Hello Northwest, an initiative set up to attract new companies to the region by offering free office space and assistance in accessing wider support, has brought in 14 new businesses since it was launched in January this year. The scheme was developed in partnership between the North West Regional Development Agency, the investment agencies MIDAS and The Mersey Partnership, and serviced office providers Avanta, Bruntwood, Orega, Manchester Science Parks,  Liverpool Science Park and Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus.

Director Oliver Gibbs of Milk Digital, one of the new arrivals, said: “It was a straightforward choice to choose Manchester ahead of cities like Barcelona, as the tangible support offered enabled us to connect our business immediately to existing city networks, which is invaluable in today’s market”.

The BBC breakfast show is to join BBC Children’s, BBC Learning, BBC Five Live, BBC Sport and BBC Future Media and Technology at MediaCity, with a possible 88 roles relocating to the broadcasting corporation’s new northern headquarters. The BBC described the move as “part of measures aimed at building a new relationship with audiences across the UK”.

A study by accountancy firm KPMG comparing business costs across 112 cities has rated Manchester as number one in Europe and number four in the world, with costs seven percent lower than in London. Twenty-six business costs were looked at in the survey including labour, transport and utilities, cost of living, availability of talent, quality of life and economic conditions.

Tim Newns of MIDAS, Manchester’s inward investment agency, said: “This report confirms Manchester’s place in an elite peer group of the world’s top business cities… Our superb universities and colleges, world-class airport and transport communications, a ‘can-do’ attitude and excellent quality of life for relocating executives give Manchester every opportunity to further build on the strong inward investment results of the last year”.