Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has launched a search for a specialist operating company to run the new multi-million-pound Manufacturing Innovation Centre Moray (MICM) currently under development.

The centre, located at Enterprise Park Forres, is a Moray Growth Deal project that has received over £4 million in funding from the UK and Scottish Governments, alongside a £2.56 million investment from HIE, totalling over £6.5 million. HIE has led the creation of the centre through the refurbishment of an existing building, which is nearing completion.

The successful operating company will be awarded a three-year contract. Their responsibilities will include developing and managing the service offering of the MICM, alongside stakeholder engagement, marketing, and promotion of the facility.

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The MICM is designed to provide crucial support and advice to manufacturing companies throughout Moray. It is expected to support the creation of up to 300 manufacturing jobs over the next decade. The centre's primary focus will be on stimulating innovation and growth in product and process development, with a strong emphasis on transitioning to low carbon practices.

Facilities within the centre will include business incubator spaces for start-up ventures, dedicated project spaces for existing businesses to innovate, and a demonstrator suite showcasing the latest concepts in advanced manufacturing technology and equipment.

David Reid, HIE area manager in Moray, said: "This is a really exciting project and a great opportunity for an experienced specialist service operator to develop, operate and manage the MICM service. We welcome bids from single suppliers as well as collaborative bids, for example with sub-contractors and/or consortium members."

He added: "While there are specific contractual service requirements and milestones, we’d expect the supplier to bring new thinking and approaches to deliver the collective services."

Moray currently boasts around 7,000 manufacturing jobs across sectors such as fabrication, technology, advanced engineering, forestry, textiles, and food and drink – a higher concentration per head of population than anywhere else in Scotland.

The deadline for bid submission is 12 noon on Monday, 8 July 2025, with the contract scheduled to commence in September 2025.