Funding to support technology and manufacturing supply chains 

"It is essential to modernise production, upskill our workforce, and support business leaders with the training, funding, and guidance they need to be at the cutting edge of 21st century clean and high-tech industries.”

A new £15m fund aims to create and safeguard thousands of jobs by helping West Midlands businesses (and those in Warwick District) diversify into high-growth, tech-driven manufacturing markets as well as helping SMEs recover from recent disruptions, including the cyber-attacks affecting the JLR supply chain. 

The West Midlands Investment Zone - Supply Chain Transition Programme, from the West Midlands Combined Authority and Business Growth West Midlands, aims to support hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) throughout the region to tap into emerging markets. For now, the support is open to companies based in the Combined Authority geography, as well as the Warwick District area, including Kenilworth, Leamington and Warwick. Much of the Coventry & Warwick Investment Zone falls within the Warwick District area on the Baginton/Coventry border. 

The support will be delivered in the first year by the Supply Smarter West Midlands Consortium, a partnership including the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), WMG at the University of Warwick, and the West Midlands Combined Universities which comprises Coventry University, Birmingham City University, and the University of Wolverhampton, with front end engagement by C&W Business Solutions, part of CW Growth Hub Group. 

The £12.5 million investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Investment Zone Supply Chains Transition Programme aims to future-proof the region’s manufacturing base by helping hundreds of SMEs pivot into six high-growth clusters. It is designed to help firms transition into sectors such as advanced engineering, defence, electric vehicles and battery technology, clean tech and energy, med-tech, aerospace, and digital creative technologies. 

The WMCA is providing an additional £2.5m of Investment Zone funding for skills training and routes to apprenticeships.  

Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, said: "Manufacturing is still the beating heart of the West Midlands economy, it's in our DNA. But we're ever evolving as technology transforms what we make and how we make it. It is essential to modernise production, upskill our workforce, and support business leaders with the training, funding, and guidance they need to be at the cutting edge of 21st century clean and high-tech industries”. 

The Supply Chain Transition programme, funded with money earmarked to deliver the region's Investment Zone, will give businesses fully funded practical advice, access to a £6m research and development grant fund, and advanced management training for senior leaders. 

The programme will deliver a high-impact support package that includes providing eligible manufacturing SMEs based in the region with an audit to assess their existing capacity and capability, intensive one-to-one technical advice and guidance, access to research and development grants worth up to £200,000, and leadership and management training. 

Craig Humphrey, Chief Executive of Coventry & Warwickshire Growth Hub Group said: "The Supply Smarter West Midlands Consortium brings together a power-house combination of the region's world-class advanced manufacturing and engineering research and development facilities and specialists at WMG and the MTC, with highly experienced and knowledgeable sector experts from the West Midlands Combined Universities, to deliver this transformational programme. This is about real, practical support that helps companies across the West Midlands win work, grow, and create high-value jobs to support the region’s Growth Plan ambitions. 

“Our region’s SMEs already have the skills. This programme will give them the roadmap, the tools, and the backing to diversify, innovate, and succeed in future-focused sectors. 

“By harnessing the region’s advanced manufacturing strengths and innovation infrastructure, the Supply Chain Transition initiative is set to deliver sustainable and inclusive economic transformation – making the region a national leader in next-generation supply chains.” 

Rowan Crozier CEO of Birmingham based Brandauer, added: "Key to our new ten-year plan is a continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation in manufacturing and we welcome any funding that helps firms explore new opportunities through carefully tailored R&D activities. 

"In recent years, we have made significant progress in developing e-motor laminations and, with the support of the Supply Chain Transition programme, we are hoping to use some of the assistance to accelerate our move into power storage and more advanced battery technology.” 

Coventry & Warwick Investment Zone at Coventry Airport, Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, and Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor are offering a range of incentives from tax breaks to direct funding to attract major new employers to the region, creating 30,000 jobs and driving in excess of £5.5bn of new investment. About £1.5bn of business rates generated over the Investment Zone's 25-year lifespan will also be retained and reinvested in the region instead of going back into government coffers. 

This Supply Chain Transition Programme is open to businesses operating within the Wolverhampton City Council, Walsall Council, Sandwell Council, Dudley Borough Council, Birmingham City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, Coventry City Council and Warwick District Council areas. 

SMEs interested in joining the programme are urged to register their interest at supplychains@cwgrowthhub.co.uk or visit https://bit.ly/IZPRSupplyChainTransition