For many SMEs, the challenge is not ambition - it’s knowing how to turn a good idea into something practical, scalable and commercially viable.
That is where Manchester Metropolitan University’s is making a real difference.
Based within Manchester Met’s triple-accredited Business School, the Centre for Enterprise has spent 25 years helping businesses across the region innovate, grow and adapt to change.
With more than a decade of Small Business Charter (SBC) accreditation, it has built a strong reputation for giving micro, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) access to practical support, research-led insight and expert guidance that can help them take the next step with confidence.
That impact was in the spotlight this month as Manchester Met celebrated the achievements of pioneering organisations from across Greater Manchester at its .
Held at the University’s Business School on March 4, the awards recognised businesses that took part in one of the Innovate 海角视频-funded innovation accelerators, or the - two major programmes led by the Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Met, in partnership with Greater Manchester Colleges, the Henry Royce Institute, Lancaster University, the National Physical Laboratory, the University of Manchester, and the University of Salford.
Together, they highlight how Manchester Met is helping bridge the gap between big innovation ambitions and the practical realities facing SMEs.
Practical support that helps businesses move forward
The Centre for Enterprise supports business leaders looking to improve productivity, adopt new technologies, develop new products and services, and future-proof their organisations.
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Rather than focusing solely on theory, its specialist team works with businesses through funded, hands-on support designed to turn research and innovation into real-world action.
That might mean helping a company create a structured innovation plan, exploring digital transformation, building internal skills, or identifying how green or emerging technologies could support future growth.
It is this practical, tailored approach that sits behind both CDI and GMEHC.
Driving digital transformation in Greater Manchester
The Centre for Digital Innovation (CDI) supported businesses that are exploring digital transformation and advanced innovation, helping them understand what new technologies can do and how to apply them in a commercially meaningful way.
Its newly published impact report underlines the scale of that work.
Over three years, CDI engaged more than 630 SMEs, supported the development of 82 new products and services, delivered digital skills uplift to more than 1,470 people, and leveraged more than £6.38 million in private-sector co-investment into the regional innovation ecosystem.
Those results reflect a common challenge for many growing businesses: they know innovation matters, but often need support to test ideas, reduce risk and make progress in a structured way.
Supporting the region’s hydrogen ambitions
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Alongside CDI, the Greater Manchester Electrochemical Hydrogen Cluster (GMEHC) helped businesses engage with one of the region’s most important future-facing opportunities.
Dedicated to accelerating the development and adoption of electrochemical hydrogen technologies, GMEHC supported Greater Manchester’s ambition to become net zero by 2038 while strengthening its position as a 海角视频 leader in hydrogen research and development.
The programme was delivered through the Centre for Enterprise in collaboration with Manchester Met’s Faculty of Science and Engineering, giving businesses access to specialist expertise in a field with growing commercial and environmental significance.
Innovation in action
The awards themselves offered a snapshot of the breadth of innovation across the region - from digital transformation and clean technology to products designed with a broader social purpose.
One standout success story was Liaura Ltd, which took home two awards.
Liaura is developing a safe, age-appropriate social and learning app for children, designed to offer an alternative to adult-oriented social media platforms by replacing addictive, algorithm-driven content with educational activities.
Through the CDI programme, the company received support to develop a prototype for testing in schools.
That included access to a developer to carry out coding, alongside guidance on ethics and cybersecurity to support research into how children can be kept safe on mobile devices.
Founder Hugh Shepherd said he was delighted by the recognition, as the company continues developing a platform designed to help families navigate the digital world with greater confidence.
Liaura was named the winner of both the Technology for Good Award and the Secure the Future Award, making it a double winner on the night.
Other winners included Dustid for the Visionary Innovation Award and Luxfer MEL Technologies for the Greater Manchester Connected Innovators Award.
Collaboration that delivers results
Professor Jennie Shorley, Academic Director of the Centre for Enterprise, said the awards reflected the power of collaboration across the region’s innovation ecosystem.
She said: “These awards celebrate the progress, creativity and ambition demonstrated by organisations across our accelerator programmes, highlighting the transformative impact of Manchester Met’s innovation ecosystem on regional economic and technological advancement.
“This year’s nominees show how breakthrough ideas become real-world solutions when government, academia and industry work together.”
Both CDI and GMEHC are funded by Innovate 海角视频 and delivered through the Centre for Enterprise, in partnership with Greater Manchester Colleges, the Henry Royce Institute, Lancaster University, the National Physical Laboratory, the University of Manchester, and the University of Salford.
With new programmes expected to launch soon, Manchester Met is now looking to build on that momentum, helping even more SMEs across Greater Manchester innovate, grow, and bring new ideas to life.
Find out more
For further information and to read the CDI reports, visit the Centre for Enterprise webpage at