Performance Awards
These categories reward business financial performance and strategy, outstanding company projects and individual achievement. Entrants must be companies registered in the UK, with either a UK or overseas ownership.
You can view the general criteria for all performance awards categories below, as well as the category specific criteria by clicking the 'view criteria' button on each award.
Products will only be considered from 1 May 2023 to 1 May 2024.
Entry Deadline: 28 May 2025
Take advantage of our early bird discount—available only until
21 March 2025!
Co-Manufacturer & Packer of the Year
This category recognises companies providing Contract Manufacturing & Contract Packing services in the UK, who have delivered the best overall performance in the year under review.
Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative of the Year
The CSR Initiative award covers a wide range of projects within businesses, from small-scale to major schemes. For investment, entrants must also highlight what equipment was installed and by which manufacturer.
Design Team of the Year
Open to both design agencies and in-house design teams based in the UK, this category rewards consistently outstanding creative output combined with a commitment to addressing the sustainability challenges facing the packaging sector.
Development Team of the Year
This category is open exclusively to packaging development teams at brands and retailers and is designed to reward the team that has shown consistent innovation and quality in the packaging that they specify.
Judges will be looking for innovative and original structural and graphic design plus intelligent choices around materials.
Entrants will be required to submit five packs that launched in the year under review and that best illustrate their work.
E-commerce & Fulfilment Company of the Year
This category recognises companies within the ecommerce fulfilment sector providing outsourced services to brands, retailers and entrepreneurs in the UK.
From excellence in customer delivery, D2C, warehousing and storage, novel and sustainable packaging, to volume scale up and successful promotional campaigns, returns handling and supply chain management – this is your opportunity to shine.
Entrepreneurial Business of the Year
Like the flagship Packaging Company category, this award recognises smaller packaging suppliers that have combined outstanding financial, business and production performance.
To win, you need to submit a summary highlighting the company’s performance and key developments during the year. The winning entry needs to demonstrate that it is showing flair and imagination in its market – and that it’s punching above its weight.
Investment Project of the Year
This award will honour the investment or installation project which has had the greatest impact on a company or the wider market. Entrants must highlight how the project changed their business / market in which it operates and evidence of ROI.
For investment, entrants must also include what equipment was installed, including names of manufacturers.
Outstanding Contribution to the Industry
This award recognises individual achievement in the packaging industry and rewards people who have made an impact, not only within their own companies but in the wider industry over their career.
The winner is chosen by the judging panel and the Packaging News editorial team, who will take into consideration achievements across a career or outstanding achievements.
If you have any suggestions for nominations into this category, please email waqas.qureshi@emap.com
Rising Star Award
Packaging is a hotbed of emerging talent, be it in manufacturing, technology, design or any of the other areas that form the packaging supply chain. This award recognises individuals in the first five years of their professional lives who, whatever they do, are making a real difference to the company they work for. Businesses are invited to nominate people within their own company or in companies they deal with.
Packaging Company of the Year
The ultimate accolade in the packaging industry recognises the packaging manufacturer that has best combined outstanding financial, business and production performance over the year under review.
Woman of the Year
The packaging sector has come along leaps and bounds recently, transitioning from a part of the gritty, male-orientated industrial sector to a more welcoming and open environment to work in. With this, female employees have increasingly been hired as part of the work force or promoted to senior roles. The fact that packaging caters for all areas of consumer lives has meant the industry has recruited more females to help recognise the requirements and preferences of customers – male and female.
This award recognises those female individuals who have excelled in their roles in the packaging sector – be it mid-level management, break-out designers, talented programmers, straight-talking and accomplished sales employees, through to high-level managers.