The first King's Business School cohort of SMEs will begin the Organisation and Workforce Development module in November 2025.
King's Business School has joined the Made Smarter Adoption programme, a government-backed initiative to boost productivity and resilience in UK manufacturing.
The programme helps small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) adopt new technologies such as robotics, data analytics, artificial intelligence and virtual reality, addressing barriers including limited awareness, skills gaps and funding challenges.
It is delivered by London & Partners, London's growth agency and a social enterprise on behalf of the Greater London Authority.
The scheme offers SMEs access to tailored digital roadmaps, leadership and management training, workforce development, digital internships and match-funded grants of up to £20,000 to invest in new systems and equipment.
King's Business School is leading the Organisation and Workforce Development element of the programme. This focuses on equipping SME leaders with the tools to manage digital transformation, develop workforce capability and embed organisational change. The School will provide workshops on digital strategy, business model innovation and change management, as well as one-to-one consultancy for participating businesses through ChangeSchool. Each SME will receive a tailored action plan designed to sustain digital adoption over the long term.
Made Smarter is a national government-backed initiative to boost UK manufacturing productivity and resilience. Established after the Made Smarter Review, it's also part of the UK's modern Industrial Strategy, which names it as a way of developing advanced manufacturing and digital adoption.
For King's Business School, participation builds on the success of initiatives such as Help to Grow and the Business School Consultancy Project, further strengthening its engagement with SMEs in London.
We are proud to partner with Made Smarter to help London's manufacturing SMEs navigate digital transformation. This module allows us to bring our expertise in organisational change and leadership development directly to firms that may not otherwise access it. We believe this work can make a real difference in resilience and productivity across the region.
Dr Tim Sellick, Director of Custom Programmes at King's Business School
London has a vibrant community of around 14,000 manufacturers, from fashion and textiles serving the West End and TV productions, to food producers supplying our cafés, restaurants, and supermarkets. That's why the Made Smarter programme is so important; it helps these businesses to adopt new technologies, such as digital sales systems, artificial intelligence and robotics. This means they can become more productive, resilient, save time and money, reduce errors, and scale their businesses.
Vanesa Perez-Sanchez, Director of Small Business at London & Partners
