Tell us your funding needs, says Pro Manchester

A STUDY being completed by professional services organisation Pro Manchester on behalf of the city’s Commission for the New Economy is seeking insights from growing businesses about access to capital.

The organisation is in the midst of a three-month research project into the availablity of funding and business support for entrepreneurs but said it has already attracted some strong opinions from those canvassed.

“There is some pretty strong feeling about funding and advice – or the perceived lack of it – available to entrepreneurs, particularly those requiring start-up capital to launch a new concept,” he said.

The organisation has been compiling data from online surveys, desk research, workshops and from one-to-one interviews with professionals and business representatives but said that it needs as many firms as possible either to complete questionnaires or attend planned discussion forums in order to make its research “truly representative and meaningful”.

“This is a genuine opportunity for the business community to influence Manchester’s key decision makers so I urge everyone with a vested interest in funding to take part,” said Ashcroft.

The questionnaire is available online from promanchester.com/innovationandenterprise. The survey is looking at topics such as the level of demand for early stage equity finance, the availability of publicly-funded equity and loans and the role of private sector business angels, venture capital and private equity firms.

Submissions should be put forward by October 27.