Make UK’s Photography Competition is back, for the first time in nearly 10 years, inviting manufacturers, photographers and members of the public to capture the people, products and processes behind modern UK manufacturing. 

Manufacturing plays a part in almost every aspect of everyday life, from the food on our shelves and medicines we rely on to transport, technology and clean energy. The competition aims to bring those stories to life and build a collection of images that reflects the scale, skill and innovation of manufacturing across the UK. 

Speaking to The Manufacturer about the return of the competition, Make UK Chief Executive Stephen Phipson CBE said: 

"This is is far more than a photography competition. This is an opportunity to challenge outdated perceptions, celebrate the people and businesses behind the products we rely on every day, and create a powerful visual record of modern manufacturing in Britain. 

“The truth is that manufacturing in the modern world is a lot different to how most people perceive it to be. So, we want to get people to engage visually with what it’s really like in a modern advanced manufacturing facility.” 

You can read the full interview, alongside advice from previous competition winner Adrian Waine here. 

Entries can be submitted across four categories, each highlighting a different part of UK manufacturing:

  • Manufacturing Makes Things Possible focuses on the products, components, processes and innovations behind modern life. 
  • The People Who Make It Possible celebrates the engineers, technicians, apprentices, production teams and many others whose skills and expertise keep the sector moving. 
  • Manufacturing Reimagined showcases the technology, automation, sustainability and innovation transforming manufacturing and challenging outdated perceptions of the industry. 
  • The Beauty of Industry looks at the visual side of manufacturing, from the scale and colour of industrial environments to craftsmanship, precision and intricate detail. 

How to take part 

The competition is open to everyone, regardless of photography experience. Entries must show manufacturing activity taking place in the UK and can be captured using anything from professional photography equipment to a smartphone. 

National Manufacturing Day on 24 September will provide a particularly strong opportunity to capture entries. As manufacturers across the country open their doors to schools, communities and future talent, the day offers a rare chance to show modern manufacturing as it really is: skilled, innovative, high-tech and full of people making things that matter. 

Whether it is an apprentice demonstrating new skills, a team working with advanced machinery, a product being made on the factory floor or visitors seeing behind the scenes for the first time, NMD creates exactly the kind of authentic, engaging content the competition is designed to celebrate. These images can help challenge outdated perceptions of the sector and build a lasting visual record of the people, places and ideas shaping UK manufacturing today. 

Entries close at 11:59pm on 24 October 2026. 

Winners will share a £5,000 cash prize fund, and their work will be displayed in a dedicated gallery space at Smart Manufacturing Week 2027 

Find out more about the Photography Competition 2026 and enter here 

2026 Make UK Photography Competition banner with lens showing manufacturing process.