Modern Slavery Statement

Introduction

We, The Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited and our trading subsidiaries (MTC) understand that modern slavery and human trafficking represent some of the gravest violations of human rights and that risks are present in every sector and country. We have a zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking of any kind in our operations and supply chain and are committed to preventing slavery and human trafficking in our corporate activities and supply chains.

Our business structure

Our purpose is to bridge the gap between academia and the UK industrial sectors and advance UK and global manufacturing capability by solving the industrial problems that others cannot or will not. We collaborate with universities, SMEs and large organisations across a broad range of technologies and sectors.

We are a company limited by guarantee based in the UK. We have two wholly owned trading subsidiaries: MTC Operations Limited and MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) Training Limited. We have around 1000 employees.

Our supply chains

Our operations and supply chain activities take place within the UK, and our contractors and suppliers are predominantly UK and EU based. Any non-UK purchases are to support research and development projects and thus are for specific machines and parts not available in the UK. There is no procurement of overseas labour or items deemed to be at a higher risk of using unethical methods.

We consider the risk of human trafficking occurring within our direct employee population, business operations and tier one supply chain to be low due to the following factors:

There is very limited direct and supply chain operations in countries with a high prevalence of modern slavery.
The highly skilled nature of activities and roles reduces our exposure to temporary or low skilled agency employment.
The strict application of our group policies and processes, which identifies during the onboarding assessment whether any potential suppliers breach the Modern Slavery Act 2015.

In addition to our existing commitments, we uphold the following principles as part of our zero-tolerance approach to modern slavery and human trafficking:

Adherence to all applicable local and national laws and regulations.
Respect for the freedom of workers to terminate employment without penalty.
Assurance of freedom of movement for all workers.
Respect for freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining.
Prohibition of any threat of violence, harassment, or intimidation in the workplace.
Prohibition of worker-paid recruitment fees.
Prohibition of compulsory or forced overtime.
Prohibition of child labour in any part of our operations or supply chain.
Prohibition of discrimination in hiring, compensation, access to training, promotion, termination, or retirement.
Prohibition of the confiscation or withholding of workers’ original identification documents.
Provision of access to remedy, compensation, and justice for victims of modern slavery.

In consideration of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, we have the following KPIs in place in supply chain:

Employees undergo annual training and continued toolbox talks on modern slavery.
Maintaining a robust system for supply chain verification.
Scheduled reviews of our existing supply chains.

Our policies on slavery and human trafficking

We are committed to ensuring that there is no modern slavery or human trafficking in our supply chains or in any part of our business. Our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy reflects our commitment to acting ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implementing, maintaining and enforcing effective systems and controls to ensure slavery and human trafficking is not taking place anywhere in our business or supply chains.

We also maintain effective policies which underpin the principles of the Modern Slavery Act 2015, including Anti-Corruption & Bribery, Ethics, Whistleblowing, Bullying & Harassment, Diversity & Inclusion, Recruitment & Selection, and Procurement, all of which are easily accessible to our employees and are reviewed on a regular basis.

Risk mitigation for slavery and human trafficking

We continuously check and evaluate the nature and extent of exposure to and risk of modern slavery or human trafficking occurring in our business and supply chains. We are a research organisation operating across a diverse range of sectors and we do not routinely manufacture production items, meaning that we have a wide-ranging supplier base across multiple sectors, that is predominantly UK based. As part of our initiative to identify and mitigate risk of modern slavery or human trafficking occurring across our business and in our supply chains we have:

A requirement for our suppliers to comply with the Modern Slavery Act 2015.
Ensured that our standard terms and conditions that we use when procuring services require that our suppliers comply with all laws and rules which extends to the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and other legislation that prevents modern slavery and human trafficking.
A due diligence procedure in place that enables us to identify, monitor and assess potential risk areas in our supply chains.
Ensured that we operate a rigorous Recruitment Policy, including right to work in the UK checks, preventing human trafficking or individuals being forced to work against their will.
Reviewed our pay scales to ensure that all employees are paid at least the relevant minimum wage and have the right to work in the UK.
A Whistleblowing Policy which provides a process by which employees and third parties are encouraged to raise concerns either internally or via an independent third-party service. The Policy commits to protecting those who raise concerns in good faith and ensures zero tolerance for retaliation, harassment or victimisation of anyone who speaks up.

As an equal opportunities employer, we're committed to creating and ensuring a non-discriminatory and respectful working environment for our staff. We want all our staff to feel confident that they can expose wrongdoing without any risk to themselves.

Our recruitment and people management processes are designed to ensure that all prospective employees are legally entitled to work in the UK and to safeguard employees from any abuse or coercion.

We do not enter into business with any organisation, in the UK or abroad, which knowingly supports or is found to be involved in slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

Supplier adherence to our values

To ensure that our supply chains comply with our values, our suppliers are required to complete a questionnaire (at the onboarding stage and every 2 years thereafter) and state whether they are compliant with the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Any non-compliance would immediately disqualify that supplier from becoming or continuing to be an MTC supplier.

In addition, all suppliers that accept our standard terms and conditions of purchase are required to comply with all applicable laws, including the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Again, any refusal to do so would result in an immediate disqualification and the supplier would either not be onboarded, or if already set-up, placed on hold preventing any further business transactions with them.

Training

To ensure a high level of understanding of the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking in our supply chains all colleagues in the supply chain department undertake externally provided annual modern slavery training, and across our wider business we have highlighted the risk of modern slavery and human trafficking to our colleagues on joining the business.

Further Steps

We will continue to review the risks of modern slavery and human trafficking and will report progress to the Board of Directors.
We will also look to train our employees in identifying modern slavery or human trafficking and include modern slavery within our induction process for all new employees.
We will act promptly where an issue with compliance with this Policy Statement has been flagged or identified.

Governance and accountability

Overall accountability for the prevention of modern slavery and human trafficking sits at the highest level. Our Chief Executive Officer retains ultimate responsibility for our modern slavery strategy, policies and compliance. Our Chief Operating Officer is accountable for the implementation and monitoring of effectiveness of commitments related to human rights and modern slavery as outlined in this Policy Statement.

Any employee who breaches our Anti-Slavery and Human Trafficking Policy will face disciplinary action, which may result in dismissal for misconduct or gross misconduct. We also reserve the right to terminate our relationship with other individuals and organisations that may be working on our behalf, if they breach our Policy.

This Policy Statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and constitutes the MTC’s Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement for the financial year ending 31 March 2026.

Approval

This Policy Statement has been reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors on 9 July 2026 and signed by our Chief Executive Officer.

Dr Graham Hoare, OBE

Chief Executive Officer

The Manufacturing Technology Centre Limited

Date: 9 July 2026