F4N helps manufacturers assess and develop
their readiness to bid for work in nuclear new build, operations and
decommissioning and, is delivered exclusively by the Nuclear Advanced
Manufacturing Research Centre (Nuclear AMRC), part of the UK’s High Value
Manufacturing Catapult.
The programme allows manufacturers to
measure their operations against the standards required to supply the nuclear
industry and, takes the necessary steps to close any gaps - driving
improvements, with support from the Nuclear AMRC’s nuclear experts and industry
advisors.
F4N has been developed by the Nuclear
AMRC with the support of its top tier partners, including reactor vendors, new
build developers and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. These industry
leaders are using F4N to identify potential companies for their own supply
chains.
The F4N journey of business improvement,
typically takes 12 – 18 months and, is a
process that will demand commitment and drive from the business’ management
team.
The F4N programme was originally developed
for manufacturers working in high-precision mechanical engineering. It has has
since expanded its scope to support companies which can supply control and
instrumentation, electricals and other components for nuclear plant
construction and operation and meet the specialised requirements of
decommissioning. Participating companies range from contract manufacturers with
no nuclear experience, aiming to take a first step into the sector, to
established suppliers wanting to benchmark their position and drive business
excellence.
Please note, that F4N is designed for
businesses employing 10 or more employees, with a turnover of at least £1.6
million, as the principles of the programme are difficult to apply to micro
enterprises. However, microenterprises with the potential to offer a niche
product or service to the civil nuclear sector, should still get in touch, to
discuss how F4N can help.
Please see http://namrc.co.uk/services/f4n/ for further information.