Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing Business Group

The Advanced Engineering and Manufacturing (AEM) Business Group is a sector-focused network operated through The Growth Hub Gloucestershire, working in partnership with the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF), the region's trade association for aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing. The group's purpose is to represent the voice of Gloucestershire's advanced engineering and manufacturing sector in discussions on skills, the Local Growth Plan, Local Government Reorganisation and devolution. Its terms of reference include identifying sector-specific skills gaps and working with employment and skills teams to help businesses fill them, promoting STEM engagement between businesses, education and training providers, collaborating with other business sectors on shared challenges, and supporting the county's inward investment proposition around digitally enabled advanced manufacturing. The group sits alongside the wider free business support offered by The Growth Hub, which is organised around business stage (starting, planning next steps, or established) and delivered through local hubs across Gloucestershire. The page positions the AEM group as a way for manufacturing and engineering businesses to have their needs represented regionally and nationally rather than as a direct funding or grant scheme.

No formal eligibility criteria are stated on the authoritative programme page; manufacturers should check the provider's current requirements before applying.