ManufacturingUK.org, a free digital platform for UK manufacturing SMEs and micro businesses, will launch on 5 October.
The platform will provide practical signposting, tools, templates, sponsor-backed topic pages, regional support mapping, case studies, imagery, events and news.
Created by manufacturing champion Andrea Wilson, ManufacturingUK.org aims to cover everything in the manufacturing eco-system from education through to exit.
Andrea says: “It is going to provide a safe space for people to go and visit and find what they need in order to either survive or thrive.”
The objective is to signpost people to where they need to go and to provide a whole host of free resources.
It will offer free tools, templates and toolkits covering everything from health and safety risk assessments to exit interviews.
“Micros and SMEs can’t spend two days looking for where their next funding comes from or where to go for support.”
Andrea also plans to add an events page, a news feed, a gallery of manufacturing images that people can use on their websites and blogs, and an essential interactive national and regional support map.
“You click on your region and you'll be able to see nearby chambers of commerce, growth hubs, grants, manufacturing clusters, defence and aerospace networks, networking groups and other sources of support. It will be a single source resource for SME success.”
The platform will be free for users, with key sections funded by sponsors. These sections will cover apprenticeships and skills, workforce development, financial management, funding, international trade, legal issues and compliance, branding, intellectual property and related topics. Sponsors already on board include Enginuity, Automate UK, Crowe UK, ConeX, vocL, 5D-BPS, Avidity IP, Made Smarter East, and Clear Quality.
The sponsored sections will also cover the cost of content promoting careers in manufacturing.
“We are going to talk about all the fantastic careers you can have with case studies of people who have built brilliant careers in the industry.
“To become a paid sponsor you also have to donate three to five free tools and templates. So you can't be a paid sponsor unless you're going to give the micros and SMEs something for free.
“I'm coming to industry and saying: this is the platform and this is what it will do. I need you to help me build it by contributing what you need and the resources you have always been looking for.
“I want to bring everybody together and show that collaboration is the only way we will make this industry work properly.”
“We can't keep competing, we all have to work together, we all have our own areas of expertise and sharing that and bringing it all together is what is really going to make the difference.
“The whole point is to bring the industry together and provide a voice with no agenda other than the success of UK manufacturing.”
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