Southampton Marine Services Ltd (SMS Group), the UK’s largest independent ship repairer, has secured a major £3 million contract with German cruise company AIDA to refit the first of three ships in Marseille, thanks in part to a trade loan backed under the Export Working Capital Scheme (EWCS) by UK Export Finance (UKEF) – the government’s export credit agency.

The government-backed financing, issued by Santander UK, has enabled the Southampton-based company to deliver its largest European contract to date and positions the company to take on further orders from new clients in the rapidly growing cruise sector.

Each major outfitting project enables SMS Group to hire additional UK staff and several subcontractors, directly supporting job creation and skills development in the UK’s marine

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