WORCESTERSHIRE companies are being urged to take part in a Festival of Innovation at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham in November.

Organised to mark the 10th anniversary of the Lord Stafford Awards, the event is being sponsored by regional development agency Advan-tage West Midlands and will showcase the cream of innovative businesses and products from across the region.

The Lord Stafford Awards aim to recognise, encourage and reward the development of collaborative relationships between West Midlands businesses and universities.

The Festival of Innovation will take place on Thursday, November 15, and will demonstrate how the West Midlands has forged ahead in terms of innovation and collaboration, linking businesses with the region's world-class universities to encourage shared knowledge and deliver innovative products, processes and services. Entrepreneurs will be on hand to offer expert advice and students will be able to find out more about the support on offer to kick-start their own business ideas.

The event will precede the 10th annual Lord Stafford Awards where companies are in with the chance of winning cash prizes.

Beckie Lewis, Lord Stafford Awards manager, said: "We're looking for companies in Wor-cestershire to get involved in what will be a truly spectacular showcase of innovation.

"Our region's economy was built on innovation and each year the Lord Stafford Awards show exactly how much excellent work is going on. This year, with the 10th anniversary of the awards, we're organising this festival to really put West Midlands innovation on the map and encourage even more collaboration with universities."

Keith Harvey, innovation and technology manager at Advantage West Midlands, said: "Innovation is one of the key challenges the West Midlands faces and we need to do more to promote the achievements of innovative companies. The Festival of Innovation will be one of the key ways to do this."