PC Slower Than It Used to Be?
A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Outdated Drivers Are Slowing You Down
One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchStart with the GM Business Growth Hub’s Access to Finance team, which helps Greater Manchester businesses explore funding routes, prepare for investment and connect with providers. The options include loans, equity investment and specialist innovation competitions—not just grants—so first match the funding type to your business, then check the live programme rules and deadlines.
How to find startup funding and grants in Manchester
Use the Growth Hub’s Greater Manchester funding advice as a starting point. Its Access to Finance team supports businesses across the city-region and its funding roundup, updated 22 September 2026, lists opportunities and links to programme details. Treat the roundup as a shortlist, not confirmation that you qualify or that a call is still open.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Before contacting a provider, write down how much you need, what it will pay for, when you need it, where the business is based, how long it has traded, and whether you would consider borrowing or giving up equity. Those details help narrow the options quickly.
Which funding routes are available?
The amounts below are those reported by the GM Business Growth Hub roundup updated 22 September 2026, or by Manchester City Council’s bulletin dated 3 August 2026. They are published ranges or potential awards, not guarantees. Check the linked programme pages for current availability and full terms.
#1 Best Overall
| Route | Published amount | Type | Best-evidenced audience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Up Loans for early-stage businesses | £500–£25,000 | Repayable loan | Aspiring entrepreneurs and businesses trading for under five years |
| NPIF II smaller business loans | £25,000–£100,000 | Repayable loan | North of England SMEs with growth ambitions |
| GC Angels early-stage equity | Typically £25,000–£2 million | Equity investment | Innovative, scalable Greater Manchester businesses |
| Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund | Potential awards up to £5,000 | Targeted award plus mentoring | Manchester entrepreneurs aged 18–22, as described by the council bulletin |
| Innovation competitions | Varies by call | Competitive innovation funding or award | Businesses meeting the specific technology, sector and project rules of a call |
| Build a Business in GM Libraries and BIPC Greater Manchester | Free support described by Manchester City Council | Research, workshops and advice—not funding | Idea-stage founders and businesses across Greater Manchester |
Loans: Start Up Loans and NPIF II
Start Up Loans
The Growth Hub roundup lists Start Up Loans for early-stage businesses of £500 to £25,000 for aspiring entrepreneurs and businesses trading for under five years. It names GC Business Finance Start Ups as the local delivery provider. Successful applicants receive 12 months of mentoring and ongoing support, according to the roundup. This is borrowing, not a grant: ask the lender for the current interest rate, fees, repayment schedule, eligibility conditions and any personal-liability or security requirements before applying.
NPIF II Smaller Loans
NPIF II smaller business loans are listed at £25,000 to £100,000 for SMEs across the North of England, with GC Business Finance identified as the local delivery provider. The roundup gives equipment, expansion, recruitment and cash flow as possible uses. This route is more relevant to an operating business planning growth than to someone seeking a grant for an idea. Confirm the current geographic rules, criteria, rates and repayment terms with the provider.
Equity investment: GC Angels
GC Angels early-stage equity typically invests £25,000 to £2 million in Greater Manchester businesses with innovative products, services or technologies and ambitions to scale. Equity is not a loan, but it means sharing ownership. The published range does not promise an investment; check the current investment mandate, eligibility, due-diligence process and proposed terms before deciding whether to pursue it.
Grants and innovation competitions
Some opportunities are competitive calls for defined technologies or projects, not general startup grants. The Growth Hub roundup updated 22 September 2026 listed these calls with November 2026 deadlines:
- Engineering Biology Collaborative R&D: up to £8.5 million in shared funding for UK-registered businesses; deadline listed as 3 November 2026.
- DRIVE35 Scale-up Fund Drawdown 5: up to £150 million for zero-emission vehicle manufacturing facilities; deadline listed as 4 November 2026.
- Future Leaders Fellowships Round 11, business/non-academic: up to £110 million in shared funding; deadline listed as 4 November 2026.
- N-CODE Innovation Challenge: up to £12,000 for qualifying neurological healthcare innovations; deadline listed as 18 November 2026.
- European Space Agency Road and Traffic Safety: deadline listed as 27 November 2026; the roundup does not state an award amount.
These figures and deadlines are the roundup’s listings, not proof that a call remains open or that a Manchester startup is eligible. Follow each opportunity link from the Growth Hub funding page and check the official competition guidance for registration geography, lead-applicant rules, eligible costs, match funding, award terms and exact closing time before preparing an application.
Manchester’s Rising Stars Fund
Manchester City Council’s 3 August 2026 bulletin described the Rising Stars Fund as a search by We Love MCR Charity and Ward Hadaway for a young entrepreneur aged 18–22, with successful applicants potentially receiving up to £5,000 and mentoring. The bulletin does not establish whether applications are currently open or give complete eligibility rules. Contact the charity through the council bulletin to verify status and criteria before relying on it.
Rank #4
Free business research and preparation support
Free startup support at Greater Manchester libraries is available through Build a Business in GM Libraries, which the council says covers all ten Greater Manchester authorities. The service offers workshops, one-to-one help from a local Enterprise Officer, business research resources and intellectual-property guidance. The bulletin says library cards are free for UK residents.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
BIPC Greater Manchester, based at Manchester Central Library and with local centres, offers one-to-one clinics, workshops, webinars and events. The council bulletin also describes free access to a podcast studio and 3D printer. These services can help you research customers, competitors and intellectual property or prepare a business plan; they do not themselves provide funding. Check the council page for current appointment availability and access details.
How to choose and apply
- Define the need. Record the amount, intended use, timing, business age, location and sector. Decide whether repayment or sharing ownership could work for you.
- Get local guidance. Ask the Growth Hub Access to Finance team to help you navigate routes and investment readiness. Use library or BIPC support for business and IP research if it is relevant to your plans.
- Match the funding type. A loan must be repaid; equity affects ownership; a grant or competition award has call-specific eligibility and conditions. Do not treat them as interchangeable.
- Check the live programme terms. Confirm that the route is open, your business and project qualify, and you can meet the deadline and any evidence or match-funding rules. The roundup can change.
- For borrowing, check the full cost and obligations. Ask the lender directly about interest, fees, repayment dates, personal liability and security. The Growth Hub roundup does not set out those detailed terms.
- Prepare a clear case. Keep a funding plan, project budget, cash-flow forecast and evidence of customer need together. These are useful preparation materials, but requirements vary; follow the current application guidance rather than assuming every fund requests the same documents.
What Greater Manchester’s programme figures mean
Greater Manchester Combined Authority’s 2026/27 economic-programmes decision records £16.2 million for Business Growth GM Business Growth Hub, £4.5 million for Innovation Navigator GM Business Growth Hub and £1.5 million for Access to Innovation Capital GC Business Finance. It also records £850,255 for Build a Business in GM Libraries. These are programme-level regional allocations, not sums available for an individual founder to claim. See the GMCA economic programmes information for the decision context.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
