Jo Rudzki
Head of Partnerships & Events
The prestigious accolade was announced, after a year-long process of voting and judging, at a finale awards dinner attended by 500 people at Eastside Rooms in Birmingham.
This commendation acknowledges the success and ongoing impact of The TBAT Innovation Challenge – our flagship programme designed to support innovation-led UK SMEs. First launched in 2022 and now concluding its fourth year in 2025, the Challenge has grown significantly. As we now commence the fifth year of the programme (2026), it continues to bring together a strong network of expert partners to deliver high-quality workshops, resources, and a competitive prize fund, helping early-stage innovators accelerate their projects and strengthen their business foundations.
“We are thrilled to be recognised in such a competitive category,” said Sam Stephens, Director at TBAT Innovation. “The Innovation Challenge continues to go from strength to strength, and being awarded Highly Commended is a fantastic acknowledgement of the programme’s impact and the commitment of our team and partners who help deliver it.”
The finalists in this year’s Growth Innovation Champion category represented a diverse and impressive range of organisations. TBAT Innovation stood alongside The BioHub at University of Birmingham, Gateley Global, ABGi, and the West Midlands Growth Company.
“We were up against some exceptional organisations,” added Sam. “To be recognised among such a strong group highlights the real value the Innovation Challenge is delivering to the UK innovation community.”
Dr Richard Fallon, CEO of the Technology Supply Chain (TSC) membership organisation, which runs the annual Innovation Awards, said:
“Congratulations to TBAT Innovation on being highly commended by our panel of Innovation Awards judges. We had more entries than ever before this year, and the competition for each category was stronger than it’s ever been. Each winner can be justifiably proud and can look forward to ongoing support from the 5,000-member TSC network as they chart their course to future success.”
The Innovation Awards recognise, celebrate and reward the businesses, organisations and individuals who are dedicated to innovation.
The awards are open to innovative individuals, businesses and organisations – including universities, local councils and catapults – based in the UK.
As we enter the fifth year of The Innovation Challenge, TBAT Innovation remains committed to expanding the programme and continuing to support UK innovators with the tools, expertise, and opportunities they need to thrive. For further details on the Innovation Challenge click here
The TBAT Innovation Challenge 2025 came to an exciting close with a dynamic showcase featuring some of the UK’s most forward-thinking and driven SMEs. A&B Smart Materials was crowned the overall winner for their pioneering work in developing bio-based Super Absorbent Polymers. Read our article for our full details of our Finalist Showcase.
TBAT Innovation has officially joined the Dains Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing accountancy and advisory firms. This marks a significant step forward in expanding TBAT’s nationwide delivery of R&D tax incentives, grant funding, and innovation consultancy services. Backed by the scale and strength of the Dains Group, TBAT is now even better positioned to help innovative businesses across the UK access the funding and support they need.
Assists organisations in accessing research and development grant funding across a range of UK and EU schemes and industry sectors.
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