Time to take the initiative

The British government has just launched the competition for rounds 3 and 4 of its Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative.
 
The initiative is a funding competition designed to improve the global competitiveness of UK manufacturing supply chains. Funding is available to support research and development, skills training and capital investment to help UK supply chains achieve world-class standards.
 
But it is not just UK-based companies that can benefit from it. Foreign companies that wish to establish a manufacturing presence in the UK can also apply.
 
The initiative was launched in December 2011 by business secretary Vince Cable when £125m of funding was made available. Round 2 has just been completed. Winners included: Bentley Cars, JCB and Perkins Engines, David Brown Gear Systems, and Tata Steel.
 
For the next two rounds, Chancellor George Osborne has stumped up an additional £120 million.
 
The deadlines for applications for round 3 is 29th May, and for round 4 it is 16th October.
 
If you are interested, there are a series of regional briefings taking place during April. Details from: http://www.financebirmingham.com/amsci/