Help your manufacturing business embrace digitalisation with the Made Smarter Adoption Programme
Manufacturing businesses across the East Midlands have an opportunity to boost productivity and growth through the Made Smarter Adoption Programme, a £3 million initiative aimed at helping small and medium-sized manufacturers embrace digital technology.
With the manufacturing sector playing such a vital role in our regional economy, accounting for 18.3 per cent of economic output and 12.7 per cent of employment in the East Midlands, this programme offers timely support to drive efficiency and competitiveness.
What support is available?
Key elements of the support include:
- Grant funding – Manufacturers can apply for grant funding of up to £20,000, with a requirement to match 50 per cent of the funding themselves.
- Expert advice – Businesses will work with industry specialists who provide independent advice and guidance on implementing Industrial Digital Technologies (IDTs) that deliver a tangible return on investment.
- Road mapping and diagnostics – Access a personalised digital roadmap to assess your current capabilities and set out the next steps on your digitalisation journey.
- Skills support and training – The programme offers fully funded short technical training courses covering topics such as manufacturing software (ERP and MRP), business process improvement, and cybersecurity.
- HR consultancy – Fully funded support to help develop organisational design, employee engagement, succession planning and other key people strategies.
- Leadership and management training – A three-month programme comprising seven workshops to equip leadership teams with the skills needed to successfully deliver digital transformation.
- Digital internships – Support for focused, time-limited projects through internships.
- Intensive expert support – Up to three and a half days of free one-to-one consultancy across key digital disciplines.
Is your business eligible?
The Made Smarter Adoption Programme is open to micro, small and medium-sized manufacturing and engineering businesses with premises in the following areas:
- Lincolnshire
- Leicestershire
- Derbyshire
- Nottinghamshire
- Northamptonshire
How we can help
The Made Smarter Adoption Programme runs until 31 March 2026.
If you are considering digitalisation for your manufacturing business, we can help you with this funding opportunity and support your business with your grant application.
If you would like to find out more, please speak to our Grants team today.