Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has used an official visit to the West to announce an extra £1bn for businesses seeking support to help them grow and create jobs.
The cash, part of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), takes the total fund to £2.4bn and will be available to businesses and public/private partnerships with ambitions to create jobs and make a significant impact on their local economy.
Mr Clegg will make the announcement at the Government’s National Manufacturing Summit held today at the Bristol & Bath Science Park where he will be joined by business Secretary Vince Cable and the rest of the Department for Business’s ministerial team.
He is also set to confirm that 48 of the successful firms from the first two rounds of the fund have completed their legal checks and have access to the Government fund which leverages private sector investment, with at least £5 put in for every £1 of public money.
Among these is automotive parts firm DTR VMS in Chippenham which is receiving £3.1m from the RGF, supported by £11m of private investment, creating 21 new jobs and protecting 187.
DTR VMS will use the cash on project for a new research and development (R&D) facility in Chippenham to develop new products using ‘noise, vibration and harshness cancellation technology’ for the automotive parts sector.
Having outgrown its current site, the company is proposing to expand by buying a site and redeveloping an existing building to include a state-of- the-art R&D, manufacturing and European logistics facility. They will
Mr Clegg will say: “The Regional Growth Fund is already having a huge impact across the UK. So far there have been over 170 successful bids to the fund, leveraging around £7.5bn of private sector investment and set to create and protect 330,000 jobs. I want to see more businesses that are confident they can create jobs and get Britain building and making things again, coming forward – making sure their hats are in the ring.
“Funding from rounds one and two has gone to some extraordinarily promising manufacturing projects. These are the kinds of projects that will lead their communities into brighter times, helping put industry at the heart of the UK’s economy. Businesses have until June to apply for a share of this extra £1bn.”
Ahead of the summit, Mr Clegg and Mr Cable will officially open GKN Aerospace’s new £150m advanced composites manufacturing centre at Severnside, where the 27m long Airbus A350 wing is made. When operating at full production, the facility will employ 250 people.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said: “The Regional Growth Fund is starting to make excellent progress. Already 48 firms have started to access their funding, and around a third have started their projects as they go through legal checks. This means jobs are being created, money is being invested and the fund is making a difference.
“But we cannot be complacent. The additional £1 billion in the fund will help us maintain momentum around supporting even more businesses and encouraging the creation of new jobs.
“Many of the successful projects from rounds one and two were manufacturers and the sector remains one of our national success stories. Manufacturing lies right at the heart of the Government’s strategy for economic recovery and growth.”
Since the last update a further 20 projects have now signed their contracts, including automotive parts firm DTR VMS in Chippenham.
Many of the 176 successful bidders from rounds one and two, which are currently going through their legal checks, have already started their projects, with around a third of the companies reporting that activity is underway.
It was also announced at the Summit that See Inside Manufacturing, a pilot initiative introduced last year to give young people the opportunity to go behind the scenes of some of the UK’s world-class automotive facilities to learn about modern manufacturing, will return again this June. This time it will be extended to three new sectors – aerospace, defence, and food and drink.
The Government’s Make it in Great Britain campaign received an added boost at the Summit with the announcement of 23 new ‘Industry Champions’, bringing the total to 30. The Champions – who are leaders in their field across a variety of sectors within manufacturing – have signed up to lend their support to the campaign, which culminates in a six week exhibition at the Science Museum this summer during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The Manufacturing Summit is bringing together Government and key industry leaders to discuss and debate progress, the upcoming challenges and next steps for the sector as the Government continues to put manufacturing at the heart of its growth programme.
