Textiles industry awarded 19.5 million pound grant

The textile industry has been given a boost by the government after it awarded the N Brown-led Textiles Growth Programme and delivery body Economic Solutions around 19.5 million pounds to promote business growth and skills provision.

The investment follows the publication of the Alliance Report: Repatriation of UK Textiles Manufacture, commissioned by N Brown chairman Lord David Alliance, which found that the UK textile industry is worth just under 9 billion pounds to the economy and is currently experiencing year-on-year export and domestic growth. It also added that the industry could create up to 20,000 new jobs in the next five to 10 years if business are supported to capitalise on a trend towards the repatriation of manufacturing.

The grant is part of the sixth round of the Regional Growth Fund investment, which has seen nearly 300 million pounds invested to help regional businesses grow. The investment for the textiles industry will be predominantly focused on businesses in the Northwest and East Midlands.

It is the second such investment for the textiles programme, which received 12.8 million pounds in 2013, which has so far been granted to 94 companies across the Northwest including weaver AW Hainsworth and manufacturer Cooper & Stollbrand. The money also helped created 1,600 jobs and 115 apprenticeship positions in England in its first year.

Textiles industry receives 19.5 million pound boost

Angela Spindler, CEO of N Brown Group, said: “As a business, we only source a small percentage from the UK, but there is a recognition of the growth potential in textile manufacturing. Retailers are desperate to increase capacity in the UK and this investment fund will allow us as an industry to grow that capacity quicker than we would otherwise have been able to.”

The report also calls for: a national database of manufacturers to help domestic and foreign buyers source here; greater government and trade body support for UK businesses at trade fairs; a focus on changing out-dated perceptions of the industry in schools to attract a younger workforce; and steps to address late payments for suppliers.

The Textile Growth Programme is the first ever textile grant growth scheme in British history, led by Manchester-based N Brown Group, it is also supported by BIS, Manchester Growth Company, Marks & Spencer and Asos.