At the Growth Company (GC), we have a vision for a society where economic growth and prosperity is inclusive, sustainable and leaves no person or community behind. By partnering with us you’ll help build a future founded on thriving businesses that create well-paid jobs for talented and empowered individuals across our diverse communities.
Our solutions
As the leading national provider of business support services – drawing on 30+ years of expertise, insights and data – we’re passionate about creating:
Business leaders
Who have the tools to maximise profits and enrich their staff, community and environment.
Economic development leaders
Who have the insights and know-how to build thriving business networks & clusters that help level-up local communities.
A fair and prosperous country
Where government and private partners have the right solutions to increase productivity, achieve Net Zero and deliver an innovative Global Britain.
Our services
Business Support
Aspire Recruitment
Aspire Recruitment is an award-winning, not-for-profit ethical recruitment agency that supports businesses and individuals with their employment challenges.
EnterprisingYou
EnterprisingYou is a specially designed programme to support self-employed individuals (including those who work in the gig economy) and small business owners to grow their income and business.
GM Business Growth Hub
A Greater Manchester innovation, adopted nationally, delivers tailored programmes to assist entrepreneurs and businesses to start, grow, innovate, raise finance, develop their workforce, internationalise and become environmentally sustainable.
Marketing Manchester
Marketing Manchester promotes Greater Manchester's visitor economy, incorporating both leisure and business tourism, to both domestic and international audiences and markets.
MIDAS
MIDAS has helped hundreds of businesses successfully relocate to and expand in the city region. MIDAS offers a free and confidential package of services that are tailored to individual business’ needs, saving companies money, time and effort.
Innovate UK Business Growth
Innovate UK Business Growth empowers innovation-driven businesses to grow at pace and achieve their industry and society-transforming ambitions. Dedicated innovation and growth specialists will work closely and efficiently with leadership teams to help you to identify the most effective strategy to accelerate your business’ growth and maximise its potential.
The Manufacturing Institute
The Manufacturing Institute delivers training programmes to upskill manufacturing firms and is one of the only providers of The Shingo Model in Europe.
Growth Flag
Growth Flag is a new, first-of-its-kind, online tool designed for policy makers, commissioners, business decision-makers and analysts – so they can develop strategic plans, optimise operations and improve efficiency.
Business Finance
GC Business Finance
Established in 2002, GC Business Finance has a proven track record in supporting SMEs. Through our alternative finance products we support growing businesses, unable to obtain funding through a mainstream lender, to achieve their goals.
GC Angels
GC Angels invests alongside angel investors and funds, de-risking and unlocking deals with a focus on exciting, high-growth opportunities innovating across digital, creative and technology sectors.
Access to Finance (A2F)
The Access to Finance (A2F) service provides SMEs in Greater Manchester and Lancashire with bespoke funding support, signposting the products and providers which will unlock their business growth.
Rosebud Finance
Rosebud is a Lancashire business loans provider and a proven alternative lender to high street banks and traditional finance providers, Delivered by GC Business Finance. Rosebud provides loans from £10,000 to £300,000 for businesses across 12 administrative areas of Lancashire.
SimpliFi
SimpliFi is a new online portal designed to help small businesses across Greater Manchester access information on funding that they need to launch and grow. It contains free guides to help with securing capital, pitching for investment, writing business strategy and more
International
The Growth Company delivers international and promotional activity on behalf of Greater Manchester, telling the story of the city-region’s shared global ambition to attract business, investment and talent from across the world.
Marketing Manchester
Marketing Manchester is the agency charged with promoting Greater Manchester nationally and internationally as a place to visit, invest, meet and study.
MIDAS
Our award-winning inward investment agency, seeks to secure significant levels of new investment and employment for Greater Manchester.
Manchester India Partnership
Established in 2018 to unite private businesses, academia and the public sector across India and Greater Manchester to build and strengthen trade, investment, cultural, and educational ties.
Manchester China Forum
Established to drive forward the Greater Manchester – Greater China relationship, the Manchester China Forum (MCF) works to ensure Greater Manchester is equipped and ready for China’s continued growth and the opportunity that this presents.
Innovate UK Business Growth
Innovate UK Business Growth empowers innovation-driven businesses to grow at pace and achieve their industry and society-transforming ambitions. Dedicated innovation and growth specialists will work closely and efficiently with leadership teams to help you to identify the most effective strategy to accelerate your business’ growth and maximise its potential.
Innovation
GM Business Growth Hub
A Greater Manchester innovation, adopted nationally, delivers tailored programmes to assist entrepreneurs and businesses to start, grow, innovate, raise finance, develop their workforce, internationalise and become environmentally sustainable.
EnterprisingYou
EnterprisingYou is a specially designed programme to support self-employed individuals (including those who work in the gig economy) and small business owners to grow their income and business.
Made Smarter
Made Smarter is a national movement backed by world-renowned businesses and the UK government, connecting UK manufacturing industries to the digital tools, leadership, and skills they need to drive sustainable growth.
Innovate UK Business Growth
Innovate UK Business Growth empowers innovation-driven businesses to grow at pace and achieve their industry and society-transforming ambitions. Dedicated innovation and growth specialists will work closely and efficiently with leadership teams to help you to identify the most effective strategy to accelerate your business’ growth and maximise its potential.
Net Zero
Journey to Net Zero
Journey to Net Zero is a fully-funded programme, for learners who are based in Greater Manchester, that supports you to build a strategic plan to cut your carbon footprint, reduce costs, minimise risk and capitalise on the opportunities in the net zero world.
Bee Net Zero
The Bee Net Zero partnership unites a range of organisations and support programmes from across Greater Manchester that are committed to making the transition as straightforward and cost-efficient as possible for businesses.
Green Economy
Green Economy represents green technologies and services businesses to increase their visibility, improve their competitiveness and provide access to new sales opportunities and supports buyers and end users on their journey to net zero, helping them to navigate the transition with access to reliable, sustainable, and trusted suppliers.
Energy Innovation Agency
The Energy Innovation Agency is a unique partnership between the public, private and academic sectors in Greater Manchester that supports energy innovators with innovative low-carbon products to scale their solutions and businesses by connecting them with end-users.
Centre for Assessment - PAS 2060
PAS 2060: Carbon Neutrality Certification provides a framework to help you measure, reduce and offset your organisation's impact on our climate. It will help you prove that you are truly committed to the challenge of environmental responsibility.
Accreditations
Centre for Assessment (CfA)
The CfA provides assessment and certification services to organisations, adding value to businesses and supply chains in the UK and further afield.
The matrix Standard
The matrix Standard is the Department for Education’s standard for ensuring the quality of the delivery of high-quality information, advice and guidance. The Growth Company delivers the matrix Standard on behalf of the Department for Education.
Trusted Charity
Trusted Standard is a flexible and outcome-focused quality standard designed to help charities and voluntary organisations operate more effectively and efficiently. The Trusted Standard is delivered by the Growth Company on behalf of the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO).
Our track record
GC has established a strong reputation as a provider of excellence in areas including:
GC delivers the North West Made Smarter Adoption Programme, which, following successful conclusion of the pilot, has launched in three additional regions in England. It also provides a digital skills programme for businesses.
GC founded the country’s first Business Growth Hub, in Greater Manchester, a model subsequently replicated in 38 areas across England. GC now oversees delivery of the entire network of Hubs on behalf of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
GC delivers start- and scale-up programmes, including one-to-one support and provision of incubators with partners. GC has also delivered the UK’s first entrepreneurial support programme aimed at self-employed and gig economy workers, EnterprisingYou.
GC delivers an award-winning resource efficiency programme, helping businesses to transition to a low carbon economy, which has helped SMEs to save more than two million tonnes of carbon – and £500m in energy, material and waste costs – since 2012.
GC has delivered the Department of International Trade’s export contract in the North West of England since 2007 and continues to innovate through new programmes – including the Global Scale Up programme, which has provided support for scale businesses across England.
GC delivers successful business mentoring programmes, including Mentoring for Growth and Be the Business Mentoring, and provides peer learning services including BEIS’s Peer Networks.
GC brokers relationships between SMEs and local partners, from public and private sectors, to drive innovative design and business modelling.
GC has developed and delivered programmes that drive growth in priority sectors, including: advanced manufacturing; green technology and services; healthcare and life sciences; and digital, creative and technology sectors.
Contact us
If you would like more information about any of our services, please get in touch.
Contact Us