Manchester Sub Region Action Plan - Projects

Please select a project for more details:

• MEASURE 1,2,4: CREATIVE INDUSTRIES XCHANGE
• MEASURE 1,2: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT
• MEASURE 1: CITY PRIDE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION
• MEASURE 1: CITY PRIDE RETHINK WASTE
• MEASURE 1: HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO BUSINESS
• MEASURE 1: NEW BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP
• MEASURE 1: SERVICE ENHANCED INCUBATION
• MEASURE 1: SUPPORT FOR GROWING BUSINESSES
• MEASURE 1: SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES (SEEDS) PHASE 2
• MEASURE 2,4: INTERNATIONAL TRADE PARTNERSHIP
• MEASURE 2: EMPLOYER DEVELOPMENT UNIT
• MEASURE 2: FLEXIBLE ADVISORY SERVICE
• MEASURE 2: GREEN TRAVEL ADVICE AND IMPLEMENTATION
• MEASURE 2: ICT/E-COMMERCE BUSINESS SUPPORT PROJECT
• MEASURE 2: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR SMES
• MEASURE 2: SHARSTON INDUSTRIAL ESTATE GREEN BUSINESS PARK
• MEASURE 2: SUPPORT FOR ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES
• MEASURE 2: TAMESIDE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION
• MEASURE 2: TAMESIDE E-BUSINESS
• MEASURE 2: TAMESIDE EDZ BUSINESS SUPPORT TEAM
• MEASURE 2: WARDLEY GREEN BUSINESS PARK
• MEASURE 4: KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY
• MEASURE 4: MANCHESTER DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY
• MEASURE 4: WOMEN'S E-BUSINESS SUPPORT PROJECT
• MEASURE 5: ASHTON OLD TOWN BUSINESS INVESTMENT SCHEME
• MEASURE 5: BUSINESS EXPANSION SCHEME
• MEASURE 5: DIGITAL WORLD CENTRE
• MEASURE 5: EXPANDING BOUNDARIES
• MEASURE 5: HYDE TOWN HALL

Organisation:
Contact:

MEASURE 1,2,4: CREATIVE INDUSTRIES XCHANGE

Organisation: Manchester City Council
Contact: Lyn Barbour

This project completed December 2005.

This project promotes employment and economic growth within the media and creative industries in the City Pride area. The businesses are entrepreneurial, innovative and knowledge-based. The project assists in the sustainability of recently established businesses; promotes growth in established businesses and establishes an ICT infrastructure to support intelligence and business-to-business networking netwoking in the sector.

MEASURE 1,2: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE SUPPORT & DEVELOPMENT

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Neil Gratrix

This project aims to further develop the Co-operative and Development Project by widening its remit to support and develop Social Enterprise. The project actively targets under-represented groups (ie. women and ethnic minority groups) to undertake entrepreneurial activity. It also promotes 'green' business practise and provides support to those enterprises entering the environmental technology sector.

MEASURE 1: CITY PRIDE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION

Organisation: Groundwork Manchester
Contact: Iain Peacock

The City Pride Business Environment Association provides a high quality, consistent service across the South Manchester area, targeting its services at identified growth sectors and working with established sectors to increase their growth potential. Services include advice and consultancy, diagnostic environmental audits and promotion of environmental technology transfer implementation.

This Project completed December 2006.

MEASURE 1: CITY PRIDE RETHINK WASTE

Organisation: Groundwork Manchester
Contact: Iain Peacock

This project completed December 2005.

This project is designed to increase the number of new waste recycling businesses involved in business clusters, networks and innovation partnerships in the region. It also stimulates new joint collaborative ventures to identify waste streams that could be used as raw materials for viable recycling businesses.

MEASURE 1: HELPING YOUNG PEOPLE INTO BUSINESS

Organisation: The Prince's Trust
Contact: Peter Yarwood

This project completed December 2005.

This project focuses on disadvantaged young people aged 18 and 30 yrs who are unemployed, underemployed or of limited means and are experiencing difficulties accessing funding to establish their business enterprise. It offers assistance with business planning, finance and aftercare following start-up.

MEASURE 1: NEW BUSINESS ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Organisation: ChamberLink
Contact: Jonathan Dean

This project builds on the services that CBE offers to start-ups and potential start-ups under the contract they hold with the Small Business Service. The project focuses on the following: awareness, demand diagnostics, costomized support, account management, mentoring, financial support and on-going aftercare post start-up.

This Project completed December 2006.

MEASURE 1: SERVICE ENHANCED INCUBATION

Organisation: Campus Ventures
This Project has now finished.

This project completed December 2005.

The aim of this project is to provide significantly improved bespoke business support and incubation services for start up SMEs. In addition to core services, the project will provide or facilitate direct access to technical and commercial support including assistance in design, marketing, legal and technical assistance and finance, IT and human resource support.

MEASURE 1: SUPPORT FOR GROWING BUSINESSES

Organisation: Stockport MBC
Contact: John Townsley

This project completed December 2005.

This project provides grant support for SMEs and aims to address the weaknessess with regards the creation and establishment of entrepreneurial business starts in the region. Applications for grant support from the growth sectors and high technology industries are given priority and enhanced financial support.

MEASURE 1: SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC ENTERPRISES (SEEDS) PHASE 2

Organisation: Manchester Environmental Resource Centre initiative (MERCi)
Contact: Chris Walsh

This project completed December 2005.

SEEDS supports fledgling green enterprises and establish new community enterprises in the Ancoats and wider Manchester community. The project works to promote community enterprises, worker co-operatives and voluntary sector groups who provide employment through the pioneering use of clean technology, environmental auditing and information or the use of processes which are environmentally friendly and ethically sound.

MEASURE 2,4: INTERNATIONAL TRADE PARTNERSHIP

Organisation: ChamberLink
Contact: Lynn Shaw

This project completed December 2005.

This project is designed to develop and implement an International Trade Partnership for the provision of an integrated range of customer services for SMEs. The project is looking to provide support to SMEs to develop their current abilities and capacity, to fully utilize the assets of the area, and to exploit the opportunities associated with international trade. Customized support is available to help diagnose need, develop action plans, supply resources and provide quality assurance.

MEASURE 2: EMPLOYER DEVELOPMENT UNIT

Organisation: Skills Solution

This Project has now finished.

This project focuses on the design and promotion of workforce development strategies within SMEs in the Manchester sub region. The project allows local SMEs to develop an autonomous approach to the development and delivery of workforce development and in particular to the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships and NVQs.

MEASURE 2: FLEXIBLE ADVISORY SERVICE

Organisation: ChamberLink
Contact: Jonathan Dean

A comprehensive programme for the provision of a Flexible Advisory Service across the Objective 2 areas of Manchester, Salford, Stockport, Tameside and Trafford. The key processes are awareness, diagnosing need, account management for significant service use, accessing and sourcing solutions, project management and quality assurance.

This Project completed December 2006.

MEASURE 2: GREEN TRAVEL ADVICE AND IMPLEMENTATION

Organisation: Stockport MBC
Contact: Duncan Laird

This project completed December 2005.

This project was comprised of the following:

1. Environmental Audit and green travel advice to SMEs.
2. Implementation of green travel advice and action plans stemming for audits.
3. Funding for staff resources, publicity, information packs and demonstration projects.
4. Specific facilities for implementing bespoke SME projects e.g. alternative fuel conversions.
5. Grants to assist in the development of Green Travel initiatives.

MEASURE 2: ICT/E-COMMERCE BUSINESS SUPPORT PROJECT

Organisation: MANCAT
Contact: Tracey Minogue

This project completed December 2005.

This project enables the employment of an ICT specialist resource to advise, develop and support strategies for the Manchester Sub Region in raising productivity and competitive performance of SMEs through use of ICT/e-commerce. The project delivers a range of business councelling, advice and consultancy complementary to core ICT/e-commerce objectives and activities. Highlights include on-line networking procedures and processes, an e-commerce business support unit and on-line training programmes for SMEs.

MEASURE 2: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT FOR SMES

Organisation: University of Salford
Contact: Frank Wells

This project completed December 2005.

The aim of this project is to support existing SMEs in developing in-depth knowledge management capabilities. Knowledge management is regarded as the prevention and extension of know-hoe, information, perceptions, skills and understandings which are all essential for operating and developing a business.

MEASURE 2: SHARSTON INDUSTRIAL ESTATE GREEN BUSINESS PARK

Organisation: Groundwork Manchester
This project has now finished.

The Sharston Green Business Park Business Support service provides targeted specialist environmental support to businesses within a defined geographical area providing network application to increase business competitiveness and secure employment in a longer term. Such activities include landscape enhancement, increased signage and access improvement done through local envrionmental, health & safety business advice, counselling and consultancy.

MEASURE 2: SUPPORT FOR ESTABLISHED BUSINESSES

Organisation: Stockport MBC
Contact: John Townley

This project completed December 2005.

The project aims to increase the competitiveness of established SMEs by supporting the growth of the area's existing businesses though the provision of grant support. Established and emerging businesses are supported where there are clear plans for growth and job creation. The project is to address issues such as the rate of business decline, employment growth, reduced dependence on manufacturing, increased awareness of ICT and increased investment in R&D.

MEASURE 2: TAMESIDE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT ASSOCIATION

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Russell Yates

This project completed December 2005.

This project aims to build and develop on the provision of access to high quality business support on the whole spectrum of business related environmental issues. The project encourages environmental best practice across SMEs in Tameside, thereby stimulating innovative approaches to business-environmental issues.

MEASURE 2: TAMESIDE E-BUSINESS

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Fiona Dewar

This project completed December 2005.

The project is about increasing the competitiveness of established SMEs by supporting e-commerce development. The project promotes awareness and the uptake of ICT among SMEs.

This Project completed December 2006.

MEASURE 2: TAMESIDE EDZ BUSINESS SUPPORT TEAM

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Peter Moseley

This project completed December 2005.

The Tameside EDZ Business Support Team has been established to co-ordinate and deliver specific EDZ business related services to SMEs in the Manchester sub-region. The team is responsible for attracting new SMEs to the area and ensuring that existing businesses are not displaced by new investment, but are assisted through business development activities.

MEASURE 2: WARDLEY GREEN BUSINESS PARK

Organisation: Groundwork Manchester
Contact: Nicola Williams

This project completed December 2005.

The Wardley Green Business Park project provides specialist environmental support to businesses within a specific geographical area. A network application is available to SMEs to increase business competitiveness and to secure employment in the longer term. Other services include health and safety business advice, and environmental counselling.

MEASURE 4: KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Mark Stein

This project completed December 2005.

The Knowledge Economy project supports business innovation and networking in Tameside to enable SMEs to develop advanced e-commerce solutions. This project is a collaborative venture between Tameside MBC and UMIST with a view to improving the access for SMEs to the knowledge economy; in particular to innovation and research programmes within Higher Education.

MEASURE 4: MANCHESTER DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY

Organisation: Manchester City Council
Contact: Dave Carter

This project completed December 2005.

The aim of the Manchester Digital Development Agency project, is to support Manchester’s transition to a knowledge based economy by stimulating local creativity and innovation and improving access by SMEs and micro-enterprises to advanced research and development resources and ICT. Local businesses are encouraged to play a leading role in the development of cutting edge digital culture across the city and region with particular emphasis on innovative uses of business networking and advanced e-commerce solutions.

MEASURE 4: WOMEN'S E-BUSINESS SUPPORT PROJECT

Organisation: Manchester City Council
Contact: Bonnie Campbell

This project completed December 2005.

The overall aim of the project is to improve the performance of SMEs (particularly women owned businesses) in the ICT, creative industries and the social enterprise sectors. The WEBS project specifically targets those women owned/managed SMEs which are idnetified as having high growth potential with tailor-made business support services.

MEASURE 5: ASHTON OLD TOWN BUSINESS INVESTMENT SCHEME

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Frank Travis

This project completed December 2005.

The aim of this project is to secure a clear increase in the scale and quality of business space currently available within Ashton Town Centre. The project will be a grant-aid scheme. It will bring back into use disused workspace or utlilise currently underused buildings attracting private and public investment into the area. This will have a positive economic impact on businesses participating in the scheme and will encourage community economic development as improved business space will, in turn, lead to job creation in an area that suffers from high unemployment.

MEASURE 5: BUSINESS EXPANSION SCHEME

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: John Lowden

This project completed December 2005.

This project is a capital investment grant scheme designed to assist SMEs refurbishing old industrial premises which are unfit for use or are under-utilised. Grants are also available to create additional workspace through new builds or extensions to existing premises.

MEASURE 5: DIGITAL WORLD CENTRE

Organisation: Salford City Council
Contact: Dee Carroll

This project completed December 2005.

The Digital World Centre will be a high-tech business centre providing quality serviced premises for growth oriented business start-ups and SMEs. It will provide 7,500 sq.m of specialist business accommodation via a flexible range of managed workspaces, accelerator units and serviced offices. It will also be home to the Digital World Society, a new think tank that will generate innovative projects in digital technologies and support new business clusters. The Centre will be completed in 2003.

MEASURE 5: EXPANDING BOUNDARIES

Organisation: Salford City Council
Contact: Elsa Sawczuk

This project completed December 2005.

Within the Expanding Boundaries project, companies are eligible for financial assistance towards the cost of refurbishing derelict and/or under-used buildings. Assistance is available to support items of fixed external and internal expenditures. The project also covers financial support towards the cost of purchasing derelict land in brownfield sites for the creation of premises to house SMEs and support job creation/safeguarding.

MEASURE 5: HYDE TOWN HALL

Organisation: Tameside MBC
Contact: Peter Moseley

This project completed December 2005.

This is a change-of-use project working on semi-redundant building of important regional heritage. The new managed workspace to be provided within this town centre building is targeted at SMEs in ERDF priority sectors. The project is also concerned with the creation of quality jobs and improving the competitiveness of target sectors eg. ICT, financial and other professional fields. The project will serve a nuumber of community users and is co-located with an Internet based 'Customer First' service centre.