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The West Midlands Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition Programme enables manufacturing SMEs to access a fully funded package of support to help explore, develop, and supply the region’s OEMs and Key Customers across new and emerging clusters in:

Health tech & med tech

Smart energy systems

Aerospace

Modern and low carbon construction & other green industries

Electric light vehicles and battery manufacturing

Underpinning these clusters, SMEs will also be able to access a suite of digital transformation support to leverage AI and automation optimisation, boost productivity, and expedite diversification.

Working with experts at the West Midlands’ world-class Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering Catapult’s and leading academic institutions, together with OEMs and other Key Customers, SMEs in the West Midlands can receive support to help solve current and potential future supply chain challenges whilst strengthening local, sustainable, and innovative manufacturing operations.

The Fully-Funded Support includes:

Research & Development 50% Match-Funded Grants: £20,000 to £200,000, available to support innovation in new products, processes, and services*.

Training & Skills Support: Helping SMEs identify skills gaps to facilitate diversification, such as building capability within precision manufacturing, compliance, modular design, electronics and integration. Plus, support to leverage AI tools, boost digital capability, and automate processes.

Leadership and Change Management – tailored to help businesses adapt, diversify and scale.

Transformation Roadmaps – expert guidance on planning, scoping, and executing a move into new markets

Collaboration Opportunities – connecting SMEs with OEMs and Tier 1s, solving current and future supply chain challenges to facilitate the West Midlands transition to sustainable solutions and decarbonisation.

Eligibility

Eligible businesses must be a manufacturing SME (10 – 249 employees), based in Birmingham, the Black Country, Solihull, Coventry, or Warwick District.

* Actively working on a new concept for a service or product intended to supply one of the clusters listed above, to which they cannot already be a supplier. Eligible businesses should have capacity and capability to contribute resources and funding towards development of their concept.

Health tech & med tech

The West Midlands is rapidly becoming a powerhouse for MedTech and HealthTech innovation — already contributing over £10 billion annually to the region’s economy. For agile, forward-thinking SMEs, the West Midlands Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition Programme provides a timely opportunity to diversify into these high-value, high-growth markets.

Eligible manufacturers can access a fully funded support package to help them pivot, prototype and scale into the MedTech and HealthTech sectors, supplying next-generation solutions in diagnostics, surgical technologies, and smart healthcare systems.

SME agility perfectly positions them to fulfil the growing demand for innovative, precision-led suppliers for:

Hospital equipment and custom medical devices
Single-use surgical and dental technologies
Respiratory and anaesthetic systems
Embedded electronics and diagnostic tools

SMEs will benefit from access to specialists at Birmingham City University, part of the West Midlands Combined Universities partnership, renowned for its links to industry and health sector R&D, and collaboration with NHS Trusts looking to solve supply and product adoption challenges.

Next Steps: If your business meets the eligibility criteria, email us at supplychains@cwgrowthhub.co.uk to speak with our Supply Chain Specialist.

Click Here to Apply Now

Modern and low carbon construction & other green industries

As the UK accelerates efforts to address housing shortages whilst balancing this need with decarbonisation goals, demand is rising for sustainable, modular, and digitally enabled homes. This creates a significant opportunity for innovative, flexible manufacturers to enter a growing supply chain built around smart housing technologies and offsite construction.

The West Midlands Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition Programme offers fully-funded support to help SMEs diversify into this fast-growing sector with participants supported by technical experts from the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and Birmingham City University, whose Centre for Future Homes is advancing the development of affordable, scalable housing innovation. The programme offers opportunities to collaborate on interoperability and digital design, and connection with housing developers, construction leaders, and other Key Customers to address supply chain solutions for:

Smart Integration – IoT systems, energy storage, and integrated home electronics
Customisation - Prefab & Modular Design
Whole-System Collaboration – Digital planning and procurement tools

With the support this programme provides, West Midlands SMEs will be positioned to supply products and systems that enable more efficient, greener homes — while tapping into a strong regional network of partners and buyers committed to sustainable development.

Next Steps: If your business meets the eligibility criteria, email us at supplychains@cwgrowthhub.co.uk to speak with our Supply Chain Specialist.

Click Here to Apply Now

Smart energy systems

As UK industry decarbonises, OEMs are increasingly seeking intelligent energy systems that reduce waste, improve operational resilience, and align with regulatory sustainability targets. This creates a timely opportunity for agile SMEs to innovate and diversify into the smart energy systems supply chain — particularly in areas such as power electronics, battery integration, digital control, and system optimisation.
Through the West Midlands Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition Programme, businesses can access fully-funded support through the University of Wolverhampton, which plays a leading role in regional energy innovation, and take advantage of collaboration opportunities with infrastructure providers, to provide solutions for:

Decentralised energy, creating flexible, integrated systems
Advanced, high-performance parts for control systems, sensors, and power electronics
Digital & AI Integration

This high-value, innovation-led market, provides opportunities for agile SMEs with specialist capabilities to bring measurable impact to the region’s Key Customers and environmental performance, and establish a foothold in one of the fastest-evolving segments of industrial technology.

Next Steps: If your business meets the eligibility criteria, email us at supplychains@cwgrowthhub.co.uk to speak with our Supply Chain Specialist.

Click Here to Apply Now

The aerospace sector is undergoing a transformation, driven by changing travel behaviours, decarbonisation targets, global supply chain rebalancing, and rising demand for digital and unmanned technologies.
With the West Midlands advanced manufacturing and engineering capabilities putting the region at the forefront of this transformation, agile, innovative SMEs are well-positioned to supply the next generation of aerospace components, systems and services—particularly in lightweight materials, precision engineering, digital integration, and clean propulsion technologies.
The West Midlands Investment Zone Supply Chain Transition Programme, enables SMEs to access specialist support to diversify into the aerospace industry, facilitated by experts from the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), and other leading support providers.
Benefitting from industry Collaboration and introductions to Tier 1s and Key Customers seeking local suppliers to shorten lead times and innovate faster, programme participants will help to solve supply challenges in:

Sustainable & Advanced Aviation – lightweight, low-emission components, unmanned systems, and smart maintenance solutions
Emerging Fuels Ecosystem – hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), and electric propulsion, creating new needs in energy storage, power management, and sensor systems
Digital Manufacturing – data-led production and predictive maintenance which are central to the sector’s evolution

SMEs entering this market will play a key role in helping major aerospace buyers reduce costs, improve innovation cycles, and futureproof their supply chains—especially as the need for a strong domestic manufacturing base intensifies.

Next Steps: If your business meets the eligibility criteria, email us at supplychains@cwgrowthhub.co.uk to speak with our Supply Chain Specialist.

Click Here to Apply Now

Electric light vehicles and battery manufacturing

The market for Light Electric Vehicles (LEVs) and battery technologies is growing at pace, driven by clean transport policies, urban mobility demands, and government investment in net-zero innovation. With the heart of the UK’s automotive industry located in the West Midlands there are growing opportunities for SMEs in the region to pivot toward these increasingly critical supply chains and position themselves as key suppliers for Future Transport and Mobility technologies.
Built around SME strengths, the LEV and battery supply chains need agile, specialist manufacturers with capabilities in:

Electronics and lightweight materials
Battery testing and safety systems
Component assembly and second-life applications
Sustainable recycling and integration technologies

SMEs supported by this fully-funded programme will access cutting-edge innovation ecosystems, including specialist support from Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG) and Coventry University — providing access to world-class facilities, academic expertise, and innovation partners.

Next Steps: If your business meets the eligibility criteria, email us at supplychains@cwgrowthhub.co.uk to speak with our Supply Chain Specialist.

Click Here to Apply Now

West Midlands Investment Zone

The West Midlands Investment Zone (IZ) is a designated area backed by government incentives aimed at supporting growth in the region’s Advanced Manufacturing sector – including electric vehicle and battery storage, clean energy, health-tech, and critical underpinning digital technologies.

These sectors will formulate a future ecosystem for new investment in the region, create new jobs and skills opportunities for all communities, and secure the WM position as a key driver of national economic growth and success.

Supply Smarter West Midlands Consortium

The Supply Smarter West Midlands Consortium brings together the region’s world-class advanced manufacturing research, development, innovation, and training to maximise the West Midlands’ potential to be an international advanced manufacturing powerhouse.

Combining the talents and experience of C&W Business Solutions (part of the CW Growth Hub Group), the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), WMG (part of the University of Warwick), and the West Midlands Combined Universities (comprising Birmingham City University, Coventry University, and the University of Wolverhampton), the consortium brings together a proven and trusted team, steeped in our region, our culture, and our people, to build a sustainable, productive, and profitable future for the West Midlands.

Click Here to Apply Now