GMCA’s Foundational Economy Innovation Fund awards £275,000 in grants

Projects aimed at supporting the city-region’s foundational economy have been awarded grant funding from Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) totalling £275,000.

Twenty-five businesses and organisations from across Greater Manchester have been awarded grants of up to £11,000 from the Foundational Economy Innovation Fund. The foundational, or ‘everyday’, economy, refers to businesses and sectors that meet the daily needs of consumers, such as the social care, early years education and childcare, retail, leisure and hospitality sectors.

Funding has been awarded to projects that drive innovation and improve productivity and working conditions in these sectors. Recipients have put forward a broad range of creative ideas to improve ways of working, support their workforce and make their sector more resilient. A second phase will provide the most impactful projects supported with up to £60,000 to further develop their ideas.

Among the successful applicants for grant funding is Citizens Advice Stockport, Oldham, Rochdale and Trafford (SORT), which will use funding to develop an AI-powered form assistant prototype to help people with long-term health conditions or disabilities claim crucial Personal Independence Payment (PIP) support. The proposed tool aims to be an accessible digital guide, using plain language and targeted prompts to help users navigate the form accurately, freeing up Citizens Advice advisors’ capacity.

Other projects include an app to help independent venues promote themselves with instant, time-sensitive deals during quiet periods, support for low-risk offenders at HMP Styal to progress into employment in adult social care, and a scheme to convert brewery and hospitality waste into a sustainable substrate for growing gourmet mushrooms.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council and Greater Manchester Lead for Economy, Business, and Inclusive Growth, said:

“Our groundbreaking Foundational Economy Innovation Fund is supporting the sectors that underpin our communities and provide the essential products and services we use every day. We received lots of applications and we were really impressed by the ambition and creativity on show. The projects awarded funding are tackling the full range of challenges the foundational economy faces, and we look forward to seeing them turn their ideas into impact.”