Manufacturers supported with £9.7m fund

A £9.7m manufacturing support initiative has launched.

The Manufacturing Growth Programme, funded by the ERDF and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions aims to fill the void left by MAS.

It will assist firms to grow and improve, offering grants of up to £3,500.

19 manufacturing growth managers have been hired to identify businesses which would benefit from support, including leadership and management training, R&D, lean manufacturing, productivity and capacity, quality systems and supply chain development.

“Since MAS was abruptly axed at the end of 2015, manufacturers have not had access to a support programme that is tailored to their exact requirements and delivered by people who know the sector,” explained Lorraine Holmes, chief executive officer of EGS.

“The programme has to be delivered by March 2019 so we want companies to come forward and take advantage of this assistance. It’s never been easier as the process is quick and the scope of support can be tailored to meet the exact needs of the business.”

“We have spent the last three months getting our full team in place, but even during that stage we have started to roll-out the initiative, working with hundreds of companies already.

“These projects have created lots of new jobs and, over the course of the two years, we believe we’ll help to generate thousands more. Industry has withstood a lot of economic turmoil and come through the other side, now we’re here to help them maximise the most of new opportunities.”

The programme, which offers grants of 35% of the total project cost, is also working closely with a number of LEPs.