Program Awards Technically Advanced Projects Created by University and Secondary Education Students and Recognizes Achievements of Educators and Mentors

EXTON, Pa. – Bentley Systems, Incorporated, the leading company dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for the infrastructure that sustains our world, today announced that the call for nominations for its 2010 Student Design Competition is now open. University, technical college, high school, and middle school students are invited to submit projects designed using Bentley software, along with a short essay describing their work. Project submissions will be judged by a distinguished panel of educational leaders and industry professionals from around the world. The judges will focus on creativity and skill in applying design and engineering principles. The competition, which is sponsored by Bentley’s Be Careers Network, welcomes both individual efforts and those of teams consisting of no more than three members. All submissions must be received by Feb. 26, 2010. Bentley will award a $1,500 scholarship to the winner in each of the categories at the university/college level and a $1,000 scholarship to the winner at the middle school/high school level.

“Design and engineering firms have made it clear that, when assessing job candidates from the next generation of engineers and architects, they will look for knowledge in the use of advanced software and other technology needed to design, build, and operate better-performing, more sustainable infrastructure,” said Scott Lofgren, global director of Be Careers Network. “Our Be Careers Network uses initiatives such as the student design competition, coupled with affordable access to Bentley software at the secondary education, technical college, and university levels, to create a foundation for inspiring and preparing young people to enter and sustain the engineering and architectural professions.”

Lofgren continued, “The project submissions to our student design competition have become more intricate and creative every year. Using Bentley software, students can explore more imaginative designs and achieve a higher quality of work. The results are rewarding for all of us, as we are able to review and admire an extraordinary array of fabulous projects. I have no doubt that our panel of independent judges will be charged with making some very tough decisions in our 2010 competition.”

University and technical college students can submit projects in one of three categories: “Architectural Design,” “Computational Design,” and “Engineering.” Middle school and high school students can participate in the “Design a Medical Facility of the Future” category. For each category, students must make clear the project’s problem, intent, and solution, and support their design models with architectural or engineering drawings using any of the applications in Bentley’s comprehensive portfolio of software.

The winning students, along with their projects, will be recognized at their respective schools. In addition, each winner or winning team will receive a scholarship and handcrafted award to display, and be able to choose 10 seats of Bentley software – from the more than 50 products available through the academic subscription – for use by their school.

For additional information about the submission process or to fill out a submission form, visit http://www.bentley.com/StudentDesign2010.

About Be Careers Network

Be Careers Network is dedicated to helping students graduate with the technology skills needed for today’s infrastructure professions, including civil engineering and architecture. It accomplishes this by providing programs for students, teachers, and schools, including free and discounted software licenses, training, curriculum counseling, and scholarships. The programs are geared to the needs of students in universities, colleges, technical schools, and high schools. For additional information about Be Careers Network, visit http://www.bentley.com/becareers.

About Bentley Systems, Incorporated

Bentley is the global leader dedicated to providing architects, engineers, constructors, and owner-operators with comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure. Founded in 1984, Bentley has more than 2,700 colleagues and offices in more than 45 countries, achieved in 2008 the milestone of $500 million in revenues, and, since 1995, has invested more than $1 billion in research, development, and acquisitions.

For additional information about Bentley, visit www.bentley.com. To subscribe to an RSS feed of Bentley press releases and news alerts, visit www.bentley.com/rss/news. To view a searchable collection of innovative infrastructure projects from the annual Be Inspired Awards, visit www.bentley.com/yearininfrastructure. For information about Be Communities, a professional networking site that enables members of the infrastructure community to connect, communicate, and learn from each other, visit http://communities.bentley.com/.

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Bentley, the “B” Bentley logo, Be, and Be Careers Network are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. Other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.