Innovation support
Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund
Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund (AMCF)
£15.8 million investment for academic institutions, public bodies, and third sector organisations to deliver projects that will help Scottish SMEs improve their manufacturing capabilities.
About the fund
The overall aim of the AMCF is for projects to have a significant impact on advancing the manufacturing capabilities of SMEs within Scotland and lead to long-term transformational change.
Up to £8.9 million of grant funding, comprising European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Scottish Government funding, has been awarded on a competitive basis. This will support the creation of a network of initiatives, both regionally-based and across Scotland, to stimulate the innovation performance of SMEs by providing services focused on improving manufacturing capabilities across Scotland.
Successful applicants will secure match funding of up to £6.9 million. The total investment over the next three years (2020-2023) is £15.8 million.
Services provided by the projects to SMEs are free of charge.
AMCF projects
Lead organisation
Centre for Process Innovation Ltd
Partner organisation
Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and CMAC Future Manufacturing Research Hub (both University of Strathclyde)
Project summary
The project is for SMEs working in the high value chemical and biochemical supply chain and will help SMEs find solutions to growth challenges, providing a clear plan, new networks and knowledge. The project will also support SMEs to find transformative technologies and build an evidence base to encourage adoption and help overcome internal barriers preventing R&D investment.
Services:
- Supply chain consultancy at ‘innovation clinic’ events
- Innovation integrator assessment at SME sites, resulting in a business report
- Technical consultancy packages to help SMEs de-risk investment in new technology
Region
All of Scotland
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the UK-cpi website.
Lead organisation
Construction Scotland Innovation Centre
Partner organisations
Inverness College University of Highlands and Islands (in collaboration with the UHI partner colleges), The Data Lab and CENSIS
Project summary
The project aims to deliver transformational improvements, in the Highlands and Islands (H&Is) economy, through working with Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in construction, manufacturing and the built environment. The Make it Smart Hub will operate throughout H&Is through multiple channels, responding to technological and geographical barriers.
Its aim is to encourage construction SMEs to learn, apply and share new manufacturing technologies, processes and skills, that improve productivity and drive inclusive growth.
Services:
- Access to design and manufacturing equipment for demonstration, testing and training purposes
- One-to-one business support and online/face-to-face CPD training opportunities
- Construction and manufacturing showcase events and workshops
- Access to collaborative R&D expertise in construction and manufacturing (demonstrations and try-before-buy)
- Networking and challenge/matchmaking events
- Innovation project support
Region
Highlands and Islands
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Make it SMART Hub website.
Lead organisation
Dumfries & Galloway Council
Partner organisations
South of Scotland Enterprise, Scottish Borders Council, Borders College and Dumfries & Galloway College
Project summary
The project is for manufacturing SMEs in the South of Scotland and will provide access to advanced manufacturing technologies. The project will focus on supporting SMEs who have potential new products to develop them for market as well as upskilling the workforce and encouraging innovation.
Services:
- Training and upskilling
- R&D investment/innovation/concept development
- Product realisation
- Enabling a manufacturing ecosystem
Region
Dumfries & Galloway and Scottish Borders
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Dumfries and Galloway Council website.
Lead organisation
Heriot-Watt University
Partner organisations
The University of Edinburgh (College of Science and Engineering and College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine), The University of Glasgow and Robert Gordon University
Project summary
The project is for SMEs who specialise in the manufacturing of medical devices and will support SMEs to accelerate the development of innovative concepts through to manufactured products, by providing access to advice and the opportunity to develop and test manufacturing approaches and help de-risk future investment in equipment.
Services:
- Manufacturing expertise including laser-based manufacturing, additive manufacturing, direct metallisation processes, injection moulding
- Engineering expertise including mechanical and hermeticity tests, and expertise in material science (biocompatibility), opto-electronics, smart system integration and wireless data transmission
- Regulatory expertise including routes to access experts in clinical trials and medical device certification
Region
All of Scotland
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Medical Device Manufacturing Centre website.
Lead organisation
North Lanarkshire Council
Partner organisations
New College Lanarkshire, University of Strathclyde
Project summary
The Smart Hub Lanarkshire will provide practical, industry-specific business support to help manufacturing SMEs grow. It will be located at the College’s Motherwell Campus within the faculty of Engineering and Automotive and include:
- A state-of-the art Robotics and Automation Training Facility with easily transportable universal collaborative robots (inc. six-axis robotic arms with adaptive grippers), polyscope software, mechatronics systems with power line communication, and Industry 4.0 technology.
- A dedicated Hub space for manufacturing SMEs to meet, learn, and access industry-specific business support and academic/partner agency expertise. The space will comprise hot desks, meeting rooms and digitally enabled conferencing facilities.
Region
Greater Glasgow and the Clyde Valley
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details by visiting the Smart Hub Lanarkshire page on the North Lanarkshire Council website.
Lead organisation
South Ayrshire Council
Partner organisations
University of Strathclyde (including AFRC), Ayrshire College and Ayrshire Engineering Alliance
Project summary
Using cutting edge virtual reality, augmented reality and digital visualisation, SMEs are assisted to:
- Enter or expand their presence in the aerospace and space supply chain and related sectors
- Test and adopt new innovations and technologies
- Prove concepts and demonstrate capabilities to aerospace OEMs and supply-chain buyers
- Re-design production systems and processes
- Introduce and train current and future workforce in new skill sets
- Achieve significant savings in both the time and cost of live testing
Services:
- Consultation on the suitability of VR/AR for companies (consultancy)
- Development of bespoke VR/AR training solutions (projects)
- Collaborative design projects
Region
West of Scotland, including all of Ayrshire and Arran and Dumfries & Galloway
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Prestwick Aerospace website.
Lead organisation
South Ayrshire Council
Partner organisations
University of Strathclyde, Ayrshire College and Ayrshire Engineering Alliance
Project summary
The project will help SMEs overcome the barriers to entering the Aerospace and Space sectors. It will seek to improve the productivity and competitiveness of SMEs through innovation and the adoption of manufacturing technologies.
The project will identify supply chain opportunities for SMEs to join or grow their business and support companies to adopt new business processes and manufacturing technologies to ensure they can take advantage of these opportunities.
Services:
- Opportunity and capability identification
- Matching of SMEs to OEM opportunities
- Support with the application of technologies / innovations to create cost competitive solutions via NMIS
Region
West of Scotland, including Ayrshire, Dumfries and Galloway, South Lanarkshire, East Renfrew and Renfrewshire.
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Prestwick aerospace website.
Lead organisation
University of St Andrews
Partner organisation
N/A
Project summary
The project is for SMEs working in energy storage and conversion, providing scale-up facilities for R&D to early prototyping and proving technology before moving to large scale manufacture. SMEs will have access to university know-how and expertise, and high-quality equipment for test and demonstration purposes.
Services:
- Engagement and outreach with companies, through seminars and events on energy storage, including battery and fuel cell technologies
- Matching of companies with research teams where they have specific energy storage technologies to develop
- Bookable test and demonstration space supported by trained technicians (from 2021)
- State-of-the-art battery preparation and characterisation facilities (from 2021)
Region
Kingdom of Fife
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Advancing Manufacturing Cluster Builder Programme website.
Lead organisation
University of Strathclyde
Partner organisation
N/A
Project summary
The project will provide SMEs with access to the expertise required to make investments in Additive Manufacturing (AM), de-risking innovation, supporting the adoption of AM and growing the Scottish supply chain. The project will provide SMEs with the confidence to invest in new manufacturing processes and adopt new technologies.
Services:
- Additive Manufacturing Business and Technology Support Packages (AM-BATS) will be delivered to SMEs
- The AM-BATS Packages will cover a range of Additive Manufacturing Technologies
- Most of the AM-BATS Packages will be delivered, remotely or at the SME site
- One Package will be delivered at NMIS site – this will be physical demo/prototypes
Example AM-BATS Packages include:
- Product suitability for AM
- AM journey assessment
- AM resource efficiency and sustainability
- AM business case
- Process tech selection
- Process optimisation
- Process validation
- Factory/cell setup
Region
All of Scotland
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the Advancing Manufacturing Cluster Builder Programme website.
Lead organisation
University of Strathclyde
Partner organisations
Robert Gordon University, Scottish Research Partnership in Engineering (SRPe) and Skills Development Scotland
Project summary
The project will provide SMEs across all manufacturing sectors with skills training in the areas of digital manufacturing and leadership. The project will support those SMEs through the digital transformation journey, from awareness to practical implementation of digital manufacturing technologies and concepts.
Services:
- Training events in digital manufacturing
- One-to-one support to develop bespoke learning pathways and learning plans for manufacturing SMEs
- Development and dissemination of high-quality content libraries and case studies in digital manufacturing and leadership
- Facilitating role in industry/research centre collaborations
Region
All of Scotland
Find more information
Learn more and find contact details on the University of Strathclyde website.
Lead organisation
West Highland College UHI
Partner organisation
N/A
Project summary
The project is for SMEs across all sectors and will provide access to advanced manufacturing technology for test and demonstration purposes and expertise in a sandpit environment. It will support SMEs to innovate and grow their businesses by adopting new technologies and improving processes.
Services:
- Advanced manufacturing workshops
- Overcoming challenge events
- Knowledge and skills support
Region
The Highlands
Contact
Learn more and find contact details on the on the West Highland College UHI website.
Lead organisation
West College Scotland
Partner organisation
Renfrewshire Council
Project summary
The project will provide a regional skills hub for SMEs across all sectors. SMEs will have access to knowledge, training and equipment in relation to manufacturing 4.0 technologies.
The project will also provide bespoke skills analysis and planning, technical training and learning experiences that are relevant to the SMEs business and sector. Through this support the project aims to unlock opportunities for collaboration and investment, bridging the gaps in technology and innovation between advancing and advanced manufacturers.
Services:
- Business engagement and support to identify and develop the culture and skills to thrive in Manufacturing 4.0 operating environment
- Training in manufacturing technologies, including application of CNC, PLC and robotics
- Development of complementary digital and meta skills
- Brokering collaboration opportunities and building skills pipelines to advanced manufacturing
Region
Greater Glasgow and the Clyde Valley
Contact
Learn more and find contact details on The Critical Engineer website.
Advancing Manufacturing Cluster Builder
The Advancing Manufacturing Cluster Builder (AMCB) will help AMCF grant recipients to deliver their projects by attracting SMEs. It will also support Scottish SMEs to find appropriate help, support and potential partnerships. Support is provided to SMEs free of charge.
The AMCB is being delivered by CeeD, who will use its wealth of experience in peer-to-peer learning and extensive networks within manufacturing and engineering, to serve that dual purpose role for Scotland.
If you would like to hear more about the Cluster Builder's services and what they can do for you, contact: enquiries@ceed-scotland.com.
Find out about the LCCF projects and other Cluster Builder Services offering support to SMEs.
Project themes
Projects receiving grant funding contribute towards one or more of the following themes:
Reinvent the workforce
- Increasing the capacity and diversity of the workforce, and creating a culture of continuous learning to foster innovation and creativity within the business
Adoption of new technology and processes
- Including investment in SMART manufacturing and progress towards industry 4.0
Innovation
- Supporting SMEs to invest in the development of new products, services and/or processes which are new to the market or to the firm
- Improving energy efficiency and decarbonising the industry
- increasing Business Expenditure on Research and Development (BERD)
Supply chains
- Strengthening existing supply chains
- Identifying new opportunities
Encourage growth
- Increasing productivity, expanding into new markets, exporting opportunities, and attracting foreign direct investment
Horizontal themes
Projects will also demonstrate:
- Positive approaches to equal opportunities and non-discrimination
- Equality between men and women
- Sustainable development
Guidance for projects
AMCF guidance for applicants (PDF, 372kB)
Claims, process and reporting requirements (PDF, 472kB)
Audit, publicity and compliance guidance (PDF, 354kB)
Monitoring template guidance (PDF, 281kB)
Timeline
Projects started from 1 April 2020 and will end by 30 June 2023.
