Entries now open for the Cornwall Manufacturers Group Awards 2026 at the Eden Project
Following the overwhelming success of last year’s event, CMG has taken the decision to make the awards an annual fixture, reflecting the pace of growth, innovation and national recognition now being achieved by Cornwall’s manufacturing community.
The move follows another landmark year for CMG and its members, with Cornwall increasingly recognised as a leading example of how manufacturers, education providers and industry partners can work together to drive innovation, exports and skills.
That success has attracted national attention. Earlier this month, CMG welcomed senior representatives from Make UK, including Executive Director Rt Hon Robert Halfon, to Cornwall to see first-hand the county’s collaborative approach to manufacturing and skills. During the visit, Robert Halfon described Cornwall’s employer-led skills model as “instructive” and said the award-winning CMG Academy “deserves more national attention than it gets.”
CMG’s growing partnership with Enginuity, the UK engineering and manufacturing skills charity, has also helped place Cornwall in the national spotlight. On 6 August, broadcaster Steph McGovern will host the UK’s inaugural Vocational Celebration Day live from CMG member Teagle Machinery, showcasing Cornwall’s pioneering approach to vocational education and manufacturing skills to a national audience.
Today, Cornwall’s manufacturers design, engineer and produce products for customers around the world while continuing to invest in technology, sustainability and the next generation of skilled engineers and technicians. Central to that success is the award-winning CMG Academy, delivered in partnership with Cornwall College.
Eric Nicholls, CEO of Cornwall Manufacturers Group, said: “There has never been a more exciting time to be part of Cornwall’s manufacturing community.
“For many years our businesses quietly designed and manufactured world-class products. Today, the rest of the country is beginning to recognise what we’ve always known – that Cornwall is home to an ambitious, innovative manufacturing sector with collaboration at its heart.
“Whether through the CMG Academy, our partnerships with education, or national organisations such as Make UK and Enginuity choosing to work alongside us, we’re demonstrating what can be achieved when industry comes together.
“These awards celebrate the businesses, people and apprentices driving that success. Every finalist has a story worth telling, and together they represent one of Cornwall’s greatest economic success stories.”
Award categories
Applications are now open in the following categories:
- Apprentice of the Year
- Environmental Project of the Year
- Small Manufacturer of the Year
- Medium/Large Manufacturer of the Year
- Rising Star Award
- Exporter of the Year
- AI Project of the Year
The winners will be announced during the CMG Awards Dinner at the Eden Project on Tuesday 10 November 2026, bringing together manufacturers, apprentices, educators, national industry leaders, partners and supporters to celebrate the very best of Cornwall manufacturing.
Download the award entry forms here:
Book your place via Eventbrite here
Closing date for entries: 18 September 2026
Manufacturers of every size are encouraged to enter. Whether recognising an outstanding apprentice, a breakthrough innovation, export success or years of manufacturing excellence, the CMG Awards provide an opportunity to showcase the businesses and people helping put Cornwall on the national manufacturing map.
*Picture courtesy of Eliquo Hydrok