The SPARKies is returning to Bristol on Thursday 16th July 2026. Nominations are officially open and tickets are now on sale.
The SPARKies celebrates the very best of the South West’s thriving tech and innovation community. Each year, it brings together the people, companies and ideas shaping the region.
This year’s event will take place at the iconic St George’s Bristol, offering a stunning new setting for a night dedicated to recognising excellence across the ecosystem. With 18 award categories, The SPARKies continues to spotlight everything from early-stage startups to established organisations making a global impact.
Early Bird tickets are now on sale, starting from £35, giving you the chance to secure a place at one of the region’s most anticipated tech events. With a room full of founders, innovators, investors and community leaders, it’s an opportunity not just to celebrate, but to connect, collaborate and build meaningful relationships.
Nominations are open, and as always, we encourage you to put yourself or someone you know who is doing exceptional work forward. Even if you aren’t shortlisted on the night, The SPARKies remains a key event in the calendar, offering a rare opportunity to have the South West tech community all in one place.
Powered by techSPARK, the not-for-profit dedicated to strengthening the region’s tech ecosystem, The SPARKies has grown over more than a decade into a true hub for collaboration. By bringing people together, the event helps spark new ideas, encourage partnerships, share knowledge and support individuals at every stage of their journey.
In recent years, revenue from The SPARKies has been reinvested back into the ecosystem — from evolving Bristol Tech Festival to celebrate the city’s strengths, to delivering £883K in combined economic and social value through BTF+, supporting over 18,000 job seekers into tech roles, and continuing to run programmes for founders and early-stage startups.
The impact of The SPARKies can also be seen in its alumni. Previous winners include HeadX, Future Space, Seccl, aer Studios, EnsiliTech, Condense, Matter., Signable, CLUE, Siloton, Dial a Geek, Atomic Smash, Gravitywell, Spherics, LOQBOX, Immersive, Ultraleap, Rovco, HomeLINK, TalkLife, Virti, Open Bionics and many more — all helping to shape the region’s reputation as a powerhouse for innovation.
For those looking to raise their profile, build partnerships or give back to the community, The SPARKies offers a unique platform to do just that. And for organisations wanting to play a bigger role, there are also opportunities to support the event and engage directly with the people driving the future of tech in the South West.
With nominations open and Early Bird tickets available, now is the time to get involved. Whether that’s putting your name forward, securing your spot in the room, or partnering to support the next year of activity.