The Advanced Textile Manufacturing Forum (ATMF) has issued a rallying cry to UK manufacturers: it’s time to seize the moment for investment, innovation and industrial renewal. With the forthcoming Rachel Reeves-led Autumn Budget looming on 26 November, ATMF’s message is clear — the opportunity to rebuild Britain’s factories is real, but only if the right policies and procurement pathways align now.
Why the urgency?
ATMF highlights several converging pressures:
- UK manufacturers face an uncompetitive operating environment, with higher energy costs, elevated business rates and wage rates that, while appropriate for a modern economy, place the UK at a disadvantage compared with lower-cost production centres.
- The Government’s twin priorities — debt reduction and productivity enhancement — place industry under focus. With public finances stretched (see: shortfall and borrowing figures) and global supply chains still disrupted, manufacturing is being recognised as both a risk and a strategic opportunity.
- ATMF emphasises that investment in UK factories isn’t just about capital expenditure. It means orders, skills, stable supply chains and access to public-sector procurement budgets that often lock out manufacturing at home.
ATMF’s ask: unlock investment and procurement
The key demands from ATMF are:
- Access to the public-sector procurement budget for UK-based factories, creating real work rather than just incentives.
- A level playing field for factories in the UK — parity in business rates, energy pricing, and wage/skills support compared with offshore competitors.
- Assurance that upcoming tax and investment reliefs (e.g., capital allowances, R&D credits) will be maintained or expanded, not eroded, so factories can invest with confidence.
- Government leadership in redirecting consultancy spending towards manufacturing outcomes. ATMF argue that previous heavy spend on generic consultancies did not yield the actionable, factory-level expertise required — they want resources channelled into real production capacity.
What this means for manufacturers
For UK-based manufacturers, ATMF’s briefing signals both a warning and an opportunity:
Warning – The upcoming Budget may well bring tougher conditions (higher taxes, fewer reliefs) unless industry demonstrates a clear alignment with investment, jobs and national productivity goals.
Opportunity – If your business can show: (a) new or upgraded UK manufacturing capacity; (b) procurement-ready product/offering; (c) jobs and skills-commitments; you may be in a strong position to capture the realignment of public-sector demand and government investment flows.
Strategic next steps
Here’s how manufacturers can respond today:
- Prepare your capacity story: Document how your factory investment (or plan) in the UK aligns with national priorities: green manufacturing, supply-chain resilience, import-substitution, export-growth.
- Engage procurement trails: Identify public-sector spending streams you could tap into. Note ATMF’s push for factories to access this budget — your readiness matters.
- Check your investment eligibility: Review your entitlement to capital allowances, R&D tax credits and other incentives. With potential rollback signalled, acting now may capture benefits before they change.
- Benchmark your competitiveness: Understand your cost base relative to offshore operations — energy, rates, labour, compliance. Use this to articulate the case for UK-based production and to set internal improvement targets.
- Work the skills angle: With worklessness high among youth (one in eight young people NEET), manufacturers who link factory expansion to job creation and apprenticeships may gain favour or access to funding.
Final word
ATMF’s message is clear: the moment for UK manufacturing is now. The forthcoming Autumn Budget will set the tone for industrial investment, taxation and procurement. For manufacturers ready to step up, align and act, the landscape could shift in your favour. For those unprepared, the risk is higher costs and eroded margins as the fiscal squeeze tightens.