What Made Smarter funding actually covers
There is real money on the table for digitalising your factory. Most manufacturers never claim it.
Made Smarter is a government-backed programme that helps smaller manufacturers adopt digital technology. If you employ between 10 and 249 people and turn over under £50m, you may be leaving real money unclaimed.
What it is
The headline is a matched grant of up to £20,000: you put in at least half, the programme funds the rest, towards new systems, software, sensors and automation. There is also a fully funded digital roadmap, where a specialist visits your site and produces a prioritised plan, plus subsidised leadership training.
Who qualifies
Broadly: a UK manufacturer with 10 to 249 staff, under £50m turnover, and a physical production operation in a participating region. It started in the North West and now covers most of England, with devolved equivalents in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What you can spend it on
Technology that moves your operation forward: ERP and MRP systems, data and reporting tools, monitoring and sensors, automation. The point is adoption that improves how you make things, not a shopping list of gadgets.
How to apply, and how we help
Funding is allocated on a rolling basis and regional budgets are finite, so it pays to move. We help manufacturers check eligibility, build the case, and spend the grant well, so a daunting project becomes a part-funded one. One caveat worth noting: the exact caps and regions do change, so confirm the current rules for your area before you commit.
Think your operation has room to run better?
A free discovery call is the quickest way to find out. No pitch, just a straight read on where the time and money are going.
Book a free discovery call