Published: May 1st, 2019
A
£16m programme to boost competitiveness and productivity for UK
automotive manufacturers has been rolled out to include the Marches
region.
The
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) says
the National
Manufacturing Competitiveness Levels (NMCL) programme will bring
major benefits to UK manufacturers.
The programme – which is being led and
match-funded by industry and has the backing of 25 of the UK’s
largest manufacturers – has been jointly developed by the automotive
and aerospace sectors for application across all areas of
manufacturing.
It has been rolled out across the country after a
successful pilot project was run in the north west of England.
NMCL Automotive, delivered by the Society of Motor
Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), is the programme for the automotive
sector and will make use of the £16 million of funding to develop
sustainable and internationally competitive UK supply chains.
It is designed to help all manufacturers assess
their levels of competitiveness and develop ways of boosting their
performance.
Projects are tailor-made for each manufacturer and
focus on boosting competitiveness, increasing ‘value-add’ and
winning more orders.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: "This
announcement is a shot in the arm for the UK’s automotive industry
in general and the supply chain in particular.
"NMCL is a central part of the Government’s
Industrial Strategy and the sector deal for the industry, offering a
proven way for business to achieve competitiveness.
"Coming at a time of considerable upheaval, it
is important that all manufacturers are alert to the technological,
market and trading changes that are occurring and take the right
steps to ensure they are not just viable but globally successful in
the future."
NMCL projects will typically last from six months
for smaller initiatives to up to three years for entire business
transformations. NMCL’s approach is also ideally suited to other
manufacturing sectors such as rail and defence.
Companies are invited to declare an initial
expression of interest by completing a short form on the NMCL
website: https://www.nmcl.co.uk/
