From businesses with over 200 years of manufacturing heritage to those developing cutting-edge technologies for electric vehicles and industrial maintenance, the shortlist for the UK’s “most ambitious” manufacturing awards has been revealed.
The
Made in Britain 2026 Impact Awards will see manufacturers from across the UK compete in eight categories celebrating sustainability, social impact, innovation, heritage, marketing, procurement, exporting and leadership.
Taking place on Wednesday 4th November, this year’s ceremony will celebrate the remarkable breadth of British manufacturing. The shortlist spans precision engineering, advanced acoustic technology, water filtration and electronics, alongside manufacturers specialising in skincare, accessible playground equipment, lighting, architectural terracotta and the iconic lava lamp.
John Pearce, CEO of Made in Britain, said: “The 2026 Impact Awards shortlist captures British manufacturing at its most dynamic, and certainly its most ambitious. We have businesses drawing on generations of accumulated knowledge alongside manufacturers pushing into technologies such as advanced acoustics and precision engineering. The sheer range of expertise represented is truly extraordinary.
“What is particularly exciting is how readily manufacturing heritage and emerging technology now sit side by side. Long-established expertise continues to evolve, while newer manufacturers are building the skills and technologies that could become part of our next generation of manufacturing heritage.
“The sheer breadth of this shortlist proves there is no single measure of impact in British manufacturing. Whether through innovation, leadership, exports or the contribution businesses make to their communities, these manufacturers are creating value in remarkably different ways. We are immensely proud to bring them together through the Impact Awards and to celebrate the people and ideas shaping what British manufacturing becomes next.”
At one end of that spectrum is Fairey Industrial Ceramics (trading as
Doulton Water Filters), which is celebrating 200 years of ceramic manufacturing in 2026. It goes up against the original creators of the lava lamp,
Mathmos, for the ‘Heritage Manufacturer’ award. Elsewhere on the shortlist are businesses working in emergent and rapidly developing markets, including electric vehicle charging specialist
Kerbo Charge Ltd and industrial maintenance
Cottam Brushes.
Several manufacturers have been recognised across multiple categories, showing the impressive synergies at play throughout Made in Britain’s growing membership.
ABL Circuits is shortlisted for procurement and marketing, while
Excell Metal Spinning and
CHX Products are both shortlisted for three awards, with
Russell Finex also in contention for the ‘Heroes of British Export’ award, alongside
Apex Pumps,
Inclusive Play UK,
Byworth Boilers, Dulas Life Sciences,
Lockabox,
Rotary Precision Instruments UK Ltd, and
Z. A. Strap Company.
WDS Components, winner of ‘Heritage Manufacturer of the Year’ in 2025, said that the impact of the prize extended far beyond the awards ceremony.
Mark Moody, sales and marketing director at WDS Components, who joined the judging panel this year, said: “We gained a lot of traction on social media with our win. It raised our profile considerably in the digital arena, with many companies reaching out following the award publication.
“It also gave our production team a real lift to be recognised as an award winner. They are proud of what they make and achieve.”
The Made in Britain Impact Awards recognises manufacturers across eight categories: Sustainability Initiative of the Year, Social Impact in Manufacturing, Innovation of the Year, Heritage Manufacturer of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Excellence in Procurement, Heroes of British Export and Inspiring Leader of the Year.
Organised and hosted by not-for-profit trade organisation Made in Britain, the awards are open exclusively to manufacturers that have gained the right to use the internationally recognised Made in Britain trademark, which 70% of UK adults surveyed by YouGov said would make them more likely to purchase a non-food product.
To explore the full shortlist, visit
www.madeinbritain.org/news/the-shortlist-impact-awards-2026-sept-26