Made Smarter London is set to double in size after securing £2.5m in funding, as city leaders look to accelerate digital adoption among small manufacturers and unlock productivity gains across the capital.
The expansion was announced by Deputy Mayor for Business and Growth, Howard Dawber OBE at an event hosted at Glaziers Hall, where more than 100 industry leaders, innovators and SME founders gathered to mark the programme’s first year and hear plans for its next phase.
Funding boost to scale impact
The new funding package includes £900,000 in grants to be made available to London-based manufacturing SMEs in 2026/27, building on the success of the programme’s initial pilot.
Delivered in partnership with London & Partners and the Department for Business and Trade, the first phase of Made Smarter London supported 71 manufacturers in adopting digital and AI-driven technologies. It also created 13 internships and distributed £400,000 in grants to 27 businesses.
The latest investment signals a push to broaden that impact, enabling more small firms to access both financial support and technical expertise.
Showcasing innovation among London SMEs
At the anniversary event, participating businesses demonstrated how the programme has already driven innovation.
Among them was Golden Pin, a Finchley-based textile studio producing bespoke garments for designers and celebrities, and Fiddlie Technology, which has developed a glove capable of translating sign language into spoken words in real time.
Both companies met with Dawber to showcase their technologies and highlight the role Made Smarter London has played in supporting their growth.
Unlocking potential in a fragmented sector
The expansion comes against the backdrop of a sizeable but highly fragmented manufacturing sector in the capital. London’s manufacturing industry is worth £11bn annually and employs around 140,000 people—making it larger than the entire Welsh manufacturing base.
However, 87% of these businesses are micro or small enterprises employing fewer than ten people, many of which lack the resources to invest in advanced digital tools.
By increasing funding and support, the programme aims to close this gap and help smaller firms adopt technologies that can improve productivity, competitiveness and resilience.
Looking ahead
With additional funding secured and demand for support growing, Made Smarter London is positioning itself as a key driver of digital transformation within the capital’s manufacturing base.
Manufacturers seeking support with digital adoption and funding are being encouraged to engage with the programme as it enters its next phase, with a focus on scaling impact and reaching more SMEs across the city.
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