Scale-Up Accelerator
Ready to turn a proven product into scalable manufacturing?
Funded support for high-growth manufacturers preparing to scale production
You’ve developed and validated your product. Customer demand is emerging. Investment conversations are underway.
The next challenge is proving you can manufacture successfully at scale.
Many businesses successfully prove their product, but manufacturing risk remains. Production systems need to be designed, supply chains established and investment requirements defined before scaling can begin. Without the right evidence and planning, businesses can face costly delays, redesigns, quality issues, and loss of valuable market opportunities.
The Scale-Up Accelerator programme, in partnership with High Value Manufacturing Catapult, has been created to help ambitious manufacturers overcome these challenges and accelerate the transition from proven product to scalable, investable manufacturing. Through its network of six world-leading manufacturing centres, HVM Catapult provides access to the expertise, facilities and specialist capabilities needed to bridge the gap between product validation and commercial manufacturing.
The programme provides funded support worth between £25,000 and £150,000 for eligible businesses developing new products and technologies, typically at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 and above.
Priority sectors
This programme is aligned with the UK Government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and focuses on the following priority sectors. Companies operating within these sectors, or within the supply chains that support them, are invited to apply.
- Aerospace
- Automotive
- Clean Energy
- Life Sciences
- Agri-Tech
- Defence
- Space
- Digital and AI
Is your business eligible?
The programme is aimed at high-potential UK companies that are on a journey to scale-up production.
To be considered, your business must be:
- A high growth potential company, on a journey to scale-up production.
- Ready to undertake specification and planning activities for the design and build of a new pilot line, demonstrator line or full-scale industrial line or factory, and
- Planning to raise finance or gain board approval for finance of supporting capital investment, OR
- In the early stages of production scale-up (i.e. investment in capital complete) and is seeking support to de-risk subsequent industrialisation and ramp-up activities.
In addition, successful applicants will typically have:
- Valuable IP in their product and/or manufacturing process, with suitable protection for this planned or in place
- Validated their product or technology in their chosen marketplace, with evidence of customer demand and commitment to purchase
- Achieved a product TRL level of 6 or above, with development and Proof of Concept testing completed.
Successful applicants are also expected to be able to:
- Gain buy-in from senior management and their commitment to engage in the project
- Engage fully within programme timelines
- Contribute own effort to ensure that maximum value is gained from the package of support.
- Be compliant with MFA subsidy control regulations. HVM Catapult will help applicants understand how this can be made up in initial discussions.
- Publish a case study about their scale-up journey and the support received from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres.
Applicants can also decide to engage a potential customer in the work on an advisory basis.
Ready to scale production?
If your product is proven and you're preparing for the next stage of growth, the Scale-Up Accelerator could help you reduce risk, strengthen investor confidence and accelerate your route to commercial manufacturing.
Complete our Expression of Interest form and one of our specialists will review your submission and discuss whether the programme is the right fit for your business.