The hunt to find Britain’s best manufacturers is on. EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, is launching the 8th annual Future Manufacturing Awards, designed to find Britain’s unsung manufacturing heroes and most outstanding apprentices.

The awards are free, easy to enter and give apprentices, manufacturers and supply chain businesses of all sizes from across the UK the chance to shine.

There are nine award categories that companies can go for. These include business growth, exporting, developing people, innovation, leadership, environmental achievement, health and safety and partnerships.

The awards also celebrate the brilliant work being done by manufacturing apprentices across the UK, and are now aligned to the Intermediate, Advanced and Higher pathways. Companies are being urged to put forward their best and brightest apprentices and help promote the wealth of high quality opportunities available to young people in industry today.

There is even more of a reason to enter this year as, for the first time, the awards will also recognise the achievements of apprentices working in other important roles in manufacturing, such as marketing, procurement and finance. A new Business Apprentice Award has been launched to showcase the significant contribution they make to their employers’ business activities.

All award entries will be judged regionally, with the regional winners then going on to compete for a national award. One manufacturer will go on to be crowned EEF’s prestigious ‘Winner of Winners’.

Terry Scuoler, CEO of EEF, says: “A strong manufacturing sector is the cornerstone of the economy, providing much-needed jobs and prosperity in every region of the UK. This takes dedication, dynamism and hard work. Despite these attributes, and many more, our sector is full of unsung heroes who do not get the recognition they deserve. These awards go some way towards addressing this and ensure their success and contribution are celebrated.”

The closing date for entries is 29th July 2016. To enter or to find out more visit: http://www.eef.org.uk/awards.