Design students are being called to showcase their creativity and sustainability credentials and take on a real-world design challenge in the world of metal packaging for this year’s Starpack Students Awards 2025.The Metal Packaging Manufacturers Association (MPMA) sponsors ‘Brief F’ of the annual student competition which is organised by Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining. This year’s challenge tasks students with designing a premium gift pack for biscuits using metal packaging. The deadline for submissions is midnight on 31 March 2025.
A prestigious design opportunity
Since 1964, the Starpack Students Awards has given up-and-coming designers the chance to solve packaging challenges set by major FMCG brands and manufacturers. This isn’t just a competition – it’s a career-boosting opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a real design brief while creating stand-out portfolio pieces to impress potential employers.
Open to students studying a variety of Higher Education courses, including those with a focus on graphics, structural or product design, and materials technology, this competition is an opportunity to impress key industry figures.
Jason Galley, Director and Chief Executive of MPMA, explains: “Metal offers students a real creative canvas to play with and with its high level of recyclability, it’s the perfect material to get students thinking about how their future careers can support the UK’s circular economy goals.
“For over 20 years now, we have sponsored a dedicated brief for this competition to celebrate the creativity and versatility of metal packaging. Specialty packaging brings out the best in innovation spanning design, the use of different finishes, print techniques and shaping.
“The winning design will demonstrate an understanding of what can be achieved with metal packaging and an appreciation of how retailers can present the product to consumers. We’re really looking forward to seeing entrants think outside the tin!”
The brief: high-end biscuit packaging
For the 2025 competition, MPMA’s sponsored brief calls for students to design and develop a metal pack to hold biscuits aimed at high-end stores specialising in quality foods, giftware and souvenir packs.
With metal as the primary material, entrants are encouraged to explore its unique qualities, including shaping, texture, perforations, embossing, debossing, micro embossing, print finishes, high-quality graphics, and innovative opening and closing mechanisms.
Students should focus on the pack – it can be for one variety or a selection of biscuits. The metal pack can be any shape or size (within reason), showcase the great possibilities in metal, demonstrate what stunning designs and finishes can be achieved with metal and be eye catching with real shelf appeal.
By getting involved in this year’s metal packaging design competition, students will not only gain hands-on experience in professional packaging design but also enhance their portfolios with high-quality concepts and design boards - an invaluable asset when entering the job market.
Prizes and recognition
The winner of the MPMA-sponsored brief will receive a cash prize of £600, with additional Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Highly Commended awards also being presented. Beyond the prizes, this is an opportunity for students to gain visibility in an industry that actively seeks fresh, innovative talent.
How to Enter
For full details and to submit an entry, visit: https://www.mpma.org.uk/student-starpack/