Two North West powerhouses ranked in world’s top 10 start-up cities, thanks to world class business support

Both Liverpool and Manchester have been ranked in the top 10 global emerging ecosystems for start-ups, thanks in part to access to start-up and scale-up support.

Jackie Williams, Enterprise Director at The Women's Organisation

Research by Startup Genome – 2020 Global Startup Ecosystem Report – has ranked the two North West powerhouses ninth in the world, ahead of locations including Dubai, Lyon and Chengdu in China.

The report, which assessed 270 ecosystems around the world, scored the region strongly on the performance of start-ups, access to early-stage funding, ability to scale up and the talent locally available.

It ranked the region fifth among emerging ecosystems in Europe and, overall, the number two UK start-ups ecosystem, second only to London.

A key element in the proliferation of start-ups in both regions is the support for budding entrepreneurs from programmes like Enterprise Hub, in the Liverpool City Region, and Excelerate Labs in Greater Manchester, respectively.

North West social enterprise The Women’s Organisation is lead organisation for both support programmes, which have helped thousands of aspiring entrepreneurs get their ventures off the ground and to scale-up.

The entrepreneurial expertise on offer through Enterprise Hub and Excelerate Labs has offered a vital lifeline for the region’s entrepreneurs during the current coronavirus pandemic.

Over 2,000 entrepreneurs have been supported through the two programmes in the last four months alone.

This includes over 550 virtual business advice appointments, helping company owners to sustain or grow their businesses, alongside over 40 training courses, events and webinars which have attracted in excess of 700 people.

Jackie Williams, Enterprise Director at The Women’s Organisation and Programme Manager for Enterprise Hub and Excelerate Labs, said: “It comes as no surprise that Liverpool and Manchester have been ranked among the best places in the world to start and scale-up a business. Entrepreneurial spirit and talent is brimming here. We have seen thousands of budding business women and men come through our doors for support and go on to create viable, sustainable enterprises which add real value to our local economy and communities.

“The support on offer across the region is invaluable and we know that seeking the right advice and guidance in the start-up phase plays a key role in the long-term success of any new enterprise. We would urge anyone in the Liverpool City Region or Greater Manchester area who is thinking about starting a business, or needs advice around growing their current enterprise, to get in touch and see how Enterprise Hub and Excelerate Labs can support you”.

Enterprise Hub and Excelerate Labs’ ongoing support for the region’s business community continues with two upcoming events designed to help the start-up sector across the region.

The first from Enterprise Hub is a free online event for women in Liverpool called ‘Starting a Business During a Pandemic’, taking place at 11am on Thursday, July 23, featuring local entrepreneurs who will share their experiences with the audience. Click here to find out more.

For Greater Manchester, Excelerate Labs in inviting female and male entrepreneurs are invited to take part in the online ‘Kickstarter Manchester –The 7-Day Start-Up Challenge’ event. Kickstarter Manchester starts at 11am on Tuesday 11^th August and will offer a week-long series of workshops and webinars culminating in a group mentoring session on Monday 17^th August. Click here to find out more.

Both programmes are fully funded thanks to support from the European Regional Development Fund and are free to access (eligibility criteria applies).

For anyone who is thinking about starting a business in these areas, or is looking to grow a new enterprise, they can contact hello@thewo.org.uk for more information on the support which is available to them.