The successful tech scale-up support scheme is now in its third year and is welcoming applications for places on its programme, which starts in March 2023. To date, Exchange has supported more than 450 people from over 100 businesses that have created over 120 jobs. The scheme’s tech start-ups have raised more than £10m in funding on their growth journeys.

Applications to find its fifth cohort of tech businesses opened early in December, with judging and next stage interviews set to take place in January 2023.

The scheme seeks to support the UK’s next generation of tech businesses reach their full potential and is based at Department Bonded Warehouse in Enterprise City, Manchester. It offers ambitious entrepreneurs and their businesses a physical base in the city’s tech, media, and creative cluster, as well as access to industry experts, workshops, opportunities for funding and a community of likeminded entrepreneurs.

Programme partners span marketing, legal, technical, hiring and funding functions, giving successful businesses a complete toolkit of resources to thrive and place themselves among the UK’s most exciting start-ups.

Alice Pickersgill, community outreach lead at Exchange Enterprise City, said: “We’re on the hunt for the next wave of exciting business to join our community of entrepreneurs. Over the past three years we have witnessed many success stories and want to continue this by supporting another series of businesses reach their full potential, with the help of our partners and the ecosystem we have built.

“Scaling a business isn’t a level playing field with considerably less people from underrepresented backgrounds having the opportunity to bring their ideas to life. We’re trying to remove these barriers to entry, no matter the circumstances or background of the entrepreneur. We’re enhancing accessibility of the programme providing 24/7 building access and adding streaming sessions to the scheme so they can work flexibly around existing commitments.

“This year we’ll be working more closely with Exchange alumni and our community to inspire even more people to scale their own enterprises, and make the best use of the ambition, ideas, and determination of people of all demographics.”

Exchange is at the heart of Enterprise City at St. John’s, Manchester, and a catalyst for small businesses to join the wider ecosystem, creating jobs and contributing to the region’s tech industry. The programme is delivered with support from knowledge partner, Tech Nation.

The scheme’s alumni include Pixel Max, a 3D virtual workplace tech business which raised more than £2 million while it was an Exchange member, My First Five Years, which secured £1.4 million at the beginning of this year, Versori and Sparkbox, which have both recently completed £1.5 million deals to enable them to grow to the next level.

If you would like to apply to join the fifth Exchange cohort and benefit from the knowledge and support offered, apply today at https://www.enterprisecityuk.com/exchange-application/.