Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI)

The Centre for Digital Innovation is a supercluster of digital expertise and innovation. The fully funded programme is a partnership of universities, further education and industry partners making digital technology expertise and facilities available to businesses in the North West.

CDI covers four digital strands:

• Artificial intelligence
• Cyber security
• Industrial digitalisation
• Immersive technology

Visit the website: https://centrefordigitalinnovation.ac.uk/about-cdi/

DiSH Accelerator

The DiSH Accelerator is designed to give startups and entrepreneurs everything they need to grow and succeed.

It is looking for startups with a digital / cyber security solution or key capability related to digital / cyber security and offering to take part in a three-month accelerator. Suitable companies are those based in Greater Manchester or those looking to set up operations there and who can attend the programme in person, up to two days per week.

Visit the website: https://labs.uk.barclays/dish/dish/dish-accelerator/

Exchange accelerator programme

Exchange is a leading accelerator programme supporting ambitious tech, media, and creative businesses. From early-stage founders to scale-ready companies, Exchange provides access to expert support, mentorship, workspace, and a vibrant entrepreneurial community.

Visit the website: https://departmentuk.com/exchange/

Greater Manchester Electrochemical Hydrogen Cluster (GMECH)

The Greater Manchester Electrochemical Hydrogen Cluster aims to speed up the development and adoption of electrochemical hydrogen technology in businesses across Greater Manchester.

Supporting Manchester’s ambitions to be net zero by 2038, GMEHC allows businesses to access the research, the expertise, and the facilities to develop and adopt clean, efficient electrochemical hydrogen technologies.

Visit the website: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/business-services/leadership-and-growth/gmehc

Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst (IBIC)

The Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Catalyst is for businesses wanting to explore industrial biotechnology or commercialising an industrial biotechnology product.

To support the IBIC's goals and its partners in science, research, innovation and teaching institutions and businesses, there are a series of funding opportunities designed to drive regional growth and create a more productive and R&D intensive economy for the North West.

These schemes support translating research into real-world applications, upskilling and re-skilling the workforce, and building relationships between business, academia and local government.

Visit the website: https://www.mib.manchester.ac.uk/ib-innovation-catalyst/programmes-and-funding/

Manchester Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub

This is a new hub for innovation in immersive technologies based at globally recognised innovation community MediaCity – a unique environment with the biggest concentration of creative, media, and tech businesses outside London, and home to BBC, ITV, Dock 10, the University of Salford, and Europe’s largest purpose-built digital hub.

Immersive technologies are transforming the UK’s creative industries, the country’s fastest growing sector. The aim of Manchester Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub is to develop and guide the innovation community, to empower businesses in their pursuit of world-leading products and services.

Its primary areas are:

• Virtual and augmented reality experiences to future-proof businesses and develop new audiences
• Virtual production techniques and processes to expand the creative potential of film, VFX and TV
• Innovation in gaming and interactive technologies, shaping a range of sectors such as esports

Visit the website: https://www.mediacityuk.co.uk/immersive-technologies-innovation-hub/

Modern Worker, Modern Workplace (MWMW)

The Modern Workplace programme places advanced digital skills adoption directly into the hands of employers to learn modern worker productivity, directly helping them to increase professional capabilities and maximise employee value.

MWMW is specifically for Greater Manchester businesses and organisations looking to improve their productivity by demystifying generative AI technologies for their operations.

Eligibility:

• One person per organisation
• Attend all in-person sessions
• Trading or registered in Greater Manchester
• Employee count of at least 40 full-time equivalents (FTE)
• Looking to upskill their workforce via co-funded bootcamps

Visit the website: https://www.hostsalford.com/programmes/gm-mwmw/

Royal Academy of Engineering Enterprise Hub

The Royal Academy of Engineering provides several programmes of funding and support for businesses and entrepreneurs developing new technology.

Visit the website: https://enterprisehub.raeng.org.uk/

Turing Innovation Catalyst (TIC)

AI and deep technologies have the power to accelerate growth, create transformative opportunities, and spark innovation across Greater Manchester. The Turing Innovation Catalyst’s goal is to help businesses, citizens, research institutions, and the local economy make the most of these opportunities.

TIC is funded by Innovate UK and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) as part of the Greater Manchester Innovation Accelerator, and is incubated within The University of Manchester. Since launch in 2023, TIC has been working to proactively develop the AI ecosystem in Greater Manchester and has worked with over 170 AI innovators and companies, and over 1,000 skill-seekers through a portfolio of programmes and funded support.

Visit the website: https://ticmanchester.org/

Unit M

Unit M is designed to address all aspects of the innovation challenge, from R&D to innovation adoption, through to talent and skills, by making the world-leading innovation assets and talents of The University of Manchester more accessible to all. Unit M will drive a new strategy for the University to create a globally leading innovation ecosystem in the region.

Visit the website: https://www.unit-m.co.uk/

University of Salford Creative Tech Labs

Explore, prototype and test your creative tech project. Creative Tech Labs is a three-day workshop for businesses that are developing a creative technology project and require guidance to advance, implement or launch it.

If your project sits at the intersection of creativity and technology, uses artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), or immersive technology, Creative Tech Labs can help incubate and guide your R&D concepts into real-world products, processes or services.

Visit the website:  https://sustainable-innovation.salford.ac.uk/creative-tech-labs/

Advanced manufacturing and materials

Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Innovation Centre (AMMIC)

AMMIC aims to help accelerate growth and innovation in Greater Manchester’s advanced materials and manufacturing sectors. It will help the region’s businesses develop specialist knowledge, create job opportunities, build skills, and rapidly innovate sustainable products and services through research.

Through AMMIC, businesses can access world-class university expertise, knowledge, research and facilities.

Visit the website: https://www.mmu.ac.uk/business-services/innovation/advanced-materials-and-manufacturing-innovation-centre

Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability (CEAMS)

The Centre of Expertise in Advanced Materials and Sustainability is a collaboration between key partners to help and support businesses to:

• Commercialise a sustainable material(s) and / or
• Develop an innovative idea to make the materials they use sustainable

CEAMS acts as a bridge between academic research expertise, commercial exploitation and scale-up. It can help companies overcome problems, invent new processes, adopt new materials and re-use existing materials.

Businesses can gain a competitive edge by creating better, more efficient products, which in turn can increase turnover and employment numbers. CEAMS makes it simple for businesses to access world-class expertise and accelerate innovation. It provides access to a community of advanced sustainable materials businesses.

Visit the website: https://ceams.org.uk/

enry Royce Institute

Royce supports world-recognised excellence in UK materials research, accelerating commercial exploitation of innovations and delivering positive economic and societal impact for the UK by:

• Enabling national materials research foresighting, collaboration and strategy
• Providing access to the latest facilities and capability
• Catalysing industrial collaboration and exploitation of materials research
• Fostering materials science skills development, innovation training and outreach

Visit the website: https://www.royce.ac.uk/

National Physical Laboratory (NPL)

The National Physical Laboratory's science helps save lives, protect the environment and enable citizens to feel safe and secure. For over a century, NPL has worked with industry to encourage innovation and translate scientific expertise into economic prosperity, skilled employment and improved quality of life.

In this digital age, NPL’s world-leading measurement science provides confidence in data and enables innovation and international trade to flourish. It develops the metrology required to ensure the timely and successful deployment of new technologies.

Visit the website: https://www.npl.co.uk/

Life Sciences and health innovation

Centre for Advanced Diagnostic Development and Application (CADDA)

The Centre for Advanced Diagnostic Development and Application is a national programme set to drive innovation in human and animal diagnostics, led by the University of Kent in partnership with The University of Manchester and University College London. CADDA is a strategic programme with funding support from Research England.

CADDA will fulfil an unmet need for coordinated diagnostics development in England/UK, driving the transition of diagnostics technology, business development and data analysis from academic partners into SMEs and on to application.

Visit the website: https://www.cadda.org/

Health Innovation Manchester

Health Innovation Manchester is working at the forefront of healthcare innovation to discover, develop and deploy new healthcare solutions at pace and scale. Its vision is to be world-leading in improving the lives of local people, transforming care and boosting the economy through innovation.

Its strategic objectives are to:

• Address high-priority drivers of population health by deploying proven innovations at scale, with a major focus on primary and secondary prevention.
• Establish Greater Manchester as a global learning market for accelerated access to novel innovations at scale.
• Optimise digital and data products and services to understand the population, define their needs and develop new models and pathways.
• Work with partners to enhance Greater Manchester system’s capacity and capability to deliver health innovation and demonstrate impact.

Visit the website: https://healthinnovationmanchester.com/about-us/

Innovative Technology Adoption Programme (iTap)

The Innovative Technology Adoption Programme (iTap) is a joint initiative from MFT’s Research and Innovation and Digital Services. The programme is designed to enhance and streamline the process of introducing innovative solutions and technology across Manchester University Hospital Foundation Trust.

Visit the website: https://research.cmft.nhs.uk/innovation-at-mft/itap

NIHR Health Tech Research Centre in Emergency and Acute Care

Based in Manchester, the NIHR HealthTech Research Centre in Emergency and Acute Care transforms emergency care by driving the commercial development of health technologies. HealthTech informs clinical decision-making, improves diagnosis and optimises treatments ensuring patients get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

The HRC in Emergency and Acute Care will drive the progression of novel health technologies through the innovation pathway to patient benefit, working with innovators to co-develop technologies and generate the evidence required to achieve adoption in the health and care system at pace and scale. In doing this it will ensure the HealthTech it develops is sustainable and beneficial to all communities, to deliver equitable access to healthcare and ultimately improve public health and wellbeing for all.

Visit the website: https://hrc-emergency.nihr.ac.uk/

NetZero

Sustainable Ventures

Business support programmes for climate tech ventures, providing expert support to help your business scale.

Visit the website: https://www.sustainableventures.co.uk/opportunities

Tech/Digital

FinTech North

FinTech North’s mission is to facilitate the growth of the northern FinTech ecosystem. Founded in 2016 as the first ever regional UK FinTech hub, it brings together a growing and vibrant community of over 8,000 people from across the North who either have an interest in, or work in, FinTech and its adjacent sectors.

Its growth strategy focuses on three key areas:

• Delivery of a programme of events and related activities
• Supporting international trade activity
• Helping enhance the supply of FinTech skills

Visit the website: https://www.fintechnorth.uk/

Gametech365@HOST

Gametech365 @HOST is a unique community, driving growth, collaboration and sustainability across the multi-billion dollar Gametech sector. This is more than video games and esports, this is a place for any business working with the technology and tools originating in the video games industry.

Gametech will touch every sector, every corner of the world and Gametech365 @HOST places Greater Manchester as its heart. Businesses can also join the global Gametech365 ecosystem, a supportive place to promote partnerships and opportunities regardless of sector, regardless of location.

Visit the website: https://www.hostsalford.com/programmes/gametech365-host/

Manchester Digital

Manchester Digital run a wide range of programmes and initiatives that are aimed at fostering the growth and success of the region's digital and tech sector, increasing diversity and inclusivity within it and bridging the digital skills gap.

Visit the website: https://www.manchesterdigital.com/programmes

Tech Climbers

Tech Climbers is an annual list published by active Profile in partnership with BusinessCloud and TechBlast to showcase scalable, innovative, product-led technology businesses in growth regions across the UK.

Visit the website: https://www.techclimbers.co.uk/locations/greater-manchester

Other innovation sector networks 

Barclays Entrepreneur Awards

Celebrating British entrepreneurs who are changing their industries, the economy and society in original and positive ways. There are several innovation focussed categories.

Visit the website: https://www.barclays.co.uk/business-banking/sectors/entrepreneurs/awards/

Centre for Process Innovation (CPI)

The Centre for Process Innovation acts as a catalyst bringing together academia, businesses, government and investors to translate bright ideas and research into the marketplace. It does this by giving its customers access to the right experts, equipment, networks, funding and more – connecting the dots for effective innovation.

CPI is a leading independent technology innovation centre and a founding member of the UK Government’s High Value Manufacturing Catapult. Established in 2004, its teams tirelessly apply their many years of experience to ensure that every great invention gets the best opportunity to become a successfully marketed product or process. CPI works with partners across diverse markets in the UK and around the world, driving their innovations forward and helping them to reduce the risk and cost associated with product development.

Visit the website: https://www.uk-cpi.com/

The Turing Insititute - Data Study Groups (DSG)

The award-winning Data Study Groups is a flagship Turing programme that looks to present researchers real-world data science and AI challenges to put their skills into practice. It is a sprint research activity aimed at PhD level researchers with industry, government and third sector, as well as applied academic projects. DSGs are a safe place for researchers to explore and experiment with data in multidisciplinary teams, engendering creativity to levels uncommon in pure research or consultancy. DSGs offer the potential to find novel approaches and ways forward.

Cost:

• £20k - £50k + VAT (depending on the nature and the size of the business) per challenge. 

Timeline:

• DSGs are held three times a year, usually May, September and December/January.

Visit the website: https://www.turing.ac.uk/collaborate-turing/data-study-groups

The Turing Institute - Turing Internship Network

Launched in 2020, the Turing Internship Network is a national engagement scheme between The Turing Institute’s business partners and doctoral students across the UK and Ireland who are studying any topic with a data science and/or AI focus. The Turing's role is to facilitate and convene, pairing internship projects put forward by industry with talented doctoral students. The business partners host, supervise, and provide a salary for the successful interns.

Cost:

• Intern salary at pro rata of £35k (3-12 months/part-time or full-time)
• Annual fee (£5k organisations with 250+ employees, or £1k for smaller organisations; this fee covers three recruitment rounds if you would like to go for more than one occasion)
• Advertisement fee for £1.5k per role

Timeline:

•  Recruitment takes place three times a year, in September, January and May

Email for more information: partnerships@turing.ac.uk