Inventors and innovators have until 26 August 2022 to submit their free entry into the Baby Products Association’s (BPA) 2022 Concept & Innovation Awards.

The Concept & Innovation Awards are open to anyone with a new baby product idea; from the earliest concept stage to a product that is already in production. The only criteria are that the product must not be on the market before Harrogate International Nursery Fair in October 2022.

Providing a platform to turn an idea into reality

Many past Concept & Innovation Award finalists are now successful in the marketplace. Lesley Cartwright-Taylor won the Concept & Innovation Award in 2016 with KiddieRail (pictured), which is a child-sized handrail for staircases. She will be exhibiting her product for the first time at Harrogate International Nursery Fair in October.

“After winning the Innovation Award, I needed help to develop and market the product,” says Cartwright-Taylor. “Initially I worked with someone who had manufacturing facilities in China and a wide network of distributors. However, the timing was bad. Events such as Brexit, tariffs imposed on certain goods from China into the USA; the UK election; then Covid, all combined to make progress very slow. Each year, I became increasingly dispirited, and it was a struggle.

“Finally, serendipity stepped in and I met someone at Cardea Solutions in the UK who was interested in taking on KiddieRail as it complemented his portfolio of safety products. Furthermore, the company would manufacture in the UK — something I always aspired to. KiddieRail was finally ready for launch nine months from signing contracts. I was delighted to work with such a professional team and we launched the product at the end of 2021. We look forward to presenting KiddieRail at Harrogate on Stand B12.”

To enter the Concept & Innovation Awards, please click here to download an entry form.