14 February 2020
Enterprise City, the technology cluster in Manchester, has been handed a £2m grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to aid its Exchange programme.
The funds will be used to support and attract more cloud service, cybersecurity and edge technology firms to the city.
“Exchange is a unique programme that adds genuine value to the city and its booming tech and digital sector,” said Tanya Grady, head of partnerships at Enterprise City. “We would not be able to deliver this level of comprehensive training and coaching without the funding from MCC and DCMS, which will create more than 2,000 jobs in the city.”
She added that Enterprise City’s vision, to create a home for start-ups through to global tech businesses, has received a significant boost thanks to the funding, “which will allow us to work with, and foster, a community of like-minded entrepreneurs”.
Last year, US cloud and IT consulting services firm Slalom chose Manchester as the location for its second UK offices after London.
Manchester wants more such firms to enter its designated Enterprise City. The new central government funding, which will be managed by Manchester City Council (MCC) on behalf of DCMS, will be used to help create over 2,000 jobs in the city over the next 15 years.
Exchange, a new business support programme, based within Enterprise City’s 2m sq ft commercial district, will give “ambitious, early stage tech companies and entrepreneurs access to the tools and infrastructure they need to grow and succeed”, said Enterprise City.
