The Growth Company is looking for ambitious Greater Manchester businesses who are ready to take the leap to global success by applying to its Global Scale-up Programme.

Companies selected will gain access to unique peer-to-peer opportunities made available by the programme partners and the GC Business Growth Hub networks, creating a global scale up community for Greater Manchester.

The programme launch was held at HOME, Manchester, attended by 70 small business owners and speakers including Vikas Shah MBE, Mike Blackburn OBE and Irene Graham, CEO at The ScaleUp Institute.

Developed in partnership with high profile international companies including Santander, DWF, KPMG and Manchester Airport, the Global Scale-up Programme will help fast-growing businesses to seize opportunities in international markets.

The first of its kind outside London, the programme will give 50 of the region’s SMEs access to a global market entry network alongside a combination of tailored coaching, international growth sprints and regular bootcamps. Split into four phases, the programme will refine and identify target markets for each client and ensure that businesses are fully prepared before each international visit, with support ranging from strategy development to pitch practice.

As revealed in The ScaleUp Institute’s 2018 annual review, two thirds of scale-ups are involved in international trade, yet only an estimated 9,300 of the region’s businesses currently make use of opportunities in international markets – about 10 per cent of the 86,600 based in Greater Manchester.

Richard Jeffery, Director of Business Growth, The Growth Company, said: “The Global Scale Up Programme was launched to support Greater Manchester businesses to take advantage of the huge international opportunities available. Given the current uncertain economic times, it is crucial that we tackle this issue head-on, helping the best, most ambitious businesses in Greater Manchester to grow their international footprints.

“It is also about changing the mindset of businesses – instilling a sense of confidence and belief in their ability to expand both in the UK and overseas. By working with internationally-known partners and getting the best advice, it is time for Greater Manchester’s businesses to step outside their comfort zone and take the next leap to global success.”

Nicola Quayle, Office Senior Partner at KPMG in Manchester, said: “Ambitious, fast-growing companies in Greater Manchester need access to funding, to talent, to governance and to new markets. We hope to deliver all of these, alongside The Growth Company, and further embed KPMG within the regional innovation eco-system. This programme will build on our longstanding commitment to creating long-lasting strategic relationships with start-up and fast growth businesses. Quite simply, we look forward to using our expertise and opening up our networks and contacts to local businesses to help accelerate their growth at home and abroad.”

Sir Richard Leese, Deputy Mayor at GMCA for economic growth, said: “Greater Manchester is mobilising its resources to encourage new approaches to internationalisation that will enhance city to city trading relationships. We are delighted to be working with a range of world-class partners to help local businesses to scale up through global opportunities, and urge Greater Manchester businesses to register their interest in taking part in the programme.”

A new group of industry, university and local government leaders have come together to form a powerful new collaboration to secure ‘game-changing’ investment in the future of clean growth in the North West of England.

Led by Richard Carter, Chairman of the North West Business Leadership Team (NWBLT) and Managing Director of BASF for UK, the group has announced its response to the Government’s challenge to establish a Low Carbon Industrial Cluster by 2030. The goal is a world first that would attract innovators, investors and problem solvers to create a low-carbon exemplar that others in the UK and internationally can learn from and replicate.  The North West group consists of private and public sector partners from across the Liverpool City Region, Cheshire and Warrington, and Greater Manchester.  A list of supporters is below.

Richard Carter, Chairman of the NWBLT, said: “This collaboration represents one of the most vibrant clusters in the UK with a wide range of energy intensive industry partners. We are already home to a number of existing complementary initiatives that, when brought together, represent a game-changing opportunity. We believe, with appropriate Government support, that this will result in the North West meeting the challenge of becoming the UK’s first low carbon industrial cluster by 2030.”

David Parkin, of Progressive Energy has been instrumental in bringing partners together: “Innovation will be key to the success of this plan and the region is also supported by a network of experts in the field of industrial decarbonisation, from our major Universities and from the private sector. The joint response sets out the decarbonisation challenge for the region, a proposed delivery model, and in excess of £500 million of prospective investment from the private sector.”

Christine Gaskell CBE, Chairman of the Cheshire and Warrington Local Enterprise Partnership: “There is no better place to be leading the clean-growth agenda than the North West – harnessing our world-class innovation track record, academic expertise and the energy-intensive industry that’s located here – through working together we can co-create the UK’s first low carbon, and in time zero carbon, industrial cluster further cementing our international reputation and bringing new jobs and capital investment to the region.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region: “We are rightly planning for the long term and a zero carbon future, and we are taking urgent action now.  In the Liverpool City Region our low carbon sector is already worth £2 billion a year to our economy, while employing 22,000 people and we stand ready to play a key role in creating the UK’s first low carbon cluster.  Just a fortnight ago, I launched our own £10 million Green Investment Fund, which will back renewable energy projects and support my ambition for a zero-carbon city region by 2040.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester: “Doing things differently doesn’t just mean a new set of policies – it means a new approach altogether. I want Greater Manchester to be the best place in the world to grow up, get on and grow old: clean, green and vibrant.

 “At our Green Summit later this month we will publish an ambitious new plan which will make a significant impact on this city-region in the short term. We will transform our buildings, revolutionise the way we travel and restore our natural environment.

 “Cities, and city-regions, will make the difference on climate change and, in working to decarbonise in the North West, we can create a blueprint for every other city in the world. It wouldn’t be the first time. We can change ourselves, and we can inspire change in others.”

The head of Bromleys’ family law team has achieved a milestone by becoming the only solicitor in Greater Manchester to be accredited by the Resolution organisation in four different specialist areas.

Resolution is an organisation of family lawyers and other professionals who are committed to constructive, non-confrontational ways to resolve divorce, separation and other family-related legal issues.

Keith Bull already held Resolution accreditations in the fields of domestic abuse, finances and private children matters.

Now he has also been accredited as an expert in cohabitation disputes relating to land and financial issues.

He is one of just five lawyers in the Manchester area to be recognised by Resolution for the cohabitation specialism.

Mark Hirst, senior partner at Bromleys, said: “Keith’s latest accreditation strengthens his position as one of the region’s leading experts in family law.

“It’s a significant achievement because Resolution’s accreditation scheme is immensely challenging and is a quality mark which sets Keith apart from his peers.”

Keith said: “I am delighted to be recognised by Resolution as a specialist in four areas after passing rigorous assessments of my knowledge, abilities and the manner in which I deal with family law cases.

“Upholding the Resolution code of practice is at the heart of the work I do and I’m proud to be part of an organisation working to transform the way that family law is practised.”

Manchester Science Partnerships (MSP) has announced that work has started on Citylabs 2.0, the first phase of its £60 million extension of the Citylabs campus, which will be at the heart of Greater Manchester’s new globally-leading genomics campus for innovation, precision medicine, translational science, and molecular diagnostics.

Principal contractor Sir Robert McAlpine has been awarded a £22m contract for the 92,000 sq ft development, a Joint Venture partnership between MSP and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) which is due for completion by the end of 2020.

Designed by architects Sheppard Robson, Citylabs 2.0 has already been 100% pre-let to global molecular diagnostics company QIAGEN and will become its European Hub for Diagnostics Development. QIAGEN’s expansion and relocation from their existing base at Manchester Science Park will see them become the anchor industrial partner in the global genomics campus where they will connect in with a diverse community of businesses including those working in medtech, clinical trials, data management, and will gain access to the MFT’s specialist clinical resources and expertise from researchers, clinicians and procurement teams.

Located within Europe’s largest clinical-academic campus, Citylabs 2.0 is surrounded by the Manchester Royal Infirmary, Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, Saint Mary’s Hospital and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital and will build on the success of Citylabs 1.0 which has been fully let since its completion in 2015 and has already showcased a unique new way of collaborative working between industry, academia and clinicians.

Manchester’s new genomics campus will create more than 1,500 high value jobs over the next decade, adding over £150m to the city region’s economy. Crucially, it will positively impact the lives of over three million people by providing access to new diagnostics and more targeted treatments through pioneering research, and will see these products and services adopted into the city’s health service at a much faster rate.

Tom Renn, Managing Director of Manchester Science Partnerships, said: “We’re delighted to have appointed Sir Robert McAlpine as the main contractor on this project and to be announcing the start of works on Citylabs 2.0 with our Joint Venture partner, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.

“This is an important milestone in our journey to create a world-leading precision medicine campus in Manchester, strengthening the region’s standing as a global centre of excellence in life sciences and diagnostics, bringing real health benefits to millions of people, and supporting the creation of thousands of high-quality jobs.

“We look forward to supporting our long-standing customer QIAGEN as they continue with their ongoing growth and expand into Citylabs 2.0 once it completes at the end of 2020. We’re incredibly proud to be working with QIAGEN and be part of the partnership which is creating a globally-leading genomics hub in Manchester, and look forward to working with other life sciences and medtech businesses as they join our cluster at Citylabs.”

Sir Mike Deegan, Chief Executive of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust said: “Securing and expanding QIAGEN’s future on the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust site is a pivotal component of our vision to create an internationally-leading research and innovation campus focused on integrated diagnostics leading to better care for our patients. Modern healthcare requires us to handle massive arrays of data from a huge range of technologies in order to come up with the right answer for patients. This has never been clearer than with genomic medicine, QIAGEN’s immediate focus, which holds the power to deliver transformative clinical benefits at the level of individual patients–the heart of precision medicine.”

Simon Trevor, Central, Wales & West Regional Managing Director for Sir Robert McAlpine, said: “We look forward to working with Manchester Science Partnerships on the extension of the Citylabs campus. Building on 150 years of technical excellence and innovation, we take pride in delivering complex projects that make a positive impact on communities and leave a lasting legacy, such as this state-of-the-art medical facility.”