Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund to Support Scottish SMEs

Scottish Enterprise is providing the Advancing Manufacturing Challenge Fund (AMCF) to support the creation of a national network of regionally-based initiatives, to stimulate and improve the innovation performance of SMEs, by providing services focused on improving manufacturing capabilities across Scotland.

The overall aim of the AMCF is for projects to be of a scale and level of ambition to have a significant impact on advancing the manufacturing capabilities of SMEs within Scotland and lead to long-term transformational change.

Project proposals must contribute towards one or more of the following themes:

Reinvent the workforce

Adoption of new technology and processes

Innovation

Supply chains

Encourage growth.

Eligible organisations include:

Academic institutions: for example, Scotland’s universities, colleges, research and technology organisations (RTOs)

Public sector organisations: for example, public bodies funded by the Scottish Government, local authorities in Scotland and related agencies

Third sector organisations: for example, charities, not for profit companies, organisations that directly or indirectly receive over 50% of core funding (excluding European funding) from the public sector, co-operatives.

Applicants projects can be delivered in the Lowland and Uplands (LUPS) and / or Highlands and Island (H&I) areas i.e. delivered across Scotland.

Applications can be individual or collaborative.

Up to £14 million of European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant funding is currently available, with scope to increase the funds to £18 million depending on the level of demand.

The maximum amount of grant that a project can be awarded (intervention rate) will depend on where project activities take place.

The AMCF can contribute up to a maximum of 50% of eligible project costs for the Lowlands and Uplands (LUPS) area of Scotland and up to a maximum of 70% for the Highlands and Islands (H&I) area.

Stage 1 outline applications must be submitted by the deadline 5 July.

More information about this funding opportunity and the application process is available on the GRANTfinder funding information platform. GRANTfinder provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on funding news and policy. To find out more about how GRANTfinder can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.