Mon Maintenance Services below have taken part in the Fit For Nuclear programme and benchmarked their performance against the standards demanded by the industry’s top tiers.
http://namrc.co.uk/services/f4n/companies/
Fit For Nuclear (F4N) is a unique service to help UK manufacturing companies get ready to bid for work in the civil nuclear supply chain.
F4N lets companies measure their operations against the standards required to supply the nuclear industry – in new build, operations and decommissioning – and take the necessary steps to close any gaps.
Delivered by the Nuclear AMRC and the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), the F4N programme is supported by top-tier partners including Areva and EDF Energy. These industry leaders are using F4N to identify potential companies for their own supply chains.
As well as the Nuclear AMRC’s core area of high-precision mechanical engineering, F4N also covers companies which can supply control and instrumentation, electricals, and other manufactured components for nuclear plant construction and operation, as well as the specialised requirements of decommissioning.
Over 150 companies have now completed the online F4N assessment, with most receiving ongoing support and development from the Nuclear AMRC team. 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. To find out about some of the manufacturers which have taken part, see our directory of F4N companies.
In a survey of participants, three quarters of companies which have completed F4N said that they are experiencing meaningful business benefits as a result – and 100 per cent would recommend the programme to other manufacturers.
With the support of the Regional Growth Fund, we are now expanding and enhancing F4N to help even more businesses and provide additional support, including grant funding for business development and R&D (SMEs based in England only).
The F4N journey
Fit For Nuclear is not a formal qualification, but a journey of business improvement. The process will take at least six months. We will support you through every step, but the F4N journey will demand commitment and drive from your senior management team.
1. First contact and capability questionnaire.
Submit your details using the F4N contact form, and a regional F4N assessor will contact you to find out more about your capabilities and aspirations. The assessor will help you complete an initial capability questionnaire to help us understand how we can best support your business.
2. Online assessment.
Your F4N assessor will give you the link to the full F4N online assessment. This covers six key categories of business operation and performance, with 10 multiple-choice questions in each category. To help you prepare and understand the level of detail required, you can download theF4N online assessment guidance (pdf).
3. Site visit and verification.
You will receive an initial score, based on the information you have provided, as soon as you submit your online assessment. Your F4N assessor will then arrange a visit to your company to review and verify your answers, and help you start to develop an action plan to close any gaps in performance.
4. Nuclear review.
Once you have created your action plan and are putting it into practice, our nuclear specialists will review your progress and help you develop your capabilities. If we do not think that civil nuclear is currently a viable market for you, we can still provide support including funding for business improvement projects.
5. Nuclear expert support.
If your business is capable of winning business in nuclear, we will appoint an experienced nuclear specialist to help you identify specific opportunities. Our specialists can help match your capabilities with current and upcoming tenders, and make sure you’re in the best position to win work.
6. Access to grants and ongoing support.
English SMEs can apply for match funding for business improvement or R&D projects – we expect the average funding to be around £10,000. You can take advantage of our other support programmes and capabilities, and promote your participation in the F4N programme.
If you have any questions about the F4N programme or would like an informal discussion about whether it is right for your business, contact the team on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
To make contact with your regional F4N advisor, submit your details using the F4N contact form.