Got a lot on your plate?
- impacted by high energy costs?
- struggling to fulfil orders?
- looking for sustable solutions?
The Food and Drink Innovation Gateway is a one-stop shop that gives food and drink manufacturers of all sizes an opportunity to unlock access to the adoption of automation, digitalisation and new technology.
Through a free consultation with the UK’s world-leading experts, we will work with you to identify your challenges, large and small, and offer technology-based, cost-effective, solutions that can help your business grow.
How to access this support…
- Click on 'Get started' to access our online form.
- Tell us about your business and summarise the key challenges you would like to tackle.
- We will then arrange for 1-2-1 discussion with an expert who will identify the innovation support you need.
What is the Gateway?
The FDF can help your food and drink business by making it simple to access the expertise available to improve manufacturing processes. The ever-present pressure to increase productivity, together with challenges around labour shortages, skills shortages and net zero means that the opportunities offered through adopting innovative technologies have never been more important.
And yet, bringing innovation and technology into your business doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. Often there are relatively small adjustments or process refinements that can have a big impact on making your business more resilient, efficient, and profitable. The business support is out there, but it can often be a challenge to know where to start or who to speak to.
The FDF has brought together the innovation support from across the UK into a single gateway that enables FDF members to get connected with the organisations and people best placed to help them.
How can the Gateway help my business?
The Food and Drink Innovation Gateway is currently open to members of the FDF, and focused on helping businesses improve efficiency, productivity and/or waste through automation. You can come in with a specific project in mind, or none at all! We can help you wherever you are on your journey.
Here are some case studies from Made Smarter that show the type of projects the Gateway can support:
- Generation Juice – A taste for digitalisation
- Lakes Ice Cream – Technology to transform
- Bells of Lazonby – Introducing robots
- Len Wright Salads – Saving energy with less waste
- Bury Black Pudding Company – A smart black pudding company
What to expect from the Gateway?
In the current economic climate where prices are rising and growing labour shortages, the FDF has been looking at ways to offer greater support for all our members.
If you are an SME and taking your first steps into automation adoption, we can get you started on your journey by helping to source existing technologies that can have a big impact.
Larger businesses who may be further along in their journey towards greater automation, the Gateway can help you tackle your next big challenge.
No matter the size of your business or where you are based, the Gateway can support with:
- Expert advice from innovation centres across the UK
- An initial scoping call to discuss your needs
- Opportunity for a free line walk and visit report
- Support identifying relevant funding and support with bid writing
- Including a range of subsidised support available for SMEs
- Recommendations for technology providers and/or capital investment funding
Become an FDF member
How we can help your business
Making the best use of your time and resource is key. Being an FDF Scotland manufacturing member will equip you with the expertise to grow, protect and strengthen your business. Whatever your size of business, FDF Scotland membership can help you.
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