New funding for aerospace supply chain companies

Many aerospace companies will have attended Aerospace UP Hour, a great way to hear about industry news, market insights and technologies, but did you know it offers so much more?

Aerospace UP is a £20m three-year project supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which aims to support the aerospace supply chain in the Midlands by helping to unlock its innovation potential. The project is being delivered by the University of Nottingham and the MAA.

If you’re an aerospace supply chain company based in the Midlands, you could be eligible for a grant of between £1,000 and £100,000 over 18 months.

In addition to financial grants, eligible companies can access world-class facilities, technology experts and events at the University of Nottingham. They will also benefit from fully-funded technical support packages as well as student and graduate placement opportunities.

By assisting supply chain SMEs to grow, along with the tools and support needed, we believe Aerospace UP will form a critical part of the recovery of the Midlands aerospace cluster, which is one of the largest in the world and greatly impacted by the pandemic.

Dr Andrew Mair, Chief Executive of the MAA, said: “This is a programme that meets a real need and fills a real gap in the UK’s Industrial Strategy to boost levels of innovation at the many firms that make up our country’s excellent regional business clusters. With the Covid-19 crisis creating major challenges for many aerospace suppliers today, Aerospace UP will help companies invest in new ideas to gain competitive advantage and help win new business as the industry recovers.”

Professor Pat Wheeler, from the Institute for Aerospace Technology at the University of Nottingham, said: “Our vision is to give companies access to world-class innovation. Ambition should not be limited to size and by giving smaller businesses across the aerospace supply chain access to the UK’s best facilities and expertise, and the opportunity to collaborate and share challenges, we will help create a vibrant ecosystem in our region that will be perfectly placed to respond to new opportunities.”

Professor Dame Jessica Corner, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange said: “The Aerospace UP project builds on the University’s existing work with companies in the local aerospace supply chain to drive technological advancement towards cleaner, greener air travel. The project will provide much-welcomed support to the regional industry cluster in the wake of the pandemic and ensure the UK remains a key player in European aerospace innovation.”

Companies do not have to have a particular project in mind to make an application, as the Aerospace UP team can assist with identifying opportunities. However, it would be useful to consider ideas around greener technologies; improving efficiency; evolving in anticipation of future market requirements; solving quality or delivery issues as well as other manufacturing challenges.

To find out more and check your eligibility, visit aerospaceup.com

You can also sign up to the virtual “Aerospace UP Supply Chain Funding Event”, which will be held on 11 February 2021, here.