NOMINATIONS
Nominations Open Until 16th May
AWARD CATEGORIES
- Manufacturing Innovator of the Year
- Engineering Innovator of the Year
- Sustainability Innovator of the Year
- Construction Innovator of the Year
- Defence Innovator of the Year
- Tech Innovator of the Year
- Life Sciences Innovator of the Year
- Creative Industries Innovator of the Year
- Education Innovator of the Year
- Female Innovator of the Year
- Male Innovator of the Year
- Young Innovator of the Year
- Manufacturing Innovation Champion
- Technology Innovation Champion
- Growth Innovation Champion
- Innovation Thought Leader- Organisation
- Innovation Thought Leader- Individual
- New Innovation of the Year
Nominations for Innovation Awards 2025
THE INNOVATION AWARDS 2025
KINDLY SUPPORTED BY:
1. Who
The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation.
These Awards are open to innovative:
- Individuals
- Organisations- such as universities, local Councils, catapults etc
- Businesses
based in the UK.
2. What
The Awards have 4 main categories:
- The Innovators- in the manufacturing, engineering, sustainability, net zero, tech, health tech, defence and public sector spaces.
- Individual Innovators- Female, Male and Young Innovator of the Year.
- Innovation Champions– for those who support companies with innovation.
- Innovation Thought Leaders-recognising those organisations and individuals who create the platforms, finance and space for innovation
3. How
Companies, organisations and individuals are nominated by themselves or others.
The judges assess the nominations and produce a shortlist. This shortlist is then put to a public vote, leading to 5 finalists in each category.
Finalists are interviewed by an independent judging panel of 3 judges. Interviews will take place in Birmingham on 12th September. Judges come from a range of organisations, including NatWest, EY, Aston University, UoB and Make UK.
Overview of the Awards
The Innovation Awards were started by the Technology Supply Chain in 2021. The plan: to recognise the companies, individuals and organisations that are involved in or support others with innovation.
The inaugural Awards, held at Millennium Point on 15th September 2021, were a sell-out success. The keynote speaker was Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands. The winners, included renowned names like Ramfoam and Koolmill.
The second Awards were held on 16th September 2022 at a larger venue, Edgbaston Stadium, and once again a sell-out success. Winners included: Beeswift, Threeway Pressings, and Lifetime Innovator- Charlie Blakemore.
The third Awards were held at a larger venue, the Eastside Rooms on Friday 29th October, and, once again, sold-out. Winners include Brandaeur, Passenger Lift Solutions, Low Carbon Materials, Active Needle and the DRP Group.
The 2024 Awards were once again sold-out at the Eastside Rooms. You can find the full list of winners here.
Find out how to get involved with the 2025 Awards below.
The Innovation Awards maximise the exposure of our participants through a finalists evening in October, the Awards ceremony in November and an exclusive dinner for the winners in January.
OVERVIEW
1. Eligibility
The Innovation Awards are open to all individuals, businesses and organisations based in the UK.
Finalists are assessed on the impact of their innovation. An innovation should have at least 12 months of delivering benefits to the organisation (e.g. sales, cost cutting, net zero etc). If your innovation has yet to make sales or deliver benefits, then the New Innovation of the Year is for you.
The Young Innovator of the Year is open to under-35s.
Nominations close on 16th May 2025. The shortlist will go to the public vote with five finalists going forward in each category.
Finalists will be notified in late June and be invited to an interview on 11th September.
There will be a finalist’s evening in October, followed by the Awards Ceremony on 21st November, during which the winner and highly commended in each category will be announced.
2. Innovation Champions
The Innovation Champion Awards are open to organisations (e.g. universities, catapults etc.) and companies (e.g. design, marketing, IT, professional services etc.) that support businesses with innovation and growth through consultancy, workshops and advice.
Manufacturing Innovation Champion is awarded to the company or organisation that has done the most to support innovation in manufacturing.
Tech Innovation Champion is awarded to the company or organisation that has done the most to support innovation in digital and technology companies.
Growth Innovation Champion is awarded to the company or organisation that has most helped another business or organisation to innovate and grow.
Finalists must have a proven track record of supporting innovation in other businesses.
3. Innovation Thought Leaders
Thought leaders support others with innovation by providing finance, facilities, inspirational platforms (e.g. meetings, memberships, speaking opportunities etc.) or technology. There are two categories:
- Businesses and organisations
- Individuals
- Businesses who supply a product or service that helps others to innovate
- Funded projects and public organisations that provided grants, facilities or a platform for innovation
- Individuals who have inspired innovation in the business community through events, platforms etc.
INNOVATION AWARDS 2025 DETAILS
WHAT
A series of events celebrating those companies, individuals and organisations dedicated to innovation. This includes a launch event, an exclusive finalists evening, a winners’ dinner and
WHEN
From 6pm – midnight on Friday 21st November 2025.
COUNTDOWN
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WHERE
The Eastside Rooms, Woodcock Street,
Birmingham B7 4BL
BUY TICKETS
This is your opportunity to meet decision makers, leading business influencers, business owners, MDs and those working in innovation. The Awards attract businesses and organisations from across the region.
1. Individual Tickets
Tickets for the black-tie Innovation Awards 2024 ceremony at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham from 6 pm on Friday 8th November.
Price includes the drinks reception, a delicious 3-course dinner and entertainment with 2 bottles of white wine, a bottle of red wine, a bucket of beers and two jugs of juice placed on your table.
£160 (£192 inc. VAT)
2. A Half Table for 6
A half-table for 6 at the black-tie Innovation Awards 2024 ceremony at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham from 6 pm on Friday 8th November.
Price includes the drinks reception, a delicious 3-course dinner and entertainment with 2 bottles of white wine, a bottle of red wine, a bucket of beers and two jugs of juice placed on your table.
£850 (£1,020 inc. VAT)
3. A Standard Table for 12
A table for 12 at the black-tie Innovation Awards 2024 ceremony at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham from 6 pm on Friday 8th November.
Price includes the drinks reception, a delicious 3-course dinner and entertainment with 2 bottles of white wine, a bottle of red wine, a bucket of beers and two jugs of juice placed on your table.
£1,600 (£1,920 inc. VAT)
4. A Platinum Table for 12
A platinum table for 12 at the black-tie Innovation Awards 2024 ceremony at the Eastside Rooms in Birmingham from 6 pm on Friday 8th November.
Price includes everything with a table of 12 plus a premium drinks package and free annual membership of the Technology Supply Chain (worth £500) for you and each of your guests
£2,000 (£2,400 inc. VAT)
WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE
OUR 2025 SPONSORs
DIAMOND SPONSOR
Starting Point Recruitment (SPR) are proud of their unique approach that breaks the mould of traditional recruitment agencies. They donate 100% of their profits to charity and are driving the responsible recruitment revolution. Since 2003, they have been transforming lives, businesses and local communities through their socially conscious recruitment experience.
OUR CHARITY OF CHOICE
The Army Benevolent Fund is one of the largest funders in the sector, spending around £9m* in benevolence each year. Last year our charity supported over 75,000* members of the Army family in 51* countries across the globe. In addition to assisting thousands of individuals in need on a case-by-case basis, we directly funded 86* other charities and organisations to deliver specialist services to assist soldiers, veterans, or immediate family members. And we are genuinely national, with our Headquarters in London and 11 regional offices covering the whole of the UK.
We are here to support the Army family through all of life’s challenges, including bereavement, injury, getting back to work, elderly care, and much more. We also support with mental well-being, training and education, independent living, housing and care for the elderly.
DIAMOND SPONSOR
The Technology Supply Chain is a membership for manufacturing, engineering and technology companies. We help our over 4,000 members to innovate and grow by connecting them with the grants, funded programmes and support they need. You are invited to find out more and join us at https://www.technologysupplychain.co.uk.
DIAMOND SPONSOR
Walls! We all face them. We face more walls today than at any other time.
Walk Through Walls believes the most unscalable wall becomes no obstacle at all, just by finding the door. Even the smallest door is more powerful than the tallest wall.
Walk Through Walls – Helping businesses walk through walls.
DIAMOND SPONSOR
University College Birmingham (UCB) works with a diverse range of businesses and organisations, providing access to student talent, delivering excellent industry links and accreditations and access to our state-of-the-art, industry level facilities.
Businesses regularly engage with the University on a variety of projects and development of our programmes, designed to shape the future of education and training in our region. To find out more about industry partnerships and working with University College Birmingham contact the team.
GOLD SPONSORS
WMG is a globally renowned research organisation with internationally recognised expertise and facilities.
We are both an academic department of the University of Warwick, and one of the UK’s High Value Manufacturing (HVM) Catapult centres. WMG is a leading international role model for successful collaboration between academia and the public and private sectors, accelerating and de-risking innovation for industry, driving cutting edge R&D to develop the brightest ideas and talent to shape our future.
Beeswift is a manufacturer and wholesaler of Personal Protective Equipment/Clothing encompassing a wide range of safety products and high quality workwear.
At Beeswift we pride ourselves on providing high quality PPE from footwear to head protection, products that protect our customers with superior durability and improved comfort.
Our 144,000 sqft Birmingham based HQ and Distribution Centre (NDC) has significant stockholding, serving the UK, Ireland and International territories along with an in-house embroidery and badging facility.
With around 29,000 students from 100 countries, Birmingham City University is a large and diverse place to study. We put students at the heart of everything we do, giving them the best opportunities for future success.
BCU has put £270 million into the regional economy and support thousands of jobs in the area. We’re investing £340 million in our estate, including a major expansion of our city-centre campus at Eastside, providing students with an enviable range of facilities.
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Engaging a legal firm can be daunting and the fear of being overcharged or confused due to not understanding the language used by solicitors is a real barrier for some potential clients who require support.
At Talbots we are different.
Our tone is conversational and our aim is to avoid legal jargon wherever possible. We showcase our expertise not through long words, but by communicating technicalities clearly and simply.
Our culture is one of a fun firm that employs real people with a sense of humour and friendliness, while remaining professional enough to provide assurance that we’re the best people for the job.
It is delivered to a selected list of businesses, business centers, conference centers, hotels, and educational institutions. Digital copies available for download from the magazine’s website.
Millennium Point is a landmark public building and multi-award-winning conference and events venue in the east side of Birmingham city centre. We’re owned by the Millennium Point Charitable Trust with profits from our commercial activity being invested in projects, events and initiatives which support the growth of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM) in Birmingham and the wider region.
Millennium Point Trust have given more than £40m back into the local region.
For over 23 years, Pathway Group has been at the forefront with support for individuals looking to upskill and reskill. Founded in the Midlands, we now operate across the North-West, Greater London, and other regions of the UK, delivering a range of qualifications, courses, programmes, and employer-led solutions to meet the needs of communities and all our stakeholders.
We are driven to empower individuals to develop their skills to achieve their career goals. We understand that learning is about acquiring new knowledge and skills, applying them in an ever-changing workplace, and achieving tangible results.
Whether you want to progress in your career or grow your business, you need a partner to implement your talent and organisational development plans. We want to be considered as your preferred partner of choice.
The Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards aims to showcase talent and diversity within multicultural communities through the celebration of those working hard to overcome adversity to achieve their goals through apprenticeships. The awards highlight the achievements of apprentices and the contribution of employers and learning providers who have assisted them along their journey.
The 30 awards, across 16 different categories, highlight the achievements of apprentices and the contribution of employers and learning providers who have assisted them along their journey.
A panel of 20 expert judges reviewed over 450 submissions to select the 2023 winners.
The awards recognise apprentices in a range of sectors including accounting and finance; health, medical and social care; retail, hospitality and tourism; engineering and manufacturing; creative, media and marketing; and transport and logistics.
Strategic Asset Protection offers tailor-made estate planning solutions designed to protect all your assets and wealth for future generations.
We do this using Wills, Trusts and Power of Attorney strategies.
We do more than just legal Will writing. Custom Will writing is about getting to know you to ensure you receive the very best advice about custom Wills and asset protection. This is provided in a bespoke Estate Planning Report which outlines our recommendation to you on how best to protect your estate.
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At Oxbridge, the online college, there are no term times, no strict schedules, and no headaches – just award-winning online courses with unlimited tutor support. We provide everything that you need to achieve real-world, job-ready online qualifications. Our accredited online courses are available all year round, so you can start learning today.
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YOUR HOST
PHIL UPTON
THE TECHNOLOGY SUPPLY CHAIN
The Technology Supply Chain is a membership for manufacturing, technology and life sciences businesses. We connect our members to innovation and growth opportunities including grants, fully funded support, new customers and new suppliers.
Our members use the support available to innovate and grow. So, we developed the Innovation Awards to recognise, celebrate and reward all innovative companies and organisations.
The TSC (as we are affectionately known) is a Community Interest Company with over 5,000 members. Our partners include Aston, BCU, Birmingham, Coventry, Warwick and Wolverhampton universities as well as the Manufacturing Technology Centre, Make UK and Tech WM.
CONTACT US
You are invited to contact us at:
Address:
Grosvenor House,
11 St Paul’s Square,
Birmingham.
B3 1RB
Phone: 0121 232 8630
Email: richard@technologysupplychain.co.uk
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