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Local Landscape

Business grants and support in Greater Manchester

Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford and Wigan

As of 1 November 2026, 291 schemes are open to businesses in Greater Manchester; 9 of them are only for Greater Manchester. Another 3 are only for part of Greater Manchester. Updated 1 Nov 2026.

What opened and closed across Greater Manchester this monthWhat opened and closed across the North West this monthTalk to someone in Greater Manchester

For all of Greater Manchester 9 schemes

Schemes open to businesses anywhere in Greater Manchester, and only there.

OpenSupport programme

International Scale Up Programme

Enhanced Trade Partnership in Greater Manchester, GM Business Growth Hub, Enhanced Trade Partnership

A programme for fast-growing Greater Manchester businesses preparing to expand internationally, with workshops, a 1-2-1 International Trade Adviser and an export grant of up to £2,500. It is run by the Enhanced Trade Partnership and brings together GM Business Growth Hub, Department for Business and Trade, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Amount
Up to £2,500
Deadline
Closes 22 November 2026 (21 days)
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 8 out of 10
Open all yearSupport programme

ASCEND Scale Up Programme

GM Business Growth Hub

A 12-month support programme for founder-led businesses in Greater Manchester with annual turnover of £1m or above, offering workshops, mentoring, networking and access to investment opportunities.

Amount
fully funded (no amount stated)
Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 8 out of 10
Open all yearSupport programme

Creative Industries Accelerator

GM Business Growth Hub

A fully funded support programme for creative businesses in Greater Manchester offering 1:1 business advice, workshops, masterclasses and networking to help businesses grow and scale.

Amount
Fully funded
Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 7 out of 10
Open all yearInvestment

Equity and Loan fund in Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester Combined Authority

£10m investment fund to support the growth of companies in the advanced manufacturing and materials sector in Greater Manchester.

Amount
Up to £1,000,000
Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 9 out of 10
Open all yearSupport programme

Invest in - Manchester

Invest Manchester

Invest Manchester offers a free and confidential package of services tailored to individual business needs, including finance and funding guidance, market intelligence, PR and marketing support, property solutions, recruitment and relocation support.

Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 9 out of 10
Open all yearSupport programme

Invest Manchester free and confidential package of services

Invest Manchester

Invest Manchester offers a free and confidential package of services tailored to individual business needs, including finance and funding guidance, market intelligence, PR and marketing support, property solutions, recruitment and relocation support.

Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 8 out of 10
Open all yearSupport programme

Skills Development Service

GM Business Growth Hub

Free fully funded training and tailored business support to develop workforce skills, address skills gaps and strengthen workforce resilience for Greater Manchester organisations and individuals.

Amount
fully funded (no amount stated)
Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 8 out of 10
Check statusSupport programme

Innovation Labs

Centre for Sustainable Innovation, University of Salford (with GM Business Growth Hub

A free three-day workshop for Greater Manchester SMEs with an innovation or R&D project ready for its next stage, covering market research, design sprints and advice on finding more funding. Businesses that qualify can then get help applying for technical assistance from an expert.

Amount
Fully funded (free to attend)
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 9 out of 10
OpenSupport programme

Spark to Scale

GM Business Growth Hub

A six-week scale-up support programme for businesses in Greater Manchester covering strategy, innovation, customer insight, people management, finance and social value.

Deadline
Apply now for a place on a cohort: cohort 8 starts on 28 January 2027 and cohort 9 on 22 April 2027.
Area
Greater ManchesterLocal Landscape rating 8 out of 10

Shared with neighbouring areas 1 scheme

Schemes for Greater Manchester and other areas named with it, such as a loan fund for several districts.

Open all yearLoan

NPIF II Smaller Loans

GC Business Finance

Loans of £25,000 to £100,000 for SMEs across the North of England to invest in equipment, expansion, recruitment or cash flow improvements.

Amount
£25,000 to £100,000
Deadline
Open all year
Area
Greater Manchester, Cheshire and WarringtonLocal Landscape rating 9 out of 10

For one part of Greater Manchester

Schemes for a single council area in Greater Manchester. Each area's page lists its own.

Need to talk to someone?

Local services that help businesses in Greater Manchester. Each number is from the organisation's own website.

  1. GM Business Growth Hub

    Free, publicly funded advice and growth programmes for Greater Manchester businesses and the self-employed.

    0161 359 3050

  2. Business & IP Centre Greater Manchester (BIPC GM)

    Free business databases, workshops and IP clinics for people starting or growing a business.

    0161 234 1990

Your chamber of commerce: Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce (0161 393 4321)

Across North West England or the whole North 17 schemes

For the whole region or the North, Greater Manchester included. The soonest to close first.

All 17 in the funding list

National schemes 264 schemes

Open to businesses across England or the UK, including Greater Manchester.

Grants (103)Loans and guarantees (15)Investment (9)Support, advice and training (107)Competitions and awards (23)Tax relief (2)

Closing in the next 30 days

Open to businesses in Greater Manchester, local and national, soonest first.

Narrow it to your business

What it does, how long it has been going, how many people work there, what it needs help with and what it is looking for: the best matches in Greater Manchester come first.

Business events in and near Greater Manchester

In-person events in the next 30 days in Greater Manchester, then within about five miles of it. 58 online events are open to anyone.

Within about five miles

Events for Greater Manchester, week by weekOnline events

Places to work and meet in Greater Manchester

Coworking spaces, incubators and workspaces a business can use, and venues to hire for a meeting, training day or event, each from its own website.

Workspaces (35)

  • BizSpace Cheadle

    Managed offices · Stockport

    Private offices, meeting rooms, a virtual office and studios

  • Bury Business Centre

    Managed offices · Bury · Licence fees of £250 to £400 per month, depending on the unit (units 4, 5, 7 and 11).

    Private offices, meeting rooms and a conference hall

  • Campfield

    Coworking space · Manchester

    Hot desks, dedicated desks, private offices, meeting rooms and event space

  • Civic, Wigan

    Workspace · Wigan

    Hot desks, dedicated desks, private offices, meeting rooms and catering

  • DixonSpace

    Managed offices · Stockport · FTTC broadband from £15pcm; VOIP phone from £25 per month

    Private offices, dedicated desks, meeting rooms and catering

  • Fire Up Rochdale

    Coworking space · Rochdale · Hot desks from £20/per day; meeting rooms from £8/per hour; event space from £65/per half day

    Hot desks, meeting rooms, a conference hall, event space, training rooms, private offices and catering

  • Generator Royal Mills

    Coworking space · Manchester · Pay as you go £3 an hour; half day (4 hours) £7; full day (8 hours) £12. Monthly memberships on enquiry.

    Hot desks, dedicated desks, meeting rooms, event space, studios, outdoor space and catering

  • Generator St Peter's Square

    Coworking space · Manchester · Pay as you go £3 an hour; half day (4 hours) £7; full day (8 hours) £12.

    Hot desks, dedicated desks, meeting rooms, studios and event space

All 35 in Greater Manchester

Event venues to hire (77)

  • Active Bolton Arena

    Conference centre · Bolton · Suitable from 2 to 150 people

    Meeting rooms, training rooms, a conference hall, event space and catering

  • Albert Hall Manchester

    Event venue · Manchester · Main Hall: dining (round tables) 288 guests; dining (banquet tables) 324 guests.

    Meeting rooms, a conference hall, event space, catering and a theatre or auditorium

  • Albert Halls Bolton

    Arts venue · Bolton · Albert Hall Theatre: 800 standing (including balcony) or 670 seated.

    Meeting rooms, a conference hall, a theatre or auditorium, event space and catering

  • Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

    Arts venue · Altrincham

    Meeting rooms, a conference hall, a theatre or auditorium, event space and catering

  • Aviva Studios

    Arts venue · Manchester

    A conference hall and event space

  • Beacon Centre

    Meeting rooms to hire · Salford · Meeting rooms for between two and 60 people

    Meeting rooms, training rooms and catering

  • Bolton Central Library and Museum

    Meeting rooms to hire · Bolton · Lecture Theatre 1: 186; Basement Meeting Room: 30; Meeting Room 1: 8; Meeting Room 2: 12

    Meeting rooms and a theatre or auditorium

  • Bury Adult Learning Centre

    Community venue · Bury · Up to 30 people in a variety of configurations

    Meeting rooms and training rooms

All 77 in Greater Manchester

Places to work and meet, council by council

No business in Greater Manchester has listed itself yet. Is yours here? List it, free: we read your website to say what you do and put you on the map.

Networks and communities for businesses in Greater Manchester

Groups and memberships a business here can join, then the networks and chambers based here.

News from Greater Manchester

Stories about businesses, schemes and events here, from the news we read every day.

All news from Greater Manchester

Organisations that support businesses in Greater Manchester

Councils first, then the organisations with the most schemes open here.

Council areas in Greater Manchester

HartlepoolMiddlesbroughRedcar and ClevelandStockton-on-TeesDarlingtonHaltonWarringtonBlackburn with DarwenBlackpoolKingston upon Hull, City ofEast Riding of YorkshireNorth East LincolnshireNorth LincolnshireYorkCounty DurhamCheshire EastCheshire West and ChesterNorthumberlandCumberlandWestmorland and FurnessNorth YorkshireBurnleyChorleyFyldeHyndburnLancasterPendlePrestonRibble ValleyRossendaleSouth RibbleWest LancashireWyreBolton: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesBury: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesManchester: 28 schemes open, not counting national onesOldham: 28 schemes open, not counting national onesRochdale: 28 schemes open, not counting national onesSalford: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesStockport: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesTameside: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesTrafford: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesWigan: 27 schemes open, not counting national onesKnowsleyLiverpoolSt. HelensSeftonWirralDoncasterRotherhamNewcastle upon TyneNorth TynesideSouth TynesideSunderlandBradfordCalderdaleKirkleesLeedsWakefieldGatesheadBarnsleySheffield
  1. Manchester28
  2. Oldham28
  3. Rochdale28
  4. Bolton27
  5. Bury27
  6. Salford27
  7. Stockport27
  8. Tameside27
  9. Trafford27
  10. Wigan27

Each number counts the schemes open to that council area, not counting national ones. Boundaries from the Office for National Statistics.

Local Landscape gathers these details automatically from public web pages, and only some have been checked by a person, so check them with the organisation before you apply. Part of the North West. Show open funding for Greater Manchester on your website. Every area