Regional tech industry body Manchester Digital has been awarded funding from Barclays Eagle Labs to support local startups.
The funding, awarded as part of the Barclays Eagle Labs Ecosystem Partnership Programme, will assist 200 startups and founders spread evenly across the 10 boroughs of Manchester.
“Our Startup Activator programme offers a bold vision of a hyperlocal, inclusive, and thriving startup ecosystem across Greater Manchester,” said Manchester Digital MD Katie Gallagher OBE.
“Diversity is the cornerstone of developing innovative products and services and by connecting people from diverse backgrounds to the assets and support to grow and scale a tech business we will create high-quality jobs right across the region.”
Manchester Digital’s programme will consist of roadshows and workshops for the 200 attendees. Phase two of the scheme will offer more intensive mentoring for the 100 startups with the highest growth potential.
“We are excited to be facilitating this funding to help Manchester Digital support its Startup Activator programme and we are very much looking forward to seeing this support reach 200 tech businesses in the region,” said Amanda Allan, Director of Barclays Eagle Labs.
The amount of funding provided by Eagle Labs was not disclosed. However, David Hamilton, head of implementation at Barclays Eagle Labs, told UKTN in an interview last year that the startup incubator would be “ringfencing £1.1m” of the grant for each of the two years for regional partnership programmes.
Separately, Eagle Labs said in October that it will deploy £1.75m in a fund-matching scheme for seven startup accelerator projects across the UK.
Barclays Eagle Labs was awarded the £12m Digitial Growth Grant in January after beating previous recipient Tech Nation in an open tender process.
Last week, Manchester Digital, along with a handful of prominent tech firms in the north of England, called on the mayor of Greater Manchester to support a coalition of northern tech, backed by a digital investment fund,
The announcement comes amid the first UK Tech Week, a series of events promoting Britain’s regional tech economy.
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