A £9.7m business support initiative for small- to medium-sized manufacturers in Yorkshire which aims to support hundreds of companies has been launched.
The national Manufacturing Growth Programme (MGP), which is funded by ERDF and delivered by Economic Growth Solutions (EGS), is hoping to fill the void left by Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS) by providing access to specialist assistance to help firms grow and improve.
This will be achieved through a 19-strong network of experienced Manufacturing Growth Managers, access to industry specialists and the opportunity to apply for grants of up to £3500.
Lorraine Holmes, chief executive of EGS, said: "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."
Support can be used for leadership and management training, R&D, lean manufacturing, productivity and capacity, quality systems and supply chain development and is open to the majority of SME manufacturers in the region.
Holmes added: "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."
The programme, which offers grants of 35 per cent of the total project cost is also working closely with a number of LEPs and their respective growth hubs to ensure manufacturers are signposted to other initiatives that may be able to help.