Made Smarter South East – Driving Growth in Manufacturing SMEs

Following the success of the programme in the North West and other regions, Made Smarter has now expanded to the South East in order to drive growth in manufacturing SMEs and help them boost productivity through new industrial technologies.

Made Smarter – What is it?

Made Smarter is a government-funded programme created to drive growth in South East manufacturing SMEs and makers, helping them boost productivity and increase their competitive edge through new industrial technologies.

Made Smarter South East will provide advice and support to manufacturing businesses, makers and creators to help them switch to advanced and automated technologies. The programme runs until March 31st 2026 and provides up to £20k match-funding, specialist technical advice, leadership training and student placements to help manufacturing SMEs adopt new manufacturing technologies to improve efficiency, reduce downtime, and boost competitiveness.

Who can apply: The programme is open to SME manufacturers, makers and creators based in the South East (Berkshire, Brighton & Hove, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire, Kent, Medway, Oxfordshire, Solent, Surrey). Businesses must have fewer than 250 employees, with a turnover below £44m, and not have received state aid of more than £350k over the last three years.

Eligibility: The following industrial digital technologies are eligible, but this is not an exhaustive list – other technologies may also qualify:

  • Additive manufacturing, 3D printing
  • Artificial intelligence/Machine Learning
  • Robotics & Automation
  • The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Connectivity (5G, LPWAN etc)
  • Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality.

To register your business for a free assessment, visit madesmarter.uk today.

Case studies: https://www.madesmarter.uk/resources/case-studies/

LinkedIn page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/made-smarter-south-east

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