INDUSTRY NEWS
February 2026
BPIF Training launches Employers Guide 2026 and new online event for National Apprenticeship Week
9 FEBRUARY 2026
BPIF Training has launched its new Employer’s Guide to Understanding Apprenticeships 2026, released to coincide with the first day of National Apprenticeship Week 2026. The guide gives employers a clear and practical overview of how apprenticeships work, the benefits they bring, and the support available throughout the full apprenticeship journey.
Designed for both employers new to apprenticeships and those looking to develop existing staff, the guide brings together essential information on apprenticeship levels, funding, recruitment, onboarding and progression. It also includes detailed support on off-the-job training, mental health, performance management and understanding English and maths requirements.
The guide aims to help organisations make informed decisions, strengthen skills pipelines and support long-term workforce development across the printing, packaging and graphic communications industries.
New Employer Event Announced
To support the launch, BPIF Training has also opened bookings for a new employer briefing:
Apprenticeships Explained in 20 Minutes: What Employers Need to Know
Online – Tuesday 10 February 2026
BLOC IS HITTING THE ROAD
9 FEBRUARY 2026
BLOC is delighted to announce it will be hitting the road this March, hosting a series of regional meetings across the UK designed to help members get the most from their membership. These meetings offer valuable opportunities to gain key industry insights, hear directly from the BLOC team, and connect with other like-minded independent businesses within the BLOC community.
READ MORE
Updates from Leigh Stationers' Academy
6 FEBRUARY 2026
Updates from Leigh Stationers' Academy are now available on the Latest News page of the Academy's website.
Items this week include:
- Stationers' Foundation Grant brings over 4,000 New Titles to the Academy Library
- Cambridge Visit Inspires Year 10 Students to Aim High
- Year 12 Attend University of Chichester Outreach Experience Day
- Strong Debut for LSA at Royal Borough of Greenwich Book Quiz
- Hands-On Stem Challenges for Year 8 at the University of Greenwich
- Careers Exploration Series: Students Hear from the British Army
- Year 10 Retail Business Students Carry Out Primary Research at Bluewater
- Weekly Sports Update
- Personal Development Updates
Stationers and Innovation Excellence Awards at Materials Research Exchange 2026
4 FEBRUARY 2026
The Company and our Innovation Excellence Awards (IEAs) will have a presence at the Materials Research Exchange (MRE), taking place on 19–20 February 2026 at the Business Design Centre, London.
Thanks to the support of Professor Sally Beken and Innovate UK, the Company will host a dedicated stand showcasing our Innovation Excellence Awards. We are delighted that last year’s Innovator of the Year, FabLittleBag, has already confirmed they will be joining us, alongside three further materials-focused innovators from recent award years.
MRE will also serve as a soft launch for the IEAs’ new Manufacturing category, reflecting the growing importance of coatings, materials, and advanced manufacturing within the communications and content industries.
Attendance at MRE is free, but all visitors must register in advance.
More information: https://iuk-business-connect.org.uk/events/materials-research-exchange-2026/
Micropress Launches New Online Print Platform, Press Print
4 FEBRUARY 2026
Micropress has announced the launch of its new online print platform, Press Print, following a year of development. The platform is designed to make ordering high-quality, stitched, and bound print products simple, fast, and accessible online.
Press Print focuses on stitched and bound products, including brochures, catalogues, and magazines. A category that represents a significant and growing segment of online print demand.
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Page Bros accelerates growth with major HEIDELBERG XL106 investment
2 FEBRUARY 2026
Page Bros has invested in a new HEIDELBERG Speedmaster XL106-5+L, replacing an existing HEIDELBERG CX102, as part of a three-year, £7 million investment strategy with the intent to grow, evolve, and expand into new markets. This investment, alongside multiple recent mergers and acquisitions, has created real momentum across the business.
The XL106’s efficiency translates into faster, more dependable delivery schedules, consistently higher-quality outcomes, and greater production flexibility. As it uses less energy and generates less waste, it also supports the sustainability goals of Page Bros and its customers. The company also owns a TH82-P Stahlfolder, which supports the new press.
READ MOREJanuary 2026
Updates from Leigh Stationers' Academy
30 JANUARY 2026
Items this week include:
- A Message from the Principal
- LSA Parent Survey: Share your Views
- Students Take Part in Technical Theatre Workshop at the Criterion Theatre
- Year 10 Performing Arts Students Attend Blood Brothers at the Churchill Theatre
- Year 10 Geographers Explore Regeneration in London Docklands
- Duke of Edinburgh Students Begin Community Litter-Pick at Avery Hill Park
- Mock Examinations: Timetables, Revision and Support
- Weekly Sports Update: Strong Performances Across Multiple Competitions
- Personal Development Updates
£10,000 WILBUR SMITH ADVENTURE WRITING ‘PAPERBACK’ PRIZE IS ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS
29 JANUARY 2026
London, UK, 28 January 2026 — The 2026 Wilbur Smith Adventure Writing Prize is now accepting submissions, with an award of £10,000 for the winning novel. The Prize celebrates and supports outstanding contemporary adventure fiction from around the world.
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The Printer in Residence Scheme
27 JANUARY 2026
Alongside this exhibition we seek to appoint a Printer in Residence to produce a contemporary response to the exhibition and to be an important part of the public engagement programme for the project.
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Updates from Leigh Stationers' Academy
23 JANUARY 2026
Items this week include:
- A Message from the Principal
- Year 7 Angelou Students Visit Stationers' Hall and Tate Modern
- Year 9 Engage in TfL Workshops on Bystander Intervention & Reporting
- A-Level English Literature Students Attend Othello at Theatre Royal Haymarket
- Work Experience Webinar for Years 10 & 12: Recording Now Available
- Young Greenwich: Free 10-Week Tutoring Programme for Years 9-11
- Year 11 Food Preparation & Nutrition Practical Exams
- Year 13 Parents' Evening: Strong Attendance & Positive Engagement
- Personal Development Updates
- Weekly Sports Fixtures
- Brigade: Reduced PE Polo Shirt Stock
Collaboration in the Craft: TheNeverZine Features Maddi Almond
22 JANUARY 2026
Liveryman Graham Thomas, founder of independent publishing house TheNeverPress is championing a new era of collaborative publishing through his public-access digital publication, TheNeverZine.
The latest article on TheNeverZine features a deep dive into the work of book designer and Freeman Maddi Almond.
Reflecting on her practice, Maddi notes: “For me, working with a medium that has such a long and rich history, I feel a responsibility to do justice to those before me who brought print and book design to where it is now. Taking the time to ensure everything I create is made with care, consideration and can stand the test of time.”
Read the full article, exclusively on TheNeverZine
Graham and Maddi are a wonderful example of how Stationers are working together to bridge the gap between heritage and innovation. This partnership highlights our Company’s vital role in forward-thinking publishing, blending traditional craft with modern digital curation to celebrate world-class creativity.
Check out Maddi’s website to learn more about her art and if you would like to learn more about TheNeverPress, please contact Graham at info@theneverpress.com and follow on Instagram (@theneverpress)
ONLINE LECTURE Mozart 270: Conserving Mozart’s Manuscript
20 JANUARY 2026
ONLINE LECTURE
Mozart 270: Conserving Mozart’s Manuscript
Tue 27 Jan 2026
14:00 - 14:30 GMT
https://www.rct.uk/event/mozart-270
Free
On what would have been Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s 270th birthday, join Mito Matsumaru, Senior Conservator of Archives, Manuscripts and Books, for a behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Library’s conservation work on Die Schuldigkeit des ersten Gebots, K.35. Composed by Mozart in March 1767 at just 11 years old, this early sacred drama offers a fascinating insight into the young composer’s genius.
Mito will share the meticulous techniques used by the Royal Collection Trust’s conservation team to preserve this precious manuscript. Her talk will then go on to explore more of the Royal Bindery's work including the conservation of Royal Library and Royal Archive collections more generally, as well as the book binding skills inherited within one of the oldest working binderies in the UK.