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Made Smarter Innovation | Digital Supply Chain Hub- Solving SME Challenges

Open date: Tuesday 9 May 2023   Close date: Sunday 11 June 2023

Introduction

Across the UK, supply chains are under enormous pressure putting business as usual in jeopardy. While the UK has one of the world’s most dynamic and well funded technology communities, it falls behind when it comes to the availability and adoption of manufacturing and supply chain technology solutions.  New approaches need to be found for managing our supply chains.

The Made Smarter Innovation | Digital Supply Chain Hub is on a mission to transform UK manufacturing through digitally empowered supply chains that are more efficient, resilient and sustainable. For this innovation competition, the Digital Supply Chain Hub is looking for companies that are interested in developing and testing low-cost technology solutions targeted at manufacturing SMEs.

Through four challenge areas, technology innovators are invited to address painful problems that DSCH has identified to enable the adoption of low-cost solutions by manufacturing SMEs. Each challenge comes with £100,000 available for a tech solution provider to work with two SME manufacturers on these complex areas. The challenge areas are:

  1. Compliance to mandatory regulations in the FMCG industry
  2. Sustainability: Waste in the fashion industry
  3. Supply chain visibility in the automotive industry
  4. Input costs and sourcing in the industrial manufacturing industry

The programme is divided in two phases:

Phase 1: Technology Solution Development and Testing 

Develop and trial an MVP with two Manufacturing SMEs over the course of nine months.

Phase 2: Commercialisation, Deployment and Scaling

Opportunity to gain access to a wider network of SMEs adopting your tech solution and/or deployment of your solution in one of the DSCH testbeds.

All successful applicants will participate in Phase 1 of the Programme. Some successful applicants may be selected to take part in Phase 2 of the Programme, which will be subject to separate assessment by Digital Catapult during the Programme which will assess if the solution is suitable to be scaled and adopted by further SMEs or/and deployed in one of the testbeds.

Who should apply?

The programme seeks applications for technology innovators who are interested in developing and trialling technology MVPs with two manufacturing SMEs to one of their core supply chain challenges in the FMCG, Textiles, Automotive and industrial manufacturing industry. You can apply on the Digital Supply Chain Hub website.