GENERATOR: Manchester's Enterprise Hub
Could you tell me more about Generator?
Generator is a project funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund to support businesses in starting and growing in Greater Manchester. We do this by offering flexible workspaces where they can work, events and workshops where they can learn and network, as well as one-to-one business support sessions where they can get information and find out about resources that will help them meet their needs.
We currently have two locations: one right in the heart of Manchester in St Peter’s Square, and the other in the vibrant Ancoats. The St Peter’s Square location first opened its doors to the public in January 2024, and the Ancoats location was officially launched in October of the same year. Our services have since benefitted hundreds of businesses from across Greater Manchester and from different industries.
Generator is the latest addition to the Manchester libraries services aimed at supporting entrepreneurship in Greater Manchester. Other key services include the Business and Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC), which, in Manchester, is located on the second floor of the Central Library. It provides businesses with access to market intelligence worth £5 million, as well as access to expert advice regarding issues such as intellectual property and commercial law. Book lovers can also find a wide range of business-related books at the BIPC.
Another library service supporting entrepreneurs is the Build A Business Programme, a project that is also funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme runs across all 10 boroughs of Greater Manchester, delivering key workshops for pre-start and early-stage businesses. These workshops cover various aspects of starting and running an early-stage business, including market research, business modelling and idea validation, marketing planning, and protecting your intellectual property as a business.
What do the spaces offer people?
To elaborate on what we offer:
- Flexible workspaces: Both locations provide a variety of workspaces, including traditional hot desks, high-walled sofas with integrated desks, meeting pods, phone booths, and breakout spaces. The Ancoats location also offers a boardroom and a dedicated events space. More than just a co-working space, Generator also offers members access to creative equipment and tools, including a podcast studio, a photography studio, and creative software.
- Events and workshops: We regularly organize and host a range of events across both locations to help entrepreneurs in our community connect with each other and learn. These include community events such as our monthly breakfast club and networking evenings, as well as workshops curated based on the needs of our members.
- One-to-one business support: Generator also offers one-to-one business support sessions for Greater Manchester-based businesses and entrepreneurs with an Enterprise Officer who understands their needs and signposts them to relevant resources and information.
How can people sign up / get involved?
Anyone interested in finding out more can visit our website at www.generatormcr.org or email us at generator@manchester.gov.uk. We are also very active on social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter). You can find us using our handle @generatormcr.
We also encourage people to directly pop into one of our locations. There will always be a friendly colleague willing to respond to your inquiries and give you a tour.
You can find us in St Peter’s Square on the ground floor of the Town Hall Extension, right next to the Central Library. The address is Town Hall Extension, St Peter’s Square, M2 5PD.
Our Ancoats site is in the Royal Mills building, right next to the canal in Ancoats. The address is Unit 12, 17 Redhill Street, Ancoats, M4 5BA.
What would you most like people to know about what you offer?
We strive to be an enterprise hub that is welcoming and accessible. Our current rates for the use of the spaces are £12 a day, £7 for half a day, and £3 per hour. These rates give you access to the workspaces, amenities, and refreshments. We also have flexible monthly memberships available on a rolling basis for those looking for a longer-term solution. A free trial is also available to Greater Manchester-based entrepreneurs and businesses who meet certain requirements. All our events and one-to-one sessions are free to attend for Greater Manchester-based entrepreneurs and businesses. You can email us for more details.
