Apply for the Maritime Solent Awards 2026

Nominations for this Award are made by employers or trainers for apprentices or cadets who have shown exceptional personal and professional development and made a positive impact on their organisation. This category is for all apprentices or cadets employed or being trained in the maritime sector, regardless of which apprenticeship pathway they are following, and does not have to be a traditional marine or maritime framework. The Apprenticeship or cadetship must have completed in the 2024/25 academic year or will complete in the 2025/26 academic year.

N.B. The nominated apprentice or cadet must either be:

• currently on programme,
• or they have received their End of Point Assessment Certificate/Officer of the Watch Certificate between 1 August 2024 and 31 July 2025.

Any nominees who do not fit within the stated time parameters will not be considered.

This is an award for a business or organisation based in the Solent who has developed, tested, operated, and/or commercialised new innovations, products or services that have made (or have the potential to make) a significant contribution to a lower carbon Maritime sector.

This is an award for an organisation within the Solent’s maritime sector, that has demonstrated itself to be a changemaker in the realm of diversity. They will evidence an ethos that embraces diversity, through its operational, daily approach, its strategic direction, and its policies. This is your opportunity to showcase the work your organisation is doing to secure a diverse workforce.

This award is for a large business (over 250 employees) that has made a tangible contribution to meeting the future skills needs of the Solent’s maritime sector. The winner will be delivering pioneering staff development and/or educational course activity to help match available skills to the emerging and future requirements of the sector, including upskilling and / or education outreach. Applicants may be businesses or skills / training providers.

This award is for a small business (up to 249 employees) that has made a tangible contribution to meeting the future skills needs of the Solent’s maritime sector. The winner will be delivering pioneering staff development or educational course activity to help match available skills to the emerging and future requirements of the sector, including upskilling and / or education outreach. Applicants may be businesses or skills / training providers.

This award celebrates outstanding contributions by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small businesses within the maritime defence sector. It recognises those who play a pivotal role in supporting major defence contractors (primes) through innovation, reliability, and excellence in supply chain delivery. Applications for this award can be: a supply chain business nominated by a prime, or applied for by the supply chain business – or a joint application from the prime and the supply chain business.

This category will accept nominations only. Self‑nominations are not permitted.

This award recognises an individual who, through their professional career, has made a significant and lasting contribution to the strength, capability and reputation of the Solent maritime sector. It celebrates leaders whose work – undertaken as part of their role – has shaped the region’s maritime economy, advanced the sector, or created a legacy that will endure.

Eligible nominees will typically demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Transformational leadership – sustained leadership that has strengthened a maritime organisation or advanced the region’s maritime capabilities.
  Impact on sector growth – a clear role in driving the development, expansion or competitiveness of a Solent‑based maritime business or institution.
• Industry‑shaping achievements – contributions that have influenced the direction of the maritime sector, such as major projects, strategic initiatives or sector‑wide improvements.
• Innovation or advancement of knowledge – leading research, technology adoption or new approaches that have moved the sector forward.
• Career‑long commitment to the maritime industry – a track record of dedication, professionalism and influence within the Solent maritime community.

This award is intended to recognise professional impact, not voluntary or community activity. Nominations should focus on achievements delivered through the nominee’s career and their contribution to the long‑term success of the Solent maritime sector.

This award is open to organisations of any size working in the logistics industry who can demonstrate excellence in maritime and operations that support maritime, encompassing any modes of transport. This award aims to recognise businesses that demonstrate outstanding performance in ensuring the efficient, secure, and timely movement of goods and equipment in support of maritime operations.

This award is open to maritime businesses based in the Solent that have up to 250 employees. This is your opportunity to showcase how great your small business is and what you have achieved over the past few years. You may have grown rapidly, pivoted your operation to safeguard your future or explore an opportunity, invested in workforce development, developed new products or services, improved sustainability, or secured key new contracts. Tell us your story. Applications that can strengthen their story with numbers (e.g. new job, turnover growth) will be favoured.

Applicants for this award will have started to trade no earlier than three years from the date of entry, will be ‘independently owned’, and are a maritime business, or in the supply chain, and based in the Solent. Applicants that can evidence rapid growth and / or innovation will be favoured.

This is an award for a maritime, services or supply chain business or organisation who are leading the way in new technology that will be ‘game-changing’ in the maritime sector in any area of operations. This will be through embracing new technologies to create new products, services, processes or practises. Applications that can demonstrate the use of novel technologies to respond to industry challenges will be favoured.

This award recognises an exceptional micro business within the regional maritime sector that demonstrates outstanding performance, innovation and clear evidence of growth. It celebrates small teams delivering high‑quality products or services, strengthening the maritime economy, and showing strong ambition for the future. Eligible applicants will typically demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Strong business performance – evidence of commercial success, operational excellence or notable achievements over the past year.
• Clear evidence of growth – measurable progress such as increased turnover, expanded customer base, new contracts, capability development or market expansion.
• Innovation and problem‑solving – new products, services, processes or technologies that enhance competitiveness or efficiency.
• Sector impact – how the business strengthens the maritime supply chain, supports customers or enhances capability within the sector.
• People and culture – how the business supports, develops or invests in its small team.
• Future ambition – credible plans for sustainable growth, capability development or market positioning.

This category is open to maritime businesses with fewer than 10 employees, including sole traders.

This award celebrates excellence in the maritime business services sector – the professional, technical, and advisory firms that underpin the Solent’s position as a globally significant maritime hub. This includes legal, insurance, finance, shipbroking, consultancy, surveying, classification, training, recruitment, and specialist advisory services. Eligible applicants will typically demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Professional excellence and leadership – a strong reputation for expertise, quality and reliability in delivering maritime business services.
• Impact for clients – clear evidence of value delivered to maritime clients, whether through improved performance, risk reduction, efficiency or strategic insight.
• Innovation in service delivery – new approaches, digital tools or specialist capabilities that enhance the UK’s maritime business services offer.
• Contribution to sector capability – activity that strengthens the Solent’s maritime business services ecosystem, such as thought leadership, specialist expertise or collaboration with industry partners.
• Commitment to people and skills – investment in professional development, training pathways or early‑career talent.

This category is open to any organisation whose activity includes the provision of business services to the maritime sector.