Liverpool and Manchester have been given a joint top 10 place in global league table for start-up support thanks to the work of the Enterprise Hub and Excelerate Labs programmes. Tony McDonough reports

Liverpool city region’s successful Enterprise Hub programme has helped catapult the North West into a global top 10 for start-up and scale-up business support.

Research by Startup Genome – 2020 Global Startup Ecosystem Report – has ranked the combined North West powerhouse of Liverpool and Manchester 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.

And Liverpool city region’s success has been attributed to the work of The Women’s Organisation which is the lead agency for the delivery of the Enterprise Hub programme, launched in December 2015 and renewed at the end of 2019.

In its first four years, Enterprise Hub was instrumental in the creation of more than 1,060 new businesses. And almost 6,000 would-be entrepreneurs registered for support during that first phase.

And the entrepreneurial expertise on offer through Enterprise Hub, and its counterpart in Greater Manchester, Excelerate Labs, also operated by the Women’s Organisation, has offered a vital lifeline for the region’s entrepreneurs during the current coronavirus pandemic.

More than 2,000 entrepreneurs have been supported through the two programmes in the last four months alone. This includes more than 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.

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 11th August and will offer a week-long series of workshops and webinars culminating in a group mentoring session on Monday, August 17.

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.