The Lord Stafford Awards, developed in 1997, exist to recognise and encourage the development of collaborative relationships between Businesses and Universities. Formerly held solely in the West Midlands, 2008 saw the launch of these prestigious Awards in the East Midlands and now the East of England.

The Awards are a public declaration of the value and importance of such collaborations both to those directly involved, in terms of increased competitiveness and the growth of the knowledge base, and also to the region as a whole as a result of the contribution they make to economic prosperity. In the context of the Lord Stafford Awards, collaboration is a metaphor for mutual benefit, for partnership, support, growth and a brighter future. It is these elements and the commitment to collaboration, which will provide the businesses and the Universities with whom they work, with the key to unlocking the potential that the future has to offer.