Cupcakes By Sophia secures investment in Made Smarter funding round

The Blackburn-based cupcake manufacturer will use the grant to support technology investment.

Cupcakes By Sophia is a family-run business producing artisan, handmade cupcakes into the wholesale market. The company’s cupcakes are available in more than 500 stores across the UK and has produced cakes for Warburton’s, Sky and QVC.

Donna Edwards, director of the Made Smarter Adoption Programme in the North West, welcomed the 23 new companies into the programme which has now backed more than £25m of investment into the digital transformation of the sector.

Impact on business and society

“These technology projects will have a tremendous impact on individuals, businesses, the sector and society,”​ said Edwards. “They will boost efficiency, productivity and growth, creating new jobs and upskilling existing roles, all while shifting the dial on creating a more sustainable approach to manufacturing. ​

“Celebrating milestones is important. It permits my fantastic team to take stock of the achievement and then commit to improving the services we offer to continue the Made Smarter mission.”​

Since starting in 2018, Made Smarter has helped 330 businesses secure £7.1m of matched funding to adopt technologies as diverse as sensors, robotics, 3D printing and artificial intelligence.

Jobs and investment

These companies have put £18m of private sector investment towards 379 technology projects, which are forecast to create over 1,700 new jobs and upskill 3,200 existing roles.

As well as grants, Made Smarter offers SME manufacturers access to funded support including digital transformation workshops to create a digital roadmap, impartial and expert technology advice, and leadership and skills training.

Meanwhile, Small and medium sized businesses are hesitant to embrace digital transformation due to a lack of confidence in technology and digital skills, the head of Made Smarter's North West adoption programme has warned.