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”.

The World Academy of Sport, whose education headquarters are based at Manchester Business School in the University of Manchester, has brought together international sporting dignitaries to serve on its newly launched International Advisory Board (IAB). The Chairman of the Board, ex Director General of the International Olympic Committee François Carrard, said: “Manchester, which is already an established world leader in major international sporting event delivery, will now also act as the international education hub for the IAB, due to its excellent reputation for world class sports knowledge and education delivered through the University of Manchester.”

Sir Howard Bernstein, Chief Executive of Manchester City Council which has partnered with the Academy and the University in this initiative, commented: “British Cycling, England Squash, the International Netball Federation and the Professional Footballers Association are just a few of the many national sports bodies to be based in Manchester, and the formation of the World Academy of Sport International Advisory Board here will ensure that key educational international sport decisions are made in the city.”

Business people and tourists will be able to fly direct from Manchester to Stuttgart in Germany from Monday 12 April. Germany’s national carrier Lufthansa, which bought a stake in BMI last summer, has increased to five the number of direct routes available from Manchester to Germany with this new service. The airline’s other destinations in Germany are Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich.

A sixth form college in Manchester has been named one of the best in the country after it achieved an ‘outstanding’ classification in all the 28 categories assessed in the latest Ofsted report. Loreto College, a Catholic college in Hulme, was founded in 1851 by an order of nuns dating back to the 16th century. The college currently has 1,800 students, most of whom are studying for A-levels. It also offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. In addition to recognising the College’s academic achievements, Ofsted inspectors were impressed by the students’ out-of-hours activities, praising the fact that “large numbers of students give their time freely to support charitable causes, fundraising and social activities which promote social responsibility and global awareness. Their generosity, tolerance and respect for each other are exemplary.”

The latest IBM Global Business Services report has ranked Manchester 15th in the world for investment projects, ahead of Frankfurt, Dublin and Chicago. This is the first time the city has been listed in the report’s top twenty, which is based on the number of investment projects carried out in 2008. Manchester has enjoyed great success in attracting investment over the past five years according to Colin Sinclair, chief executive of the inward investment agency MIDAS, including some well-known names like BNY Mellon, Credit Suisse, Google, Nike, Premier Foods, UK Borders Agency and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE).

The first State of the Region Survey to be carried out by TheBusinessDesk.com reveals that business leaders across the North West believe that confidence in the economy is up, and that over the next 12 months bank lending will increase and companies will experience growth. Hundreds of business leaders across the region took part in the online survey, 67 per cent of them stating that they believe their business will grow in terms of revenues, profits and staff in the year to come. The technology and professional services sectors are expected to see the biggest growth, while manufacturing and financial services are believed to have good potential for growth, according to the survey.

House prices in the north west leapt by 2.5 per cent in the month to mid October according to property website Rightmove, and quality properties in the region are often selling within a week.

Nationally, prices rose on average by 2.8 per cent. Rightmove commercial director Miles Shipside said that buyers were snapping up new instructions and were willing to proceed, as they believed prices had bottomed. More buyers were finding the ability to put down the larger deposits required to access the best mortgage deals.

The BBC has received the keys to the first of its three buldings in the massive MediaCityUK development in Salford Quays, to which 2,500 employees of the Corporation will relocate by 2011. Building C, the largest of the three, will be home to BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Sport and local and regional news. In spring 2010 the remaining two buildings – A and B – which will house BBC Children’s, BBC Learning, religion, radio, hundreds of technologists and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, will also be handed over, creating the Corporation’s second biggest base after London.

The MediaCityUK development has brought in £92m worth of business for Salford firms, triggering a boom for the local construction industry.