New figures show innovation experts have supported thousands of businesses and helped create hundreds of jobs.
GC Business Growth Hub have also helped firms bring 132 new products to market
New e-guide ‘Unleashing your innovation’ released by the Hub to support SMEs
A total of 2,600 businesses across Greater Manchester have received innovation specific support from GC Business Growth Hub over the last five and a half years, new figures reveal.
A new e-guide ‘Unleashing your innovation’, produced by the Hub, details the figures.
It also reveals that 467 jobs have been created and 132 new products introduced to the market from October 2015 to April 2021.
The Hub team support SMEs across the region to innovate, in sectors including manufacturing, health, digital and creative.
And now more businesses are being urged to use their services to access expertise, funding, specialist support and facilities.
The eight-page guide has been released to help more businesses turn their ideas into sales.
It highlights the factors firms need to consider on their innovation journey, facilities available and the fully-funded support on offer from the Hub.
GC Business Growth Hub is part of The Growth Company and part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund.
Yvonne Grady, Head of Innovation at the Hub, said: “Greater Manchester leads the way with innovation and our team is here to help businesses get new ideas moving.
“The pandemic hasn’t stopped innovation and our new e-guide is a great place to start if you are wondering how to challenge the status quo.
“Our support is available for established small to medium sized businesses across the city region.
“We understand the difficulties in developing products and services, and we are here to help businesses overcome these challenges, make changes and grow.”
Businesses which the Hub has helped are featured in the e-guide, including Bury-based food wholesaler Dunsters Farm.
With the help of the Hub’s digital innovation experts, Dunsters Farm was able to pivot in the pandemic to introduce a successful e-commerce offer.
It is now working with Manchester Metropolitan University on a Knowledge Transfer Partnership to further improve productivity.
Managing Director Hannah Barlow said: “Working with the Hub has been the catalyst to potentially transforming our business. The Hub has so many resources available for businesses.”
Others highlighted are manufacturer of perimeter security systems in Rochdale GJD Manufacturing and Bolton-based Ease for You, which has produced an innovative medical gel cool pack and pivoted in the pandemic to make hand sanitiser.
You can find the e-guide online via the Business Growth Hub’s website.
Businesses looking to access specialist support can visit the Business Growth Hub’s website for more information about the organisation’s extensive range of services. This and other GC Business Growth Hub projects are part-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) as part of the GM Business Growth Hub project designed to help ambitious SME businesses achieve growth and increase employment in Greater Manchester. The Hub is also supported by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Greater Manchester local authorities.
