Apply now for 2009 Manufacturing Excellence Awards

A free benchmark report - customised to the needs of the organisation - rates procedures and processes against best practice and highlights areas for development.

The Manufacturing Excellence Awards (MX09) reward eminence in UK manufacturing. Nominees also benefit from a public relations boost through media coverage and recognition from peers.

Entry is free because the awards are run in partnership with organisations including PricewaterhouseCoopers, BERR's Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), Autodesk and the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing. Companies can apply for any number of awards.

Edward Naylor, Chief Executive of Naylor Industries, says: "Winning an MX Award marks a milestone for the business and is proof that we are continuing with the innovation and vision that has led to this success."

Award categories

• PricewaterhouseCoopers Award for Customer Focus
• Autodesk Award for Product Innovation
• Institution of Mechanical Engineers Award for Process Innovation
• WMG Award for Logistics and Resource Efficiency
• DMG Award for Business Development and Change Management
• Professional Engineering Award for People Effectiveness
• BP Award for Best Partnership between Business and Education
• National B2B Centre Award for Integrated e-Business
• Eriks Award for Financial Management
• Arup Award for Sustainable Manufacturing
• National Skills Academy for Manufacturing
• Award for Manufacturing Excellence Best Small or Medium Enterprise
• BERR Manufacturing Advisory Service Award for Manufacturing Excellence Overall Winner

Once the entry form has been received, the organisers send a self-assessment audit, complete with advice and guidance documentation. The audit is self-explanatory but mentors are on hand to guide applicants through the process if required. To find out more go to www.mxawards.org/process.

Important dates

• 30 January 2009 - Entry Deadline
• 27 February 2009 - Entrants to submit SAA
• 18 March 2009 - Finalists Announced
• April/May - Company visits
• 3-4 June 2009 - MX Judging at the IMechE, London
• 25 June 2009 - MX Awards Ceremony at The Dorchester, London

For any questions or a free copy of the MX08 magazine, contact Paul Terry [email protected] or Hazel Morgan [email protected].

Mark Nodder, Managing Director of Wright Group, says of his company's award: "Winning the MX Awards has meant much more to our company than the recognition at the celebration event. The process of entering the awards, the evaluation and scrutiny by industry experts and the feedback obtained have helped us benchmark against world-class organisations and raise our performance standards. I can heartily recommend entering the MX Awards to any company that is serious about achieving excellence."

Hugh D Facey, Chairman of Gripple Ltd, comments: "Having entered other manufacturing awards in the past, our people entered the MX Awards this year because they believed they got far more out of it in terms of the assessment process and the benchmark report."

Tim Darkes, Managing Director of Trend Control Systems, says: "The process of entering the MX Awards has been a fantastic opportunity and given us a chance to summarise our performance and explore areas for further improvement by benchmarking with our counterparts across UK industry."