Northamptonshire digital agency Zinc Digital has won two Northamptonshire Business Awards, taking Innovation Business of the Year for the second consecutive year while apprentice Abigail Mellish was named Apprentice of the Year.
The awards, organised by Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce, were presented at Sywell Aerodrome in September.
Zinc’s innovation award recognised its investment in bespoke artificial intelligence technology developed in-house. The agency has built a series of specialist AI agents covering areas including SEO, quality assurance, infrastructure, creative work, development, content and video.
Zinc says the agents have been designed around its own working processes rather than using a single off-the-shelf system. Tasks can be passed between the tools, although changes affecting live client systems remain subject to human review and approval.
Rob Bradley, head of business development at Zinc Digital, said: “Winning the Innovation Business of the Year award two years running means everything to this team. It’s proof that solving real problems for our clients – not simply adopting the latest technology – is what makes the difference.
“It is also the first time we have entered the apprentice category, so we are particularly delighted for our talented apprentice Abigail Mellish, who is a brilliant example of the kind of talent, curiosity and ambition we’re working hard to develop and nurture here.”
Hannah Austin, an AI specialist at Zinc Digital, said the agency had developed what it describes as a custom “agentic” workforce.
“We have built something most agencies haven’t: a custom ‘agentic’ workforce. Not a single off-the-shelf product bolted on, but a team of specialists – each tailor-made to Zinc’s exact processes and modelled on the knowledge of our own experts.
“These agents cover SEO, quality assurance, infrastructure, creative, development, content and video. What began as one experiment turned into a full team of specialist tools, built around how we actually work, that keep getting better with every job. It’s changed how we deliver for our clients, and we’re only at the beginning of what it can do.
“They work around the clock, hand tasks to one another like colleagues, and learn from every job they complete. Crucially, every change that touches a live client system is reviewed and signed off by a human before it goes live.”
The agency’s second Northamptonshire Business Awards success came through creative digital designer Abigail Mellish.
Abigail joined Zinc after being made redundant by a previous employer, a move which had put the continuation of her apprenticeship at risk. She now works across creative design, digital marketing, AI-assisted content, photography and film while continuing her Creative Digital Design Integrated Degree Apprenticeship.
She is expected to graduate next year and is currently predicted to achieve First-Class Honours.
Oliver McKeown, head of digital at Zinc Digital, said: “We snapped Abigail up when we heard she was seeking a new employer. Her portfolio is already better than most of the mid-to-senior candidates we were interviewing, and she’s already given the whole creative team a boost.
“She never waits to be told what needs doing. She spots opportunities, takes responsibility and then turns ideas into something useful for the business and our clients.”
Abigail said: “Winning this in my first year at Zinc Digital means a huge amount. I’m ambitious and I like being given responsibility, and I also want to be part of a team. That’s what I have at Zinc.”
The double success follows two awards for Zinc in 2025, when it won Small Business of the Year and the West Northants Innovation Award.
Pictured: Abigail Mellish and Jordan Clare, head of marketing at Zinc Digital, with the agency’s Apprentice of the Year and Innovation Business of the Year awards.
