£8m fund to help SME manufacturers go digital

A new £8 million fund has been created to help small and medium sized manufacturers modernise, go digital and create new jobs.

The funding, part of the government 's Made Smarter Adoption programme, will support up to 1,000 SME manufacturers, across the North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber and the West Midlands regions, in adopting digital technology.

A pilot of the programme launched in January 2019 in the North West and has already worked with more than 1,000 firms and directly supported over 500 businesses to use digital technology to overcome challenges or access opportunities to grow their business.

The additional funding will allow more manufacturing businesses across England do the same.

Henrietta Brealey, chief strategy officer at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, said: "Greater Birmingham is home to many innovative, dynamic and long established manufacturers.

"This funding will represent a great opportunity for businesses, many of whom have seen their cash flow hit by Covid-19 or Brexit, access additional support to adapt and futureproof. ”

Jamie Elliot, innovation lead for the West Midlands Combined Authority, said: “This funding is a step in the right direction.

“We have 14,500 SME manufacturers in the West Midlands many of which would benefit from access to new technologies, which would both boost the region 's economy, help create skilled jobs and contribute towards a cleaner, greener West Midlands. ”

Rolling out the 'Made Smarter Adoption ' programme to additional regions is set to help more manufacturers, with support for firms in the North West continuing.

The government 's Made Smarter Adoption programme includes free impartial, expert advice, funded digital internships, access to specialised leadership and management training, as well as match funding for digital transformation projects.