Small to medium-sized manufacturers have created more than 1,000 jobs in the past 18 months after tapping into a dedicated business support initiative.
The Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions (EGS), has helped companies across the UK to grow, develop new products and improve their processes and quality.
This has led to 1,070 new jobs, with an additional 580 positions expected to be created once ongoing projects are completed.
By the end of February, £2.7m of grant contributions have been made, with money in place to support another 1,500 firms between now and March 2019.
Martin Coats, managing director of EGS, explained: “UK manufacturing has just posted its ninth consecutive month of growth and our SMEs are at the forefront of leading this expansion.
He continued: “More than 2,000 companies have now been assisted and we’ve created more than 1,000 new jobs…those are apprentices, operatives, experienced engineers, R&D specialists.
“The impact has been across the UK and we’ve helped firms as far North as York, as far South as Kent, as far West as Hereford and as far east as Lincoln.
“We still have £2.5m of grants to deliver and we want manufacturers to come forward and see how they can take advantage of the assistance on offer. It’s never been easier, as the process is quick, and the scope of support can be tailored to the exact needs of the business.”
The Manufacturing Growth Programme was set up to fill the void left by the Manufacturing Advice Service (MAS) by providing access to specialist assistance to help manufacturers to grow and improve.
This is being achieved through an 18-strong network of experienced Manufacturing Growth Managers (MGM), access to industry specialists and the opportunity to apply for an average grant of £1,400, rising to a maximum £3,500.
Support can be used for improvement projects, such as leadership and management, R&D, lean manufacturing, productivity and capacity, quality systems and supply chain development.
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