The Elevate Manufacturing Programme is a specialist support programme designed to work closely with Worcestershire manufacturing businesses to improve productivity and sustainability, increase digitalisation, create job opportunities, and encourage the adoption of innovative products and services.

The programme has been designed by Worcestershire County Council and will be delivered by Oxford Innovation Advice, who will be responsive to the SMEs vision and ambitions, offer high-quality diagnostic insights, and deliver impactful advice and support in an inspiring, interactive way.

The programme is designed to support manufacturing SMEs in Worcestershire in navigating challenges and identifying opportunities to innovate, improve productivity and sustainability, and grow, and will provide a package of business support incorporating specialist business diagnostics, strategic improvement planning, 1:1 advice, and masterclasses to raise awareness of best practice in key areas, peer networking, and collaboration.

• expert guidance: access valuable insights from our specialist consultants who are experts in scaling up businesses in the manufacturing sector. The team of experts will help your business to become more proficient by identifying the pain points within the business and providing strategic expertise to the Senior Management Team
• one-to-one bespoke business consultancy: your business will receive specialist support tailored to your aspirations and business growth potential, whether it’s improving productivity or digital adoption, the specialists will work with you to identify the way forward and the business systems and processes required to achieve it
• peer support masterclasses: grow and learn through shared experiences by exploring key business challenges with like-minded business leader’s, facilitated by our experts
• grant funding: you will have the opportunity to apply for a match funded revenue grant of £2,000 to implement an improvement project identified from the support received

To receive support through the programme, your business must:

• be a SME*
• be registered to an address in Worcestershire
• be trading within the manufacturing sector**
• be trading for at least 3 years
• have at least 5 employees
• be below the Subsidy Control threshold of £315,000 over the previous 3 years, including the value of the support received

*The definition of an SME eligible for the programme is as follows:

• has fewer than 250 employees
• has either (a) an annual turnover not exceeding €50 million or (b) an annual balance sheet total not exceeding €43 million
• 25% or more of the capital or the voting rights are not owned by one enterprise, or jointly by several enterprises falling outside this definition of an SME
• does not own more than 25% of the capital or voting rights in an enterprise falling outside of this definition of SME

**The definition of the manufacturing sector is as follows:

• “a business that engages in any economic activity directly related to a product or production process they have researched, designed or produced, or otherwise hold core intellectual property in”

The programme will cover topics including, but not limited to:

• Lean Manufacturing
• Supply Chain Management
• Advanced Manufacturing Technologies
• Environmental and Sustainability Practices
• Operations Efficiency
• Product Development and Innovation
• Industry 4.0

To express your interest and to learn more, please contact Oxford Innovation Advice: enquiries@oxin.co.uk or call: 01664 501301 

This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Worcestershire County Council.

The programme is managed and delivered by Worcestershire County Council on behalf of Bromsgrove District Council, Malvern Hills District Council, Redditch Borough Council, Worcester City Council, Wychavon District Council and Wyre Forest District Council.

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit UK shared prosperity fund prospectus.

Businesses onboarded to the programme will have the opportunity to access revenue grant funding of up to £2,000 for a subsidised improvement project where a specific need has been identified following the initial support.

Grants are awarded on a match-funded basis, meaning the SME will need to provide at least 60% of the total cost of the project. All grant applications are subject to an appraisal process and are evaluated against programme and eligibility criteria. The amount available is subject to change.

The grant can be used to fund a variety projects, including, but not limited to:

• market research and analysis
• developing business systems
• digital marketing and e-commerce
• supply chain development
• new product development
• intellectual property