FEL On BBC Politics East Midlands – Unifying the Voice for Public Procurement

Twenty UK factories are joining forces to create a stronger, unified voice for SMEs seeking Government public procurement opportunities with the future of UK manufacturing, jobs and skills firmly at the heart of the initiative.

Led by the ATMF and Fashion-Enter Ltd, the initiative is focused on demonstrating that UK SMEs have the capability, capacity and expertise to deliver Government contracts, while keeping manufacturing, investment and employment within the UK.

The importance of this agenda was highlighted by BBC Politics East Midlands, presented by Peter Saull and aired on 4th October 2026.

On 1st October, Dan Martin from BBC Politics East Midlands visited FEL’s Fashion Technology Academy (FTA) in Leicester, where he interviewed Jenny Holloway, CEO of Fashion-Enter, alongside FTA students. The filming explored the work being undertaken to rebuild the UK’s fashion and manufacturing industry and the opportunities being created.

Jenny Holloway used the opportunity to highlight two key areas that she believes need urgent attention if the UK is serious about rebuilding its industrial base.

1. Re-industrialising the UK

The first is the re-industrialisation of the UK, with a renewed focus on manufacturing. For Jenny, this means creating the conditions for British factories to grow, invest, employ people and develop the skills needed to support a sustainable domestic manufacturing industry.

The students at FTA Leicester represent an important part of that future, gaining practical industry knowledge and developing skills that can connect education directly with employment and manufacturing.

2. Making public procurement work for SMEs

The second is the Public Procurement Act and the opportunity it presents for SMEs. The 20-factory initiative is designed to demonstrate how smaller UK manufacturers can work collectively to respond to public procurement opportunities. Rather than contracts automatically flowing to large organisations, the aim is to ensure that capable SMEs can have a meaningful opportunity to compete and deliver.

For UK manufacturing, the potential impact goes beyond the individual contract. Government procurement can help keep production in the UK, support factory jobs, develop skills and retain economic value within local communities.

FTA Leicester is already helping to connect that vision with the next generation. Through its students and industry-focused training, it is showing that re-industrialisation is not simply about factories, it is also about people, skills, opportunity and creating a workforce ready for the future of UK manufacturing.

Tap here to watch the BBC coverage posted on FashionCapital’s YouTube account.