **ENTER AUTUMN 2026 — TOP PRIORITY.** This is the single best fit for an 11-year-old who likes invention + robotics + programming.

### FIRST LEGO League Explore (formerly Jr.FLL)
- **Ages:** 6–9 (he's aged out).
- **Action:** Skip.

### World Robot Olympiad (WRO)
- **URL:** https://wro-association.org/competition/2026-season/
- **Theme 2026:** "Robots Meet Culture."
- **Ages (categories he fits):**
  - **Elementary** — 8–12
  - **Junior** — 11–15 ← his fit now and for next 3 years
- **Format:** Teams of 2–3 + coach. **All robot systems allowed in 2026** (was previously LEGO-only). Regional → national → international final.
- **2026 international final:** San Juan, Puerto Rico.
- **Norwegian participation:** WRO Norway is weakly active; the FLL ecosystem dominates Nordic robotics. Verify by emailing the WRO Association (wro-association.org) whether there's a Norwegian National Organizer this year.
- **Action:** **CHECK** whether Norway sends teams for 2026/27. If yes, lower priority than FLL. If running a robotics team independently, WRO is a complementary pipeline.

### RoboCup Junior
- **URL:** https://junior.robocup.org/ and European chapter https://www.robocupjunior.eu/
- **Ages:** Under 19, with primary/secondary brackets.
- **Leagues:** Soccer, Rescue, OnStage.
- **European Championship 2026:** Vienna, alongside ICRA, June 1–5.
- **International 2026:** Incheon, South Korea, June 30 – July 6.
- **Norwegian participation:** Minimal; no clearly active Norwegian national org currently. Would require self-organizing a team and going via another country's slot.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK, low priority.** Better fit if he becomes a serious robotics kid by 14–15 and the family is willing to travel.

### VEX IQ Challenge
- **Ages:** Elementary (born after May 1, 2013 — i.e. ≤12 at Worlds 2026) and Middle School (born after May 1, 2010 — ≤15 at Worlds 2026). He fits both brackets currently.
- **Norwegian participation:** No active Norwegian league. VEX has not penetrated Scandinavia the way FLL has.
- **Action:** **SKIP unless** family travels often to UK/US/Benelux where leagues are active.

### FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC)
- **Ages:** Grades 7–12 (ages 12–18). European Premier Event in Eindhoven Jun 16–20, 2026.
- **Norwegian access:** Minimal. **Action:** Bookmark; pivot to FLL→FTC progression around age 14 if available by then.

---

## PHYSICS / SCIENCE

### Norsk Fysikkolympiade (Norwegian Physics Olympiad)
- **URL:** http://www.norskfysikk.no/ (and via Skolelaboratoriet at UiO)
- **Ages:** Designed for 3rd-year VG students (~age 18). First round technically open to all but problems are calibrated to VG3 physics curriculum.
- **Format:** 3 Norwegian rounds → training week → IPhO national team of 5.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK for VG2/VG3 (age 17–18).** Too far off now. Could attempt Round 1 informally at age 14–15 to see the level, but no formal value.

### IJSO — International Junior Science Olympiad
- **URL:** https://ijsoweb.org/
- **Ages:** Under 16 on Dec 31 of competition year. Tests physics + chemistry + biology in combined format.
- **Norwegian participation:** **Norway is not currently an active IJSO member country.** This is a notable gap.
- **Action:** **Skip / write to a Norwegian science teacher org** about whether Norway will join — could even be a parent-driven initiative. Otherwise no formal route.

### Konkurransen Unge Forskere (KUF)
- **URL:** https://ungeforskere.no/ — submission: https://ungeforskere.no/innsendelsesskjema/
- **Organizer:** Akademiet for yngre forskere (took over from Forskningsrådet in 2023).
- **Ages:** **Must be at least 13 years old**, under 20 on May 1 of competition year. **Dedicated ungdomsskoleklasse** category in addition to videregående natural-sciences and humanities classes.
- **Format:** Submit a research/inventor project (individual or group up to 3). Written report + presentation.
- **2026/27 cycle (verified):**
  - Registration opens August 2026
  - Registration deadline ~mid-December 2026
  - Submission deadline ~January 15, 2027
  - Finals ~April 2027 (the 2026 final was at Domus Bibliotheca, April 10 2026)
- **Pipeline:** Winners get expense-paid travel to international fairs: **EUCYS (European Union Contest for Young Scientists)**, **ISEF** (US — Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair), and others. EUCYS is the dream European pipeline outcome.
- **Norwegian access from Hamar:** Direct individual entry, no school sponsor required. Just need a project.
- **Action:** **PERFECT FIT FROM OCT 2027** (when he turns 13). Start planning a small invention or research project autumn 2027 for January 2028 submission. Even before that, his school could submit on his behalf if he's part of a group with 13+yo classmates.

### EUCYS — European Union Contest for Young Scientists
- **Ages:** 14–20. Selection via national contest (in Norway: KUF).
- **Action:** Bookmark; the route is via KUF.

### Beamline for Schools (CERN)
- **URL:** https://beamlineforschools.cern/
- **Ages:** Team of 5+ high school students; **all team members must be 16+ on day of stay at CERN/DESY/ELSA** (Aug/Sep of competition year). Younger students may participate in the proposal phase anonymously, but cannot travel.
- **Action:** **BOOKMARK for VG1/VG2** (age 16+).

### Vitensenteret Innlandet / Reale Talenter — the local realfag talent program (CRUCIAL)
- **URL:** https://vitensenteret.no/1268/skoler-barnehager/reale-talenter
- **Ages/grades:** **8th and 9th grade** for 2026/27 cycle. ~50 students per grade.
- **Eligible regions:** Gjøvik, Hamar, Kongsvinger. ← **Hamar is explicitly included.**
- **Format:** 3 gatherings of 2 days each (= 6 days total) over a school year. Academic challenges, hands-on activities, social with other STEM-interested peers.
- **Cost:** Free. Lunch included, transport reimbursed against receipt, valid school absence.
- **Application timeline:** Portal opens spring 2026; **deadline September 11, 2026.** Pure application — teacher reference + student motivation letter likely.
- **Contact:** Torgeir@vitensenteret.no
- **Action:** **APPLY FOR 8TH GRADE WHEN HE STARTS (autumn 2027).** Watch deadlines; the 2026/27 cycle is for kids currently in 7th and 8th grade. For 2027/28 cycle he'd be entering 7th grade — submit when portal opens (~April–Sept 2027) for **autumn 2027 8th-grade entry**.
- **Note:** This is the ONLY Hamar-area systematic talent-ID program for STEM-curious ungdomsskole students. Do not miss.

### Talentsenter i realfag (national network — 6 centers)
- **URL:** https://sites.google.com/talentsenter.no/talentsenter/om-talentsenteret
- **Ages/grades:** 7.–10. trinn + VG1–VG2.
- **Centers:** Oslo (Norsk Teknisk Museum), Trondheim (Vitensenteret), Bergen (VilVite), Tromsø (Nordnorsk Vitensenter), Nærbø/Sandnes (Jærmuseet), Ås (Vitenparken).
- **Format:** 9 days across 4 gatherings/year (2–3 days each). Plus voluntary fagcamper (subject camps) and workshop evenings.
- **Application:** Once/year, mid-March open. Joint teacher + parent + student application.
- **Hamar access:** **NO talentsenter in Innlandet.** Closest is Oslo (~1.5h train). Travel and overnight is the friction — but the program does cover this and gives valid school absence.
- **Action:** **APPLY FOR 7TH GRADE 2027/28 CYCLE** (spring 2027 portal). Reale Talenter is the local easy version; Talentsenter is the deeper national version. Apply to both.

### TENK Tech Camp (Vitensenteret + TENK Norge)
- **URL:** https://tenknorge.com/tenk-tech-camp / Gjøvik edition https://vitensenteret.no/1211/hva-skjer/tenk-tech
- **Ages:** Girls 13–19. **Not applicable** for a boy.
- (Listed because it's a Hamar-region option for the family if a daughter is in scope; ignore otherwise.)

### Girl Tech Fest (Gjøvik / national)
- **URL:** https://www.girltechfest.no/
- **Ages:** 5th grade girls in Gjøvik. **Not applicable.**

---

## GAME DESIGN / MAKING / HACKATHONS

### Global Game Jam
- 48-hour game-making jam, locations worldwide. No formal age minimum but locations vary. Worth checking if Oslo / Lillehammer / Trondheim run a youth-friendly edition.
- **Action:** Bookmark for age 14+ when he can handle a 48h sprint.

### Ungt Entreprenørskap / Innovation Camp
- **Ages:** Typically VG. Too old.
- **Action:** Bookmark for VG1.

### Tenk Tech Camp / Knowit Hackathons / etc.
- Most adult/teen hackathons are 16+. **Skip.**

---

## CHEAT SHEET — Norwegian access summary for a Hamar 6th/7th grader

| What | Who registers | When | Cost | Fit now? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kengurukonkurransen | School math teacher | Reg by 16 March 2027 | Free | YES (Benjamin) |
| MatteMaraton | Class teacher | May 2026 | Free | YES |
| Julekalender matematikk.org | Self / class | Dec 2026 | Free | YES (Stjerne) |
| Bebras | School coordinator | Reg before Nov 2026 | Free | YES |
| NIO Round 1 | School teacher | Reg by 1 Nov 2026 | Free | YES |
| FLL Challenge | Team + mentor via Vitensenteret Innlandet | Reg by 1 Oct 2026 | Free (Techløftet) | YES — TOP PRIORITY |
| Reale Talenter (Hamar) | Self-apply | Apply by 11 Sept 2027 for 2027/28 8th grade | Free | YES (8th grade) |
| Talentsenter i realfag | Joint teacher/parent/student | Mid-March 2027 | Free | YES (from 7th grade) |
| Konkurransen Unge Forskere | Self / group | Reg by mid-Dec 2027 | Free | YES from age 13 (Oct 2027) |
| UKMT JMC | School (UK or intl school) | Apr 2027 | ~£ small | Stretch — requires school path |
| UngeAbel | 9th-grade class teacher | Nov 2029 | Free | BOOKMARK 9th grade |
| Abelkonkurransen | School math teacher | Nov 2030 | Free | BOOKMARK VG1 |
| Mattekollo SE | Self-apply | Spring 2027 for summer 2027 | 5,500 SEK (subsidies) | Apply for 2027 (turns 13) |
| EJOI | Via NIO | Born ≥ Jan 2011 eligible until 2027 | — | Stretch via NIO 2027–2029 |
| Cyberlandslaget | Self-register | Spring 2029 (turns 14 Oct 2028) | Free | BOOKMARK age 14 |
| Beamline for Schools | School team | Spring 2030 | Free | BOOKMARK age 16 |
| Norsk Fysikkolympiade | School physics teacher | Nov 2030 | Free | BOOKMARK VG1 |

---

## ACTION TODO — ORDERED BY DEADLINE (next 12 months)

### Immediate (May–September 2026)
1. **NOW:** Email **post@vitensenteret.no** (Vitensenteret Innlandet, Gjøvik) asking how to join an FLL Challenge team in the Hamar area. If no existing team in his school, ask about (a) other Hamar schools' teams accepting new members, (b) starting one with parent as mentor (4+ kids needed).
2. **NOW:** Check Reale Talenter portal opening at https://vitensenteret.no/1268/skoler-barnehager/reale-talenter. Note: 2026/27 cycle is 8th + 9th grade. He's in 6th now, so the relevant target is **2027/28 cycle for 8th grade** — set a reminder to check the portal **April–June 2027**.
3. **May 2026:** Ask class teacher to enroll the class in **MatteMaraton** (runs May 1–31, free, online).
4. **Before September 1:** Tell his school's IT/realfag/math teacher: "Please register us for **Bebras** (bebras.no) and **NIO Round 1** (nio.no/pamelding/) this autumn."

### Autumn (September–November 2026)
5. **By October 1, 2026:** **FLL Challenge registration closes.** Confirm team is registered with Hjernekraft.org.
6. **By November 1, 2026:** Confirm school is registered for **NIO Round 1** (runs week 46, mid-November).
7. **Second week of November 2026:** **Bebras** week — confirm school runs it.
8. **November 9, 2026:** **FLL Innlandet regional final** at Håkons Hall, Lillehammer.

### December 2026 – January 2027
9. **December 1, 2026:** **Matematikk.org julekalender** starts. Try Stjerne and Rudolf doors.
10. **December 2026:** Also try **NTNU Hidden Treasures julekalender** for fun.
11. **January 2027:** If he made Round 2 of NIO (top ~200), he sits it online.

### Spring 2027
12. **By mid-March 2027:** **Kengurukonkurransen** registration (school teacher does it). Competition runs **late March 2027 — Benjamin category**.
13. **Mid-March 2027:** **Talentsenter i realfag** application portal opens for 2027/28 — apply for **7th grade entry** (Oslo center; nearest).
14. **April 29, 2027 (likely):** UKMT JMC date — only if school can run it. Check NRG, Akademiet, or an international school as proxy.

### Summer 2027
15. **April–June 2027:** **Reale Talenter Hamar/Gjøvik/Kongsvinger** portal — apply for **8th-grade entry autumn 2027**. Deadline ~September 11, 2027.
16. **Spring 2027:** **Mattekollo** application for summer 2027 (he'll be 12 going on 13, eligibility OK from grade 6).

### Bookmarks for later (set Tana reminders)
- **Oct 2027 (turns 13):** Konkurransen Unge Forskere becomes eligible. Plan a research/invention project for January 2028 submission.
- **Spring 2029 (turns 14):** Cyberlandslaget eligible.
- **Autumn 2029 (9th grade):** UngeAbel — push the math teacher to register the class.
- **Autumn 2030 (VG1):** Abelkonkurransen, Norsk Fysikkolympiade, Beamline for Schools.

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## NOTES & GAPS

- **The single biggest leverage point for a Hamar 11-year-old: get on an FLL team this autumn.** Techløftet Innlandet pays for everything; the regional final is in Lillehammer (40 min away). FLL is also where most of the talent-spotting in the Norwegian STEM-kid ecosystem happens at this age, because Vitensenteret Innlandet runs it AND runs Reale Talenter AND runs TENK Tech Camp — same network.
- **Norway has no IJSO or JBMO participation** — international junior science/math olympiad routes are weak. The pipeline that works is: Bebras/Kengurukonkurransen now → Reale Talenter at 8th grade → Talentsenter i realfag from 7th–10th → UngeAbel 9th grade → Abelkonkurransen VG1 → IMO/IPhO national teams VG3.
- **Informatics has the cleanest pipeline:** Bebras → NIO Round 1 (no prerequisites, in 6th grade!) → NIO finals at UiB → BOI → IOI. NIO explicitly seeds younger participants into finals for pipeline development. **This is the most "enter now and just keep going" pipeline available.**
- **No active Norwegian VEX, WRO, RoboCup national ecosystem.** FLL dominates.
- **Schools matter a lot.** Many of these (Bebras, NIO, JMC, MatteMaraton, Kengurukonkurransen, FLL) need a teacher to register the school. If the Hamar school isn't engaged, the parent needs to be the one writing emails — these registrations take the teacher minutes and are free, but they don't happen by default.

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## Sources (key URLs)

**Math**
- Matematikksenteret Abelkonkurransen: https://www.matematikksenteret.no/konkurranser/abelkonkurransen
- Kengurukonkurransen: https://www.matematikksenteret.no/konkurranser/kengurukonkurransen
- UngeAbel (LAMIS): https://lamis.no/ungeabel/
- MatteMaraton: https://www.mattemaraton.no/
- matematikk.org julekalender: https://www.matematikk.org/julekalender
- NTNU julekalender: https://ntnu.julekalender.no/
- Skolekonkurranser oversikt: https://www.matematikk.org/temaside.html?tid=66206
- NMCC: https://mathclasscomp.com/
- UKMT JMC: https://ukmt.org.uk/junior-challenges/junior-mathematical-challenge
- Mattekollo (Sweden): https://www.mattekollo.se/
- Pythagoras Quest (Sweden): http://www.pythagorasquest.se/
- Pangea (Sweden): https://pangea-tavling.se/

**Informatics**
- Bebras Norway: https://www.bebras.no/
- NIO: https://nio.no/ + https://nio.no/rundene/ + https://nio.no/pamelding/
- EJOI 2026: https://www.ejoi2026.lmio.lt/
- Cyberlandslaget: https://cyberlandslaget.no/

**Robotics**
- FLL Challenge Norge: https://hjernekraft.org/no/om-fll-challenge
- FLL Innlandet final: https://hjernekraft.org/no/turneringer/587
- Vitensenteret Innlandet: https://vitensenteret.no/
- WRO 2026: https://wro-association.org/competition/2026-season/
- RoboCup Junior: https://junior.robocup.org/

**Science / general**
- Konkurransen Unge Forskere: https://ungeforskere.no/ — https://akademietforyngreforskere.no/konkurransen-unge-forskere/
- Reale Talenter (Vitensenteret Innlandet, Hamar-region): https://vitensenteret.no/1268/skoler-barnehager/reale-talenter
- Talentsenter i realfag: https://sites.google.com/talentsenter.no/talentsenter/om-talentsenteret
- IJSO: https://ijsoweb.org/
- Beamline for Schools (CERN): https://beamlineforschools.cern/
- Norsk Fysikklærerforening / Fysikkolympiaden: http://www.norskfysikk.no/
- Skolelaboratoriet UiO (physics olympiad): https://www.mn.uio.no/fysikk/forskning/grupper/skolelab/