A team of expert judges will be looking for examples of novel products, services or business processes from companies, charities, trade associations, individuals, educational institutions, and public bodies such as museums, libraries, galleries, and archives in sectors including book and magazine publishing, paper and other printing media, printing supplies, printing machinery and printing techniques, and packaging.

Each entry will be evaluated on the novelty of the innovation, its economic performance or potential, and overall social impact within the UK. There will be awards in various key categories, including an overall Innovator of the Year.

“One of the great strengths of The Stationers’ Company is that we cover a great range of sectors in the communications and content industries,” said company clerk William Alden.

“In some ways I think we’ll be unique in that respect, because most trade associations who have awards are focused on a specific area, such as book design, publishing or newspapers.

“But the Stationers’ Innovation Excellence Awards covers all of the sectors across the communications and content industries, and in that respect it brings together an enormously wide range of interesting and innovative ideas.”

Launched in 2014, the awards are free to enter for all. There were 43 entries to the 2018 awards, up from 32 in 2017.

Parkside Flexibles (UK & Asia) won the 2018 Overall Innovator of the Year award, as well as the Novel Manufacturing Technology award for its Park 2 Nature range of compostable laminate structures designed to replace traditional plastic packaging.

“There are a lot of brilliant ideas out there, but to win a Stationers’ Innovation Excellence Award, you’ve got to have a product that is going to increase your profitability – it’s got to have some sort of commercial reality to it,” said Alden.

Winners of the 2019 awards will be announced at a special ceremony, luncheon, and exhibition of selected entries at Stationers’ Hall, London, on 25 June 2019.

Entries for the 2019 awards must be submitted by 6pm on 5 April 2019. Entry forms can be downloaded at bit.ly/2DSsUxz and completed forms should be sent via email to communications@stationers.org.