ASCEND opens 25 funded places for Greater Manchester founders

GM Business Growth Hub has opened applications for 25 founders to join its fully funded ASCEND Scale-Up Programme in Greater Manchester, with the next intake starting in April 2027.

The scheme is aimed at established businesses with annual turnover of at least £1m and six or more employees, as reported by BusinessCloud. It provides support for founders seeking to expand their companies rather than launch a new venture.

What happened

The fourth ASCEND cohort will run for 12 months, with GM Business Growth Hub delivering the programme alongside KPMG and RBC Brewin Dolphin.

Participants will receive individual coaching, workshops and mentoring from industry specialists and experienced entrepreneurs. Peer learning forms part of the programme, allowing founders to work through challenges associated with scaling alongside other business owners.

The programme also includes specialist help with becoming investor-ready and accessing funding opportunities. That support sits within a broader package of business development and networking, rather than a stated offer of investment into participating companies.

Residential retreats are planned at the start and midway through the year. The programme includes a strategy retreat and international exposure through the SLUSH founders conference in Helsinki, extending its networking opportunities beyond Greater Manchester.

Guest speakers and practical learning activities will complement the coaching. The Hub says the format is intended to give founders time away from daily operations to concentrate on the longer-term direction of their businesses.

The background

ASCEND has supported 73 businesses across Greater Manchester to date. Research cited from the ScaleUp Institute puts average turnover growth among participants at 36.1% and growth in employee numbers at 13.9%.

One in five participating businesses has entered new markets. Those figures describe results reported for previous participants, not targets or guaranteed outcomes for founders joining the 2027 intake.

The programme combines advice from professional services partners with the experience of other founders. Previous participants quoted in the announcement include Candice Bannister, co-founder of Candy’s Cupcakes, and Gabriel Erinle, founder of GAME FM.

What people are saying

Bannister identified relationships with fellow participants as the most useful part of ASCEND. She said introductions, conversations and examples from other businesses and speakers had provided practical support, while advice from mentors had led to changes within her company.

Erinle said the programme had helped him distinguish between areas where his judgement was sound and those where he needed help. He also described leaving with a clearer sense of whom to contact for advice, stressing that founders needed to participate actively to benefit from the opportunities available.

Yvonne Sampson, director of enterprise at GM Business Growth Hub, said she expected Greater Manchester to attract greater international attention for innovation and investment in 2027.

Sampson presented ASCEND as a way for the region’s founders and senior business leaders to build commercially useful connections and strengthen their leadership. She said the syllabus developed with KPMG and RBC Brewin Dolphin was intended to help businesses gain recognition as well as grow.

What happens next

Interested founders are being invited to register their interest for the April 2027 intake. The announcement does not specify an application deadline or set out the selection timetable.

For prospective applicants, the turnover, staffing and Greater Manchester location requirements establish the initial eligibility threshold. Those taking up a place will be joining a year-long programme with residential elements as well as coaching and workshops.