Business & IP Centre Manchester

Business development and IP support in Greater ManchesterManchester has a long history of supporting enterprise and innovation. In 1919 the Commercial Library opened in Manchester’s Royal Exchange, providing free access to the region’s businesses and residents to information about trade and industry. The Commercial Library operated in Central Library until the re-opening of the building in 2014, when it became the Business & IP Centre Manchester. In March last year the Government announced plans to invest £13m over three years to expand and build on the success of the Business & IP Centre network, headquartered at the British Library. This major investment has enabled the British Library to widen its support network to local entrepreneurs in towns and cities across the country via a hub and spoke model centred on the 15 existing Centres across the country. Our plans are ambitious, encompassing seven neighbouring authorities, plus Lancaster and Blackpool. Our existing partnerships with many of the libraries gave us a good starting point – well established links via the long standing Ask About Business collaboration, providing information, workshops and support for startups, businesses and inventors. However the new regional expansion will also include Lancaster Library, who weren’t previously involved and have extended our geographical reach even further up the north west coastline! What does the BIPC expansion bring? Firstly there are new branded spoke BIPC’s in specific spaces within Altrincham, Ashton, Blackpool, Bolton, Bury, Lancaster, Oldham, Eccles and Stockport Libraries.