Overview
- The Investment Board endorsed the £50m West Midlands Supplier Readiness and Transformation Fund’s full business case, sending it to the Combined Authority Board for ratification in March.
- From April, firms can apply for £250,000–£3m grants requiring at least 50% private match, running four years under the Government’s DRIVE35 initiative.
- Organisers have identified about 100 potential beneficiary companies to invest in equipment, skills and production capacity across the region’s automotive supply chain.
- A separate £14.5m programme to deliver around 9,500 on‑street EV charge points won approval with delegated authority to officers to finalise the business case and contracts.
- Councillors raised governance and resident‑impact concerns, opposing officer control and planned staffing costs of roughly £300,000, though the chargers are intended to prioritise households without off‑street parking and generate council revenue.