Although the initial idea was conceived by BPIF chief executive Michael Johnson described by one insider as "the apple of his eye" the organisation was keen to ensure as many stakeholders in the print supply chain have their say as possible.

Informal discussions have already been carried out with Proskills, Vision in Print, Amicus GPMS and the PPA.

The BPIF will share the concept with its members today at its AGM and hopes to have a "scope paper" out by the end of the month.

"The first step is a scope paper to improve on our thoughts," said BPIF strategic partnerships director Andrew Brown.

A commitment from the government, which could include several millions of pounds in funding, is hoped to be in place within a year.

The organisation could take the form of "an arch spanning the three pillars represented by the BPIF, ViP and Proskills".

It is intended that the body fills any gaps between the current organisations and acts as an umbrella to co-ordinate industry-wide efforts to improve profits and productivity.

Among the issues it may tackle are improving management skills, manufacturing excellence, graduate development, technical development and continuous improvement.

Options for the structure of the Print Academy include a supply chain model incorporating paper, publishing and packaging or a manufacturing "cluster" similar to the organisation of Proskills.

Story by Barney Cox