National Welding League Competition Series

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

Registration is FREE! There is no cost to schools or students!
All necessary materials will be provided by Project MFG in the competition portal. Please review this season’s Playbook below for the 2025-26 season rules and eligibility requirements.

Contact Project MFG for questions about the 2025-26 season!
email: competitions@projectmfg.com

National Welding League 2025-26 Season:
Registered 76%

Competition Rules

If you’re interested in a way to assess your students’ welding knowledge and challenge their skills, the Project MFG Welding League is the perfect opportunity.

Throughout the season, student competitors will engage in a series of project-based challenges that require them to demonstrate proficiency in various welding processes. These projects will evaluate their capabilities in key areas such as fit-up, joint preparation, and the quality of the final weld. 

At the end of the season, the top-performing participants for the year will have the opportunity to compete head-to-head at the Project MFG National Welding Championship, where they will compete for the national title and a grand prize of $10,000 in cash.

The Project MFG National Welding League Challenge (NWL) is a welding-focused competition comprised of 2 rounds of qualifying competition and a National Championship.  The top-performing participants will be invited to attend the National Championship.

The National Welding League Challenge Playbook
outlines the following:

  • Competition Rules
  • Competitor Requirements
  • Eligibility
  • Reasons for Disqualification
  • Safety
  • Required PPE
  • Performance Evaluation

Important Dates for the 2025-26
National Welding League Challenge (NWL) Competition Series

Round
1

October 14 to November 21, 2025

Round 1: Qualifying rounds of competition are hosted remotely at the student’s school and facilitated by their instructor.

The first week of October, you will receive NWL “kits” to fabricate a project at their school. Round 1 projects must be completed and scored by their instructors by November 21, 2025, in order for competitors to be eligible to move on to Round 2. 

Round
2

December 8 to January 30, 2026

Round 2: The week of November 24, 2025, competitors who have successfully completed Round 1 will receive a second NWL “kit” to fabricate a new project. 

Round 2 competition projects must be completed and scored by their instructors by January 30, 2026. Instructors must then send the top scoring project to Project MFG by February 2nd to be eligible to move on to the National Championship. The top qualifiers will be invited in early March to compete in the National Championship that will be held in May, 2026. 

National Championship

MAY 2026
LOCATION: TBD​

National Championship: Top NWL competitors are invited to compete live at the National Championship at no cost to them.

The top welding student is eligible to win the $10,000 top prize! The National Championship will be filmed for our video series Clash of Trades – Welding Edition. 

 

If you have any questions email competitions@projectmfg.com
or call (816) 200-2610 during regular business hours of 8:00am-5:00pm U.S. central time.

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