Welcome to the annual Maritime UK Solent Awards 2023

This is an award for a business, charity, or organisation of any size within the Solent’s maritime sector, that has demonstrated itself to be a changemaker in the realm of diversity. They will be able to evidence an ethos that embraces diversity, through its operational, daily approach, its strategic direction, and its policies. The winning organisation will be able to illustrate how it has successfully created a diverse workforce, including through collaborating with other businesses, charities or organisations to share best practices.

This is an award for business, charity, or organisation who has demonstrated that they are leading the way in new technology, be it through new electronic processes, or innovative processes and practises. They will be able to evidence a working environment where innovation technology is used regularly to find solutions for industry challenges. The winning organisation will be able to illustrate how it has successfully worked with organisations of all sizes, across all sectors, to identify and develop the most promising technologies.

This is an award for a port, shipowner or shipbuilder, or possibly other maritime-based organisation, who is wholly committed to moving their Solent-based operations towards zero emissions. They will be able to evidence that they have taken action, the progress to date, and their future plans. In addition they will illustrate the programme of activities that they have carried out in support of a reduction in their carbon emissions.

Examples might include, from eradicating usage of single-use plastic, to greatly reducing transport or printing costs.

This is an award for an individual or a business, charity, or organisation who has developed, tested or operated technologies in the Solent that have made a significant contribution to the transition to zero emissions for the Maritime sector. They will evidence this through developments that they have made to new technology, either for own products or in the supply chain for other businesses.

This is an award for a Solent-based maritime business, charity, or organisation of any size, that is actively involved in international trade. They will have significantly increased import/export activity or attracted Foreign Direct Investment. This will be evidenced through increased revenue and job creation.

This is an award for a business or organisation (example academic or research organisations), which is not located in the UK, that your maritime business in the Solent has traded with and / or built a strong relationship with over the last years. You can nominate them or they can apply direct themselves.

Open to a Solent-based business, charity or organisation of any size, this award recognises organisations that have created a stimulating and supportive work environment and a real commitment to the welfare of their employees, resulting in high staff satisfaction levels and a well-motivated, ambitious and integrated workforce. The winner will be able to evidence dedication to personal and professional development, staff satisfaction and HR initiatives, creating a supportive and engaging working environment.

To be eligible for this award, entrants must:

• Have started to trade no earlier than three years from the date of entry.
• Be ‘independently owned’. This is defined as a business that is substantially owned by its founders and/or a group of independent investors, is not quoted on the stock market or any other stock market; and is not a subsidiary or associated company of another business.
• Be a maritime business, or in the supply chain, and based in the Solent

Open to a business, charity or organisation of any size, this award recognises those that have made a tangible contribution to meeting the future skills needs of the Solent’s maritime sector. The winner will be able to evidence pioneering activity across education, training or apprenticeship development, to help match available skills to the emerging and future requirements of the industry.

Open to businesses of up to 50 employees, this award will be made to a business that has demonstrated a real understanding of its target market and positioned or adapted itself accordingly, showing impressive growth/growth potential, and sustainability in terms of one or more of the following: job creation; turnover and/or national/international impact.

Open to larger businesses (over 50 employees or more), this award will be made to a business that has demonstrated a real understanding of its target market and positioned or adapted itself, accordingly, showing impressive growth/growth potential, and sustainability in terms of one or more of the following: job creation; turnover and/or national/international impact.

This award is open to:

• apprentices currently undertaking an apprenticeship programme.
• apprentices who have completed their apprenticeships in 2022.
• apprentices who will complete their apprenticeships in 2023.

Nominations will be made by the employer and will demonstrate distance travelled by the individual, the skills learned and the impact this individual has had on the organisation. This category is for all apprentices employed in the sector, regardless of which apprenticeship pathway they are following, and does not have to be a traditional marine or maritime framework.

This will be awarded to an individual who has made a significant impact to the strength of the Solent Maritime Sector. This individual will have a legacy of achievements that may include: having had a positive impact on the regional sector; having constructively supported young people and apprentices; having made a clear bearing on economic development; having been an ambassador for the Solent’s maritime sector.
As part of the judging process, three finalists will meet with one of the judges, the Managing director for Maritime UK Solent, and the person who nominated them, in order to make their final decision.