National Manufacturing Day
Opening doors for future makers - Thursday 24th September 2026
About National Manufacturing Day
Following the success of previous years, National Manufacturing Day will continue to take place annually on the last Thursday in September.
On Thursday 24 September 2026, manufacturers across the UK will once again open their doors, inviting the public behind the scenes to see modern manufacturing in action as part of this UK-wide open house.
The day gives local communities the chance to explore the wide range of careers available in manufacturing, while helping businesses engage with future talent, schools, colleges and local stakeholders.
Find an Open Day
Educational Resources
Resources for students and apprentices or anyone interested in a career in manufacturing and engineering.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Got a question about taking part? We’ve answered some of the most common queries below to help you plan your event, promote your activity and make the most of the day. Still need help? Contact us at [email protected].
National Manufacturing Day takes place annually on the last Thursday of each September – which is the 24th of September in 2026.
That’s completely up to you. You could invite local schools, colleges, jobseekers or other community groups in for tours and careers talks, host an event for staff, friends and family, or simply support the day on social media. You could even go into schools or colleges to talk about your business, products and potential careers. Whether big or small, every activity helps celebrate UK manufacturing.
As early as possible. We recommend arranging visits before schools break up for the summer holidays in mid-July, giving teachers enough time to organise travel, permissions and schedules - and helping you avoid the September rush. We’ve created an invite letter template which can help you get the ball rolling.
We recommend that companies reach out directly to local education providers or other potential visitors and advertise their event within their community. Unfortunately, given the volume of participants, Make UK is unable to promote individual events far and wide – though we do feature them on the map on our website.
We’ve also created a range of free resources to help you plan and promote your event, including social media assets, suggested posts, press release templates, and template letters for schools, colleges and MPs. Whether it’s your first event or you’re a returning host, there’s plenty to help you get started. our interactive map and featured in the hosts section of the website.
There’s no set format or length — it’s whatever works best for your business. Some companies host all-day events or multiple sessions for different groups, while others run shorter visits, evening events or informal open-house sessions. Big or small, every event makes a difference.
You can include contact details on your event listing so visitors can register interest via email or phone. Alternatively, you may find it easier to use an online sign-up form or booking platform such as Microsoft Forms, SurveyMonkey or Eventbrite.
These tools can help you manage numbers and collect useful information in advance, such as contact details, age groups, dietary requirements or accessibility needs.
Yes. While National Manufacturing Day takes place on Thursday 24 September 2026, you’re welcome to host your event on a different day if that works better for your business, visitors or local schools and colleges.
We recommend promoting your event on social media, making particular use of LinkedIn and local community Facebook groups, as well as reaching out directly to nearby schools, colleges, universities and job centres.
Our promotional resources can help you spread the word, including ready-made graphics, posts and press templates. Don’t forget to use #NMD2026 and tag Make UK in your posts in the run-up and on the day so we can see and share your activity.
