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Good practice Imported

Made Smarter Adoption — England's Expert-Led Digital Technology Adoption Programme for Manufacturing SMEs

United Kingdom · Manchester · See the United Kingdom profile · See the Manchester profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 74% 57/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Made Smarter Adoption has helped manufacturing SMEs adopt digital and automation technology since 2018, reaching 4,000+ firms. A Cambridge University review found 97% of participants report operational benefits; a formal impact evaluation (2022-2025) is published separately.

4,000+
Manufacturing SMEs reached since 2018
97%
Participants reporting operational benefits
Made Smarter Adoption — England's Expert-Led Digital Technology Adoption Programme for Manufacturing SMEs

Details

Maturity
Scaling
Promoter
UK Department for Business and Trade — Made Smarter Adoption Programme
Period
2018-present (national evaluation covers April 2022 - March 2025)
Keywords
manufacturing, digital technology adoption, robotics and automation, SME productivity

Context

Launched November 2018 as a North West pilot and now run across England by the UK Department for Business and Trade, Made Smarter Adoption gives manufacturing SMEs adviser support, a digital transformation roadmap and matched grants of up to £20,000 to adopt industrial digital technologies.

Results

The University of Cambridge's Institute for Manufacturing, commissioned by government to review the programme, reports it reached over 4,000 manufacturing SMEs since 2018, with 97% of surveyed participants citing benefits such as improved production/planning efficiency and reduced costs.

Conclusions

The figures verifiable here are mostly reach and self-reported satisfaction rather than a measured counterfactual effect; regional projections such as the North West pilot's forecast £242 million GVA increase and 1,550 new jobs are modelled projections, not measured outcomes.

Implementation
Indicative cost
Medium (€50k–€500k)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
expert advisers providing digital-transformation roadmaps

Conditions for success

  • matched grants up to £20,000 alongside advisory support
  • planned expansion to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

Commonly funded by

National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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