Stronger Together - Greater Manchester

Focus around the major issue Greater Manchester faced in March around the supply of PPE into the NGS and other public/private bodies.
Prior to pandemic, PPE largely produced overseas at low cost.
Demand for this soared with supplies not getting to the UK or at inflated costs – breakdowns in supply chains and national shortages.
The UK faced Daily news headlines reporting the shortages.
There was a need for a co-ordinated effort of identifying organisations already producing PPE in the region to increase their output and for others to move into production.
MIDAS (part of Growth Company and sister to Business Growth Hub) led a task force sourcing PPE for the NHS, police, fire, TfGM, care homes and most vulnerable.
The task force provided a strategic lead on
- Supporting existing supply chains
- Identifying new supply chains
- Brokering supply chains into GM
- Allocating centrally sourced PPE across public agencies
- Providing clarity of advice from PHE
- Understanding current and projected shortfalls.
The Manufacturing Team at the GC Business Growth Hub contacted their large network of GM based manufacturing businesses.
Regional manufacturers whose current business model was suffering in the pandemic started producing PPE with the support of business advisors to support the national/local crisis as well as protecting themselves.
Regional manufacturers who were already making PPE increased their outputs and together the demand was met.