This year we have for the first time made a distinction between "Concept" and "Innovation" and have run two streams for the entries. We have found that comparing a total "off the wall" idea from a design student with an almost "ready for market" product from a "mumpreneur" is next to impossible. Now we can ensure that we encourage the most creative of design ideas from the Concept pool and still bring on the more practical and market ready solutions from the Innovation pool. This year we received a large number of entries for both categories and judging has proved to be extremely challenging for our panel.

The first phase of judging is complete and the best entries have now been carried forward to the next stage. This second stage is quite rigorous and not only for the judges; it involves the preparation of an outline business plan and a detailed presentation in front of the panel of judges in the style of the BBC programme "Dragons Den". There are of course no piles of cash in front of each judge but contestants do generally receive a comprehensive grilling on their inventions.

The judging panel consists of the top safety experts from our industry together with marketers and entrepreneurs from both within and outside the industry.  There is no better forum for entrants to receive steerage and guidance on their ideas and leverage them to the next stage.

The BPA is proud of its record in launching so many new products over the years that this competition has been running.  It has always been our intention to encourage and stimulate the most creative and inventive people in bringing their ideas to market.  It gives us the opportunity to ensure students, inventors and designers wishing to launch something new are made aware of the need to build intrinsic safety into their design.

Last year's winners Tilley Beasley and Phil Jackson with the ‘Wean Machine' have successfully launched their product on both the domestic and international stages and this product is just one of a large cluster of products launched through the BPA's awards that are now commonplace on the shelves of retailers throughout the country.

So we have now whittled this year's entries down to eleven semi-finalists and after the presentation stage in August, we will have a quartet of finalists who will showcase their concepts and prototypes at BPA Baby & Child at ExCel from 11th to 13th October 2009.

Tim Loughton MP Shadow Minister for Children, will be presenting the prize to the winners on Monday 12th October. He said:"I am looking forward to seeing the entries that have made the final of this year's awards. The UK has outstanding talent when it comes to invention and innovation and no more so than in the nursery products industry. The BPA does great work on behalf of the industry by ensuring products are as safe as they can be and by encouraging new product development into the market."

Make sure you don't miss the opportunity to hear Tim Loughton's address at the Seminar Theatre on Press Day, Monday 12th October. Online registration is now open so please visit  www.babyandchildfair.co.uk to get your free ticket to the BPA's own show. 

It's the show for the industry by the industry.

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