NAA Update: Season’s Greetings from the NAA
An additional £1.5 billion of funding to drive competitiveness and investment through the DRIVE35 (Driving Research & Investment in Vehicle Electrification) programme was announced in the Budget.
Some pre-Christmas cheer for the automotive industry was announced in last month’s budget with an additional £1.5 billion of funding to drive competitiveness and investment for the DRIVE35 (Driving Research & Investment in Vehicle Electrification) programme, in addition to the £2.5 billion announced in July this year, reflecting on-going commitment from government.
It was a pleasure last month to host a North West roadshow in conjunction with the Advanced Propulsion Centre, that showcased automotive and Connected Automated Mobility (CAM) funding opportunities – further details and funding routes can be found here: North West roadshow showcases automotive and CAM funding opportunities
Elsewhere, the Government has launched a consultation on the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme to cut electricity bills for 7,000 manufacturers and boost finance access with a £4 billion British Business Bank plan. The consultation will close on 19 January, and government will then publish its response to the consultation within 12 weeks of this date. Further details can be found here: Government acts on top business concern and cuts electricity bills for thousands of manufacturers by up to 25% – GOV.UK
Moving on to the membership side, we would like to welcome two new members:
Lewis Reed (WAV) Limited – The UK’s leading provider of Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAVs), specialising in bespoke petrol, diesel, and electric conversions tailored to meet your unique mobility needs.
Perfect Sense Energy – Perfect Sense Energy exists to deliver renewable energy solutions, sustainably powering the planet – generate your own power, save on energy bills and reduce carbon emissions with commercial solar panels.
We’re looking forward to working with each of these new members and welcoming them to our on-going networking event programme during the coming year.
Finally, I would like to wish each of you and your families a peaceful and relaxing Christmas break and I look forward to continuing to support you in 2026.
Paul Jones
NAA CEO
