Delivering sustainable growth
At GC Business, we have a vision for a society where economic growth and prosperity is inclusive, sustainable and leaves no person or community behind.
By partnering with us you’ll help build a future founded on thriving businesses that create well-paid jobs for talented and empowered individuals across our diverse communities.
Our solutions
As the leading national provider of business support services – drawing on 30+ years of expertise, insights and data – we’re passionate about creating:
Business leaders
Who have the tools to maximise profits and enrich their staff, community and environment.
Economic development leaders
Who have the insights and know-how to build thriving business networks & clusters that help level-up local communities.
A fair and prosperous country
Where government and private partners have the right solutions to increase productivity, achieve Net Zero and deliver an innovative Global Britain.
Our approach
A proven approach that enables businesses and places to achieve their full potential, the GC Business Way is built around five key growth phases:
- Creating a clear vision: GC Business helps leaders to define their vision and establish plans to realise this vision. We help them to clarify the problem they are solving, where their solution best fits and to be aware of what might impact their future growth journey.
- Starting and thriving: we help entrepreneurs get the foundations in place to start well, ensuring they have the right finance, a clear offer, detailed knowledge of their client base and importantly that they know the key regulations. By getting the basics in place we help to ensure leaders have the bandwidth to focus on future growth.
- Innovating and growth: GC Business helps leaders to realise growth by helping them find new markets, create new products and services, adopt new technology, build their networks and access growth finance.
- Growing well: We help leaders to grow in a way that develops their workforce, benefits their local communities and reduces the impact on the planet. We create opportunities for them to learn from leaders and contribute to the business community.
- Realising the vision: GC Business provides opportunities for leaders to constantly review and adapt their strategies to realise their vision. We help them make sense of the changes happening in the economy, wider society and environment. We help them identify the best exit strategy and then work with them to identify how they can best support the business network be that as an investor, a mentor, a champion or on their next venture.
Our track record
GC has established a strong reputation as a provider of excellence in areas including:
GC delivers the North West Made Smarter Adoption Programme, which, following successful conclusion of the pilot, has launched in three additional regions in England. It also provides a digital skills programme for businesses.
GC founded the country’s first Business Growth Hub, in Greater Manchester, a model subsequently replicated in 38 areas across England. GC now oversees delivery of the entire network of Hubs on behalf of the Department of Business, Enterprise and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
GC delivers start- and scale-up programmes, including one-to-one support and provision of incubators with partners. GC has also delivered the UK’s first entrepreneurial support programme aimed at self-employed and gig economy workers, EnterprisingYou.
GC delivers an award-winning resource efficiency programme, helping businesses to transition to a low carbon economy, which has helped SMEs to save more than two million tonnes of carbon – and £500m in energy, material and waste costs – since 2012.
GC has delivered the Department of International Trade’s export contract in the North West of England since 2007 and continues to innovate through new programmes – including the Global Scale Up programme, which has provided support for scale businesses across England.
GC holds expertise in a range of international standards and certifications, working with businesses to achieve ISO standards, Lexcel and Customer Service Excellence accreditations, and is the only licensed delivery partner for Investors in People in the North of England.
GC delivers successful business mentoring programmes, including Mentoring for Growth and Be the Business Mentoring, and provides peer learning services including BEIS’s Peer Networks.
GC brokers relationships between SMEs and local partners, from public and private sectors, to drive innovative design and business modelling.
GC has developed and delivered programmes that drive growth in priority sectors, including: advanced manufacturing; green technology and services; healthcare and life sciences; and digital, creative and technology sectors.
Contact us
If you would like more information about any of our services, please get in touch.
Contact Us