The invention relates to an advancing apparatus for the intermittent supply of a semi-finished material (22) in the form of a band to a press. The apparatus comprises a pair of displacement grippers (4, 7) which run forwards and backwards and by which the material (22) is advanced in an advancing phase, a stationary pair of clamping grippers (24, 27) by which the material (22) is held in a fixed manner in a non-advancing phase, and a control rocker (12) with a control drive (40, 42) which is coupled to one control end of the latter and to which the pair of displacement grippers (4, 7) and the pair of clamping grippers (24, 27) are coupled mechanically and their interaction is controlled. In this case the control rocker (12), the pair of clamping grippers (24, 27) and the pair of displacement grippers (4, 7) are designed and are coupled to one another in such a way that in the absence of a supporting or actuating force exerted by the rocker drive (40, 42) upon the control end of the control rocker (12) both the pair of clamping grippers (24, 27) and the pair of displacement grippers (4, 7) are closed.On account of the design, according to the invention, of the system comprising the control rocker, the pair of clamping grippers and the pair of displacement grippers it becomes possible to make gripper-advancing apparatus available which can permit high advancing frequencies and which are highly durable.