Made Smarter Adoption (Leicester & Leicestershire)

Made Smarter East Midlands, promoted via Business Gateway Growth Hub, is a £3 million digital adoption programme aimed at driving growth in East Midlands manufacturing SMEs and boosting productivity, running until 31 March 2026. Digital Transformation Specialists work with each eligible business to understand its digitalisation journey and provide digital roadmapping, an initial implementation plan, and fully funded impartial Industrial Digital Technology Advice (IDTA). The programme also offers a Leading Digital Transformation leadership programme for CEOs, MDs and owner-managers (a three-month programme with six workshops in peer cohorts of 12); five fully funded short technical training courses covering topics such as MRP/ERP systems, CRM systems, business process improvement, manufacturing efficiency and cybersecurity; fully funded HR consultancy on topics including organisational design and talent management; and fully funded digital internships giving access to students from the region's universities, with wages and National Insurance contributions covered. Businesses register interest and are matched with an adviser to identify funding and support suited to their needs.

Aimed at manufacturing SMEs in the East Midlands region; each applicant is assessed individually by a Digital Transformation Specialist to confirm eligibility for the fully funded support.