A quarterly awards scheme intended to help inventors turn innovative ideas into reality is expanding — with an increased prize fund and the chance for even more innovators to win.
Telford-based Protolabs says that its ‘Cool Idea! Award’ scheme will offer £100,000 of prototyping and manufacturing services every year to applicants across Europe looking to get unique inventions off the ground.
For the first time, the company will also offer support to ideas that do not win the top prize but are highly commended by the judges.
Protolabs design expert Ray Faulkner said: “We launched the award scheme in Europe earlier this year, after it proved a success in the USA.
"We initially made £50,000 of help available during the year to four European winners, announced on a quarterly basis, but the support we will provide now stands at £100,000 in real terms and even more brilliant ideas will benefit.
“Too many great ideas never see the light of day, because product development resources are scarce, it’s difficult to build prototypes or the cost of an initial production run is just too high.
"Our award scheme aims to do something about this and help as many entrepreneurs, inventors and companies as possible turn their inspiring concepts into real-life products.
"The sort of thing we mean by a ‘cool idea’ is simply a product that would make life a little better, easier, safer, healthier, less frustrating or more fun — for individuals or communities.”
For more information on how to enter the European award scheme visit the Web site (
www.protolabs.co.uk/about-us/cool-idea-award).