College innovation pilot supports over 1,000 Greater Manchester businesses

The Greater Manchester Further Education Innovation Programme (GMFEIP) is celebrating that over a thousand businesses in the city-region have accessed innovation support and training from local colleges.

Backed by £2.5 million in funding from Innovate UK, GMFEIP empowered nine FE colleges across Greater Manchester. including Trafford & Stockport College Group in Stockport, to deliver bespoke innovation support to more than 1,000 SMEs. Rather than concentrating resources in traditional city-centre innovation districts, the programme has embedded innovation capacity in all ten boroughs, ensuring that support reaches employers often overlooked by conventional strategies.

At the heart of GMFEIP is its mission to support the “missing middle” — SMEs that are too large for start-up funding yet too small to access major R&D grants. These businesses form the backbone of Greater Manchester’s economy and now have a local partner in their FE college offering tailored, practical solutions to drive growth and innovation.

One of the programme’s standout achievements is the launch of Innovation Literacy Training, a first-of-its-kind accredited course that equips apprentices with critical innovation skills. Developed in partnership with OCN London, the course awards a digital badge qualification, helping apprentices build both personal confidence and workplace impact.

So far, 102 Apprentice Innovation Ambassadors have completed the training, delivering tangible improvements in 72 workplaces across the region. Coral Grainger, GMColleges Innovation Project Director, explained,

“The programme demonstrates that innovation isn’t just for labs and large corporations, it lives in classrooms, workplaces, and communities, where local colleges help local businesses solve real, local problems.

“GMFEIP sets a new standard nationally for how FE colleges can fuel economic growth, empower employers, and ensure innovation is truly inclusive.”

With Year 2 now underway, GMFEIP is set to deepen its regional impact. New developments include the creation of a Collaboration, Engagement and Impact Index, a rotating Innovators in Residence programme, and plans to scale up and expand the Innovation Literacy, extending its benefits to even more employers and learners across the UK.