Last night (1 October), the winners of the 2025 DfT Special Recognition Awards were announced at Strictly Highways, where more than 500 professionals from the highways and road infrastructure technology sector came together to celebrate innovation and achievement.
For the past six years, we have been proud to host these prestigious awards on behalf of the Department for Transport. Established by the late Steve Berry OBE, former Head of Highways Maintenance, Innovation, and Resilience at DfT, these awards continue to honour his legacy by recognising excellence, collaboration, and innovation across the sector.
2025 Award Winners
Best Use of Technology in the Highways and Transportation Sector – Sponsored by Polaris
Recognises an organisation or partnership that can demonstrate the best use of technology within the highways and transportation sector.
Winner – WJ Group and HAAS Alert – Improving Safety through Real-Time In-Car VMS.
Highly commended – Eurovia – Eliminating On-Site Collisions using Safety Shield AI human detection technology & Emergency Autobrake Assist.
Transport Technology Innovation – Sponsored by Multevo
Recognises transformative innovations addressing the evolving demands and future challenges of the highways and transportation sector.
Winner – Vivacity – It shouldn’t have to cost a life to save a life: Transforming Road Safety with AI-Powered Near Miss Detection.
Highly commended – Aisin RoadTrace – formally selected as a connected vehicle data partner on the National Highways SPATS3 Framework.
Collaborative Partnership (between council(s) and supply chain) – Sponsored by Kiely Group
Recognises outstanding partnerships, collaborations, or joint initiatives significantly contributing to the advancement and improvement of the highways and transportation sector.
Winner – Liverpool City Council – Highways Investment Programme (HIP) HIP1 and HIP2.
Highly commended: London Borough of Enfield – Enfield Town to Broxbourne Walking and Cycling Route.
Net Zero Project of the Year – Sponsored by Tarmac
Recognises an outstanding innovation project delivered by an organisation/partnership that has demonstrably contributed to accelerating or reducing the cost of decarbonisation and evidencing a reduction in environmental impacts, managing embedded carbon within construction and reducing air pollution.
Winner – East Riding of Yorkshire Council – the Live Labs 2 – Decarbonising Streetlighting project.
Highly commended: Staffordshire County Council and Amey – Pioneering UK-first process that converts wet gully waste into British Standard 3882-certified topsoil, reused directly on local highways projects.
Highly commended: Multipave and Blackpool Council – Transforming road maintenance, preventing150 tonnes of CO₂ emissions and recycling 4,000 tonnes of materials by using Cold Recycled Bound Materials (CRBM).
Employer Initiative of the Year – Sponsored by Triopsis
This award recognises an outstanding initiative that has demonstrably contributed to supporting the retention of employees and/or encouraged new employees into the sector, possibly demonstrating a wider social value impact.
Winner – Wiltshire Council – Wellbeing and Inclusion Programme.
Highly commended – FM Conway – 30 by 30, a bold commitment to reach 30% female representation by 2030.
Highways Apprentice of the Year – Sponsored by Winvic
This award celebrates outstanding apprentices who have made significant contributions and a positive impact on their course, workplace or the wider highways sector during their apprenticeship.
Winner – Jess Banbury, Pre-Site Technician at Amey Staffordshire. The judges said: “Jess is a truly inspirational individual whose resilience and determination has empowered her to rise above personal challenges and pursue her dreams. Jess has gone beyond excellence in delivery and has also shown creativity, positive impact on workplace culture and is a passionate advocate for the sector.”
Highly commended – Hannah Black, Citisense – Since joining Citisense as an apprentice, she has brought warmth, curiosity, and a deep sense of purpose to everything she does.
Best of Britain – Sponsored by Gaist
Inspired by Will Britain, the founder of LCRIG, this award celebrates a public sector individual working on the Officer or Manager side of a local authority who has gone above and beyond to engage with their local community, improve local services, change local perceptions or play a key part in the sector.
Winner – Manjit Singh, Principal Engineer Traffic Signals at City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. The judges said: “An inspiring submission, showcasing many examples of how Manjit has not only supported the council but also driven improvements in efficiency, accessibility, and functionality through his role.”
Special Awards
In addition to the DfT Special Recognition Awards, two special accolades were presented:
Matthew Eglinton – recognised for his outstanding contribution to innovation in the highways sector.
Susanne Ingham – recognised for her outstanding contribution to collaboration in the highways sector.
Special tribute was paid to Susanne, whose 30-year career in highways has transformed the sector and delivered measurable benefits to wider society, leaving a legacy of generosity, innovation, and lasting community impact. Her standing ovation captured just how much respect and appreciation she has earned from across the sector.
Congratulations
We extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the winners and shortlisted nominees. A special thank you to Department for Transport for hosting the awards, to Paul Hutton for guiding us through the evening, to our sponsors, and to everyone who joined us for this memorable celebration.
Book your place at Strictly Highways 2026 here.