Case Study: Kelpi and Made Smarter

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Kelpi faced two critical challenges:

Dependence on subcontractors: this reliance increased costs, added delivery risks, and limited control over critical workstreams during a key growth phase leading up to their first product launch.
Scaling for sustainable growth: to ensure rapid market entry and support future materials development, the company needed robust systems, processes, and data analytics. Building these foundations early would enable seamless integration of digital technologies during rapid growth.

Why Made Smarter?

The Made Smarter programme aligned with Kelpi’s growth strategy, particularly in identifying opportunities to integrate digital technologies. Kelpi valued the structured support, starting with 1:1 sessions with experts from NCC. These sessions promised insights to refine their roadmap, identify overlooked opportunities, and address knowledge gaps.

Having previously benefitted from West of England Mayoral Combined Authority (Mayoral Combined Authority) grants and support schemes, Kelpi trusted that the Made Smarter programme would deliver tangible benefits.

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Grant scheme: strengthening internal capabilities

The Made Smarter grant scheme of £20,000 addressed a major pain point—subcontractor reliance—by funding critical equipment acquisitions.

Use of grant:

brought key capabilities in-house to reduce costs, improve speed, and retain knowledge.

Impact:

enhanced efficiency and control over critical processes.
accelerated material development timelines, supporting quicker market entry.

The grant also helped secure internal approval for the investment by significantly offsetting costs.

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Internship: addressing knowledge gaps

Kelpi leveraged the internship programme to tackle a specific knowledge gap identified in NCC's report.

Application process: the Made Smarter Team at the Mayoral Combined Authority team facilitated connections with academic experts to scope the project and identify the right intern.

Work undertaken: the intern focused on delivering early modules of a high-impact project, with ongoing support from the University of the West of England technical experts.

Expected benefits:

tailored solutions and knowledge transfer to build long-term internal capabilities.

a structured approach to addressing complex challenges, ensuring future scalability.

Leadership training: building team expertise

Kelpi’s participation in the Leadership for Driving Technological Change training course reflected their commitment to team growth and effective digital transformation.

Learning outcomes:

gained insights into digital technologies and business leadership.

networked with peers to share ideas on scaling, process improvement, and innovation.

Impact on operations:

broadened perspectives on creative problem-solving and strategic decision-making.

expanded access to a supportive peer network within the West of England

Impact of Made Smarter

Improved efficiency by reducing reliance on subcontractors.
Accelerated timelines for material development and market readiness.
Strengthened leadership skills and strategic planning for digital transformation.
Enhanced scalability through targeted knowledge-building initiatives.

Through this partnership, Kelpi has not only streamlined operations, but also positioned itself for sustainable growth, making strides in the fight against plastic pollution.

The programme is delivered in partnership with the University of the West of England and NCC.