Categories

The categories for the Awards are below.

Entries for the 2011 British Engineering Excellence Awards are now closed.

The British Engineering Excellence Grand Prix Award winner will be chosen for amongst the winners of these categories.

Consultancy of the Year

Sponsored by Prototype Projects

In identifying the Consultancy of the Year, the Judges will be looking for evidence of the speed with which projects have been delivered, along with the range of technologies handled by the company. Other critical factors will be the ratio of concepts to final products and the degree of innovation applied. The Judges will be looking at such factors as the ratio of consultancy staff to the number of projects delivered and the number of staff employed on particular projects.

Design Engineer of the Year

Sponsored by Mouser Electronics

Entrants for this award category must be nominated by another engineer, who should be able to demonstrate the nominee’s production of innovative designs within strict commercial limits, and the development of transferable technology. For this award, the Judges will also be looking for engineers who have contributed to their industry – maybe through participation in professional bodies and/or standards committees – and who work to promote engineering in the broader community.

Design Team of the Year

Sponsored by element14

This category recognises the achievement of design teams in the creation of electronic or mechanical products or systems, as well as those combining both elements. Entries can be made by teams designing new or upgraded products and systems, although in the case of upgrades, the Judges will need to see evidence of performance improvement and/or cost reduction. Entries can also be made for a customer specific project.

In assessing entries, the Judges will be looking at the original product specification and how well the final design met the requirements. The Judges will also be looking at such factors as the design decisions made in order to hit a target price and at how well the design team met the project milestones. Other important factors will include the selection and application of technology and the degree of innovation applied.

The design process must not have started earlier than 1 January 2008 and the product or system must have been on the market or delivered to the customer no later than 1 June 2011

In order to help the judges evaluate your entry, you should submit, as a minimum:

• TOP LEVEL PROJECT SPECIFICATION POINTS
• EVIDENCE OF PROJECT MILESTONES AND HOW CLOSELY THESE WERE MET
• A PRODUCT BRIEF

Green Product of the Year

Sponsored by National Instruments

The Green Product of the Year Award will be judged on the application of appropriate technology to the design of the entered product. The Judges will be looking for evidence of the product’s ‘green’ credentials, including the ability to be recycled at end of life, use of appropriate materials, and consideration of the product’s carbon footprint.

Fellowship

Sponsor to be confirmed

This award will recognise an individual with an outstanding record of personal achievement who has made a substantial contribution to the development of the UK’s engineering industry.

Each nomination, which must be proposed and seconded, should outline the nominee’s personal achievements, whether academic or commercial, and the effect he or she has had on the UK’s engineering industry during their career. The entry should note major awards received by the nominee, along with details of their professional affiliations. The entry should also state why the nominee, who may have retired, should be awarded the BEEAs Fellowship.

Mechatronic Design of the Year

Sponsor to be confirmed

Entries for this category will be able to describe the innovative application of electronic and mechanical technologies to solve a given problem. The design could have been developed for a client or to solve an in house problem, or it could be a product available on the open market.
In assessing entries for this category, the Judges will be looking at the innovation applied in meeting the design brief, as well as the degree to which the solution met marketing objectives.

New Product of the Year (Electronic)

Sponsored by Digi-Key

In assessing entries for both of these categories, the Judges will be looking at the technology used and the speed with which the design has been brought to market. In the case of a new design, entrants should provide evidence of how the company assessed the need for such a product. In the case of an upgraded product, the improvement should be significant and evidence must be provided of how cost was reduced and performance improved over the previous generation.

To be eligible, the design process for the entered product must have started no earlier than 1 January 2009.

New Product of the Year (Mechanical)

Sponsored by igus® (UK) Ltd

In assessing entries for both of these categories, the Judges will be looking at the technology used and the speed with which the design has been brought to market. In the case of a new design, entrants should provide evidence of how the company assessed the need for such a product. In the case of an upgraded product, the improvement should be significant and evidence must be provided of how cost was reduced and performance improved over the previous generation.

To be eligible, the design process for the entered product must have started no earlier than 1 January 2009.

Small Company of the Year

Sponsored by D Young & Co LLP

The Judges will be looking for a company with no more than 20 employees that is able to demonstrate a sound business addressing a particular market need. The company should be able to demonstrate an evolving product portfolio and its successful reception by end users.

Start Up of the Year

Sponsored by Cambridge Consultants

The Judges will be looking for a company developing mechanical and/or electronic products which was established no earlier than 1st January 2007. This company will be able to demonstrate a sound business plan, addressing a particular market need. The company should have a product on the market or should be close to launching a product. The entry will demonstrate a successful reception for the company’s product or evidence of advance orders.

Young Design Engineer of the Year

Sponsored by RS Components

Factors which will influence the Judges when selecting the winner of this category include: the knowledge which the young engineer has had to apply; the contribution made to the project, the degree of innovation applied and the personal qualities of the nominee, including their motivation, dedication and ability to act as an ambassador for their discipline.

Entrants for this award must be nominated by their employer and must have graduated no earlier than Summer 2007.

British Engineering Excellence Grand Prix

The winner of the British Engineering Excellence Grand Prix will be selected by the Judges from winning entries in the the Awards programme. The winner will have demonstrated significant achievement in terms of application of new technology, innovative design and market achievement.

Judges’ Special Award

The Judges will make a special award at their discretion to an entrant for any of the Awards categories. The winner may have made substantial cost reductions in a product design or found a way to shorten the time to market, amongst other criteria.

Levelling the playing field

In order to ensure that companies of all sizes can compete fairly, the Judges will take into consideration such factors as team size, project budget, project design cycle time, the regulatory environment, the competitive nature of the target market, the materials and technology selected by the design team and the attention to environmental issues.

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