More tech startups in all 10 boroughs - Manchester Digital wins Barclays funding to promote firms across city region
Summary
Manchester Digital says it wants to support 20 tech startups in every Greater Manchester borough after winning funding from Barclays for a business support programme.The industry body has secured funding for the Barclays Eagle Labs Ecosystem Partnership Programme to offer support for 200 startups and founders across Greater Manchester.The new project aims to create opportunities for investable, scalable businesses, leading to more high quality jobs across the whole region. It will start with a series of roadshows working with 20 startups in each GM borough. In phase 2, 100 startups with the most high growth potential will be onboarded onto a more intensive programmeManchester Digital will work with local authorities to identify entrepreneurs and encourage them to join the programme. Our plan is to catalyse the creation of exceptional, startup tech businesses across each of the 10 boroughs in the Greater Manchester region by giving networks of diverse founders the help and support they need to build their own tech business.Diversity is the cornerstone of developing innovative products and services and by connecting people from diverse backgrounds to the assets and support to grow and scale a tech business we will create high quality jobs right across the region.Amanda Allan, director of Barclays Eagle Labs, said: We are excited to be facilitating this funding to help Manchester Digital support its Startup Activator programme and we are very much looking forward to seeing this support reach 200 tech businesses in the region.Using our Ecosystem Partnership Programme, we are allocating funding to organisations like Manchester Digital which are already plugged into their regional ecosystems. We are proud to be able to support such projects, which are designed to help early-stage tech entrepreneurs.