Manufacturing Month Northern Ireland

Made in NI Awards 2026
2026-05-20 18:00 (Europe/Paris) | Titanic Belfast, 1 Olympic Way, Belfast, Antrim, BT3 9EP, United Kingdom
Insider’s flagship celebration of Northern Ireland’s manufacturing and engineering excellence returns in 2026 with an expanded and updated awards programme. Now in its 11th year, the event features new and enhanced categories that reflect the sector’s innovation, growth and evolving impact on the regional economy.
For the first time, the awards will be hosted as a gala black-tie evening on Wednesday 20th May 2026 at the Titanic Museum, Belfast. Category winners will also go on to compete on the national stage at the Insider Made in the UK Awards.
Online entries are now open, with an independent judging panel – chaired by Insider’s Northern Ireland business editor, Philip Cunliffe – selecting the finalists.
The list of award categories are:

Food & Drink Award
Bio-tech Manufacturer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Automotive Supply Chain Award
AI Tech Innovation of the Year
Engineering Manufacturer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Newcomer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Sustainable / Ethical Manufacturer Award
Export Award
Product Innovation of the Year
Investment Project of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Collaboration of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Engineer of the Year (NEW FOR 2026)
Apprentice of the Year
Manufacturer of the Year (under & over £25m)
Outstanding Contribution to Northern Ireland Manufacturing (NEW FOR 2026)

Why enter?

Free PR exposure
Complimentary ticket for all finalists
Build business connections
Automatic entry for winners to the Made in the UK Award
