Manchester is experiencing rapid growth, supported by its strong industrial heritage and vibrant business climate, but faces challenges like wage disparity and high youth unemployment. The Manchester City Council (MCC) and Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) are actively supporting social enterprises to address these challenges through funding and integration of services. Future initiatives include expanding successful support models, promoting local job creation, and fostering collaboration with smaller organizations to enhance community resilience.

1. Support for social
enterprises in Manchester
Karin Connell, Economic Development Unit,
Manchester City Council

2. Background
• Manchester is one of the fastest-growing cities in the UK, in terms of
population, jobs and GVA
• Growth driven by core and emerging sectors, increasing numbers of
international visitors, an expanding business base, retention of highly
skilled residents, buoyant city-centre commercial market. Major
developments inc. Airport City, Corridor Manchester and expanding
Cultural offer
• Builds on the success of Manchester’s industrial heritage and tradition
of enterprise and innovation
• GM birthplace of co-operative movement - first successful co-operative
set up in Rochdale in 1844. Some successful and well-established
social enterprises in the city e.g. Unicorn grocery, FC United, EMERGE

3. Background
Manchester has come a long way:
• It is now a city with more people of working age; GM is a growth engine
for the national economy; there are more people in work, fewer people
claiming out of work benefits and more people in professional
occupations; people are better educated and pupil attainment rising
faster than national average.
However, we continue to face significant challenges:
• A significant gap between resident and workplace wages; high levels of
worklessness in some neighbourhoods; part time & zero hour contracts
commonplace; youth unemployment high; many people working for less
than the living wage, particularly young people, resident skills levels.
Polarisation between more affluent and deprived areas
• GM spends £5bn more than our tax contribution
• Funding cuts across public services so need to reduce demand now –
recognition that social enterprises have a key role to play in this

4. Examples of MCC support for
social enterprises
Levenshulme Market CiC –
• Failing market – led to closure.
• Group of local people expressed interest in running market
• MCC provided funding, business support and officer time to test a new
approach
• Led to creation of market Community Interest Company in 2013
• Hugely successful with high demand for 50 stalls, creation of local jobs
• Levenshulme Market Fund launched 2015 - £15k profit re-invested in 8
local projects through public voting event

5. Examples of MCC support for
social enterprises
YES (Your Employment Service) –
• CiC established in 2013 to support people in one of the most deprived
areas of the city into work.
• Ability to provide personalised, holistic, intensive and voluntary
community-based service to fill a gap in mainstream services for those
furthest from work
• MCC and Northwards Housing provided funding and initial management
support to establish the service
• Extremely popular – 17,000 visits in 2014/15 and 65 people supported
into employment
• MCC will support next stage to develop sustainability strategy based on
role in engaging and supporting majority of clients onto employment
pathways

6. Examples of GMCA support for
social enterprises
Working Well
• Public Service Reform work in GM – recognition that mainstream
employment support services esp. Work Programme not effectively
supporting those with health conditions into work; disconnect from
health and other public services
• GMCA agreement with Government around locally designed and
commissioned service for those leaving Work Programme
• Integrated, person-centred, intensive support model commissioned
starting March 2014 – Big Life in Mcr, Salford and Trafford
• Crucially, payment model made it possible for smaller social enterprises
to bid, unlike Work Programme
• Specification also lent itself to organisations able to demonstrate user
involvement and track record of positive resident engagement

7. Future GMCA support for social
enterprises
• Working Well pre-cursor to 2014 Employment & Skills Devolution
Agreement – early success of programme has evidenced approach
• GMCA agreement with Government to design and commission
expansion of current Working Well model from 5,000 to 50,000 people
supported, including GM Work Programme. Alignment with ESF, skills &
health provision.
• Supports integration with local public and VCS services which build
individual and community resilience
• This means no ‘black box’ approach to commissioning, ability to specify
a more integrated and person-centred approach and to utilise a different
payment model
• Recognition of importance of VCS and social enterprises in delivering to
their strengths

8. Future GMCA support for social
enterprises
• New Economy research Jan 15 – evidenced need for strategic
approach to social enterprise support
• GM ESIF 2014-20 (starting from early 2016) will be key tool, through
both ERDF and ESF to build skills and capacity within the sector and
link to growth opportunities.
• Support for smaller organisations to bid for MCC contracts – The
CHEST web portal promotes opportunities; contracts broken down into
smaller lots, where possible. Simplification of tendering documents and
where appropriate, removes need to ‘pre-qualify’ for tenders less than
£100k in value
• Social Value – greater emphasis and scoring. CLES work with MCC re
local spend. Will continue to develop approach and share good
practoce with other major employers.