Greater Manchester ERDF Action Plan - Projects

Please select a project for more details:

• MANCHESTER DIGITAL SECTOR NETWORK
• MANCHESTER DIGITAL BROADBAND INNOVATION PROGRAMME
• THE SETTING UP SCHEME
• GREATER MANCHESTER FILM OFFICE
• MAKE ME
• CREATING BUSINESS START-UP
• PRIORITY, PRODUCTIVITY & PROSPERITY
• KNOWLEDGE & TECHNOLOGY START
• BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION

MANCHESTER DIGITAL SECTOR NETWORK (M1.2)

The project will provide specialist and focused assistance to SMEs in the ICT/digital sector aimed at increasing their markets, productivity and innovation enabling them to increase and sustain employment in the sector and contributing to increased GVA in the sub-regional economy. This will include:

• A mentoring programme where existing expertise within the sector will be made available to the sector as a whole;
• A series of idea/skills sharing workshops to bring together SMEs within the sector to develop collaborative approaches to developing new markets, bidding for contracts and developing new products and services;
• Opening up access to innovative technological applications, including Open Source Software (OSS) and e-commerce developments, which MDDA and MD partners have unique access to and which can be shared with other SMEs in the sector;
• Providing specialist advice on marketing, sales and distribution including technology transfer initiatives with major users of products and services developed by the sector, including the BBC;
• Developing an accreditation scheme for the digital sector to establish the sub-region’s credibility as a centre of excellence for high quality digital content production SMEs;
• Developing new ways of identifying the potential talent pool for SMEs in the sector through a new Digital Sector Student/Trainees Network and regular Digital Sector Jobs Fairs (the first of which is planned for summer 2006);
• Providing aftercare and on-going support to SMEs through the development of Manchester Digital as a sustainable sector network.

Contact: Dave Carter
Email: d.carter@manchesterdda.com

Contact: Dave Carter
Email: d.carter@manchesterdda.com

The Setting Up Scheme is a two year incubation project of eight designer-maker SMEs, with an accompanying package of business support and development. Held within a series of host organisations in the Greater Manchester Fully Eligible Area, the aim of the scheme is to increase the number of innovative and talented artists running economically viable businesses throughout the area, creating a dynamic and strong design sector as prioritised within the Strategic Framework.

The Scheme will target start up businesses whose activity includes furniture, lighting, ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles, and plastics design and creation. Particular focus in the recruitment process will be on recent graduates, women, BME groups and designer-makers using environmentally friendly processes and materials.

In providing workspaces, equipment, mentoring, promotional opportunities, business development and support, the Scheme will improve entrepreneurship and business survival rates and support the development of SMEs in the industry.

Contact: Tara Badami
Email: tara@designinit.org.uk

GREATER MANCHESTER FILM OFFICE (M1.2)

The aim of the project is to drive the growth of a sustainable film and television (FTV) sector in Greater Manchester, building on the existing media sector in order to capitalise on the potential expansion of the local market, achieving a greater share of national and international markets, and establishing a world-class regional centre.

The project will achieve this through supporting existing companies to realise their potential, through brokering access to new markets, through attracting new business opportunities into Greater Manchester, and through the attraction and retention of talent.

Contact: Lynn Saunders
Email: lynns@northwestvision.co.uk

MAKE ME – M1.4

The Make Me intervention is designed to break down the barriers that exist between sectors and along supply chains to boost process and product innovation, enterprise and skills development within Greater Manchester.

The collaborative Make Me model will bring together the creative talents of the region's designer-makers and the technology-based intellectual assets and capacity of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and manufacturers respectively. Designer-makers of furniture, lighting, ceramics, glass, jewellery, textiles, public art & sculpture and graphics in the Greater Manchester area will be introduced to technology that will be 'new to them' and is either in use by or is ready for transfer from HEIs to manufacturers.

Contact: Tara Badami
Email: tara@designinit.org.uk

CREATING BUSINESS START-UP (M1.1)

The purpose of the project is to create and increase the number of new business start ups in the fully eligible areas of Greater Manchester. The project will provide individuals the support to prepare a business plan via:

• Information Session: A general session where information is given to clients on what support is available to help them set up in business/ become self employed.
• Diagnostic Session: A one to one session between the client and business advisor to discuss the business idea and work on an action plan to take the business idea forward.
• Business Enterprise Programme: A mixture of workshops and additional one to one sessions to discuss the business plan and assist with such topics as cash flow forecasting, marketing etc.
• Financial Support: Only available for certain groups from disadvantaged background (ex-offenders). This support is to assist them with their cash flow in the first few months.
• Ongoing aftercare: Reviews are essential to ensure the business is still viable, it also helps to highlight any additional support the client/business may need to take the business forward into the second year of trading.

Contact: Dorothy Freeman
Email: Dorothy.freeman@Chamber-Link.co.uk

PRIORITY, PRODUCTIVITY & PROSPERITY (M1.2)

The project is to support the growth, development and increased productivity and competitiveness of businesses across Greater Manchester. At the heart of the project, Sector Integrated Productivity Programmes (SIPPS) will provide specific, tailored support to the key sectors identified within the Strategic Framework. Clients will be brought into the project through the Business Link IDB Service which by its nature will be generic diagnosis. Some clients will be identified as being able to benefit from accessing the PPP Project. These clients will experience a fundamental step change in terms of intensity, detail and duration of support delivered by the client managers as they engage with the client/business.

Contact: Jonathan Dean
Email: Jonathan.dean@Chamber-Link.co.uk

KNOWLEDGE & TECHNOLOGY START (M1.4)

The project aims to deliver practical 'specialist advice & support' targeted mainly at early stage knowledge & technology companies whose specific needs are not been met by more generic support in the business community. The project will provide 'co-ordinated mix' of specialist management & services including, impartial diagnostics, mentoring and arranging collaborative innovation.

Contact: Chris Greenhalgh
Email: Chris.greenhalgh@Chamber-Link.co.uk

Business Environment Association (M1.2)

The aim of the GM BEA is to bring together, in one partnership, a business environmental support service that creates awareness and delivers practical support to: Make a strategic and lasting contribution to the environmental performance of SME’s in the sub-region of Greater Manchester ensuring targeting to priority sectors.

The GM BEA will provide a high quality consistent service across the whole of the Greater Manchester FEA area, targeting its services at the identified NWDA growth sectors and SO4 priority sector.

It will cover:

• Delivery of Business counselling, advice and consultancy (demonstrating that the environment is a bu siness issue and can contribute to improved sales, development, management, customer relations, innovation, action planning, product development and human resource development)
• Delivery of environmental technology and diagnostic environmental, waste and energy audits.
• Stimulate SME networking through awareness raising workshops, seminars and internet exchange to encourage environmental action plan implementation.

Contact: Darren Hill
Email: Dhill@groundwork.org.uk