Today over 500 small business owners gathered at Campfield in the city centre for GM Business Growth Hub’s Festival of Enterprise. 

Now in its fourth year, the festival welcomes start-ups, entrepreneurs, sole traders and the self-employed to the city-region's largest celebration of entrepreneurial passion.  

“We’re back and better than ever this year! Our speakers, exhibitors, and facilitators are some of the best we’ve had. We’re almost totally booked up over a month out. 

“The excitement hasn’t worn off. We’ve created a space where entrepreneurs from all walks of life can come to feel inspired and motivated. It’s vital to creating an entrepreneurial culture within Greater Manchester” - Yvonne Sampson, Head of Enterprise at GM Business Growth Hub.

Sampson hopes the festival will champion Greater Manchester as the ultimate destination for launching and expanding your business.

Hosting the event is EnterprisingYou, GM Business Growth Hub’s flagship support programme for the self-employed, startups and those scaling their business in the region. 

EnterprisingYou has supported over 6000 entrepreneurs and small businesses and helped create £13.6M of revenue across Greater Manchester since 2020.

Businesses from across the city-region stepped into the spotlight this year, bringing their voices and innovations to an immersive festival‑style experience packed with powerhouse speakers, vibrant networking moments, and a buzzing marketplace of cutting‑edge products and services.

“The progress we’ve made across Greater Manchester is remarkable, but it’s all driven by the incredible businesspeople across our city‑region. Everything we do is about backing them, championing them, and helping them thrive.

“The festival is our way of giving them the platform they deserve — a space to celebrate how far they’ve come while equipping them with the support and inspiration to take their next big steps. I believe strongly that there is no better place to do business than in Greater Manchester.” Janine Smith, Director of GM Business Growth Hub.

The festival hosts a marketplace of 40 businesses that attendees can explore and shop, along with 30 exhibitors offering business support in Greater Manchester. These include the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), who offer not for profit small business advice, financial expertise and support. 

“These are testing times for small businesses, but the breadth and depth of the attendees here today speaks to the go-getter energy and commitment that small business owners have. 

“The Festival is a needed celebration of that, and an important reminder of how important small businesses are. After all, the small businesses of today are the big businesses of tomorrow,” Rob Downes, Regional Business and Stakeholder Manager for FSB.