Evaluation of the Welsh Government’s Food Division’s Strategic Investment Scheme (SIS)

We are pleased to have been commissioned to undertake an independent evaluation of the Welsh Government’s Food Division’s Strategic Investment Scheme (SIS). The programmes within the SIS are:  

• Knowledge, Innovation and Technology for Success, Project HELIX. This provides technical support to companies to improve their manufacturing processes, achieve accreditations as well as support for developing new products from concept through to design, development, manufacture, and ultimately, the consumer’s shopping basket.  

• Enterprise for Success. This supports small and medium-sized companies to grow and become more competitive, sustainable, and innovative.  

• Skills for Success. This enables businesses to identify and provide employees with the right skills and training for their business and across the wider industry.  

• Scale-up for Success. This focuses on improving the resilience of businesses.  It embeds knowledge and expertise that businesses need to grow in an economically sustainable manner. 

• Clusters for Success. Provides support for clusters of businesses that have formed around a shared interest and are seeking to capture the economic advantages of a cohesive network.  

The evaluation will explore how the SIS programmes have been delivered and whether they have met their objectives individually and collectively. We will assess the contributions to economic value and impact to the Welsh food and drink sector. In addition, the feasibility of completing a robust ‘value for money’ assessment at a programmes and/or scheme level will be explored.