Defend, Innovate, Grow.

Preparing businesses across Greater Manchester for the digital future.

The Greater Manchester Cyber Foundry is a programme for small-medium sized businesses to help with business growth, stability and security. The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund and there is no cost for participating businesses/business owners.

We are a partnership of four universities from the North West: Lancaster University, The University of Manchester, University of Salford and Manchester Metropolitan University.

Together we are using our expertise to help defend, innovate and grow businesses in Greater Manchester. Our focus is to help SMEs protect their operations and assets along with strengthening their cyber defences.

Discover the programme

How is the Foundry impacting the cyber security ecosystem across Greater Manchester?

The Greater Manchester Cyber Foundry launched in 2018 and over the three years so far the programme has supported:

135 SMEs to prepare for a digital future
the development of 46 new products and services

Hear from the businesses we have supported here>

Does your company process any kind of online payment and record details?

Does your company hold clients personal details/sensitive data?

Are you a design or software company with competitors who may want to steal your ideas?

Defend

We will help to teach you how to defend your business from cyber attacks and be compliant to regulations such as GDPR and PCI DSS

Does your company sell products or services online?

Are you considering ‘digitizing’ your business and going online or creating an app/software?

Is your business looking for a gateway into a government supply chain or something similar?

Innovate

We will give businesses the tools and knowledge they need to innovate their businesses within the digital market whilst also auditing current systems

Is your company a cyber-security or related sector business?

Are you already a digital/cyber business thinking about expanding and future growth?

Could you benefit from improving processes & strategies or differentiating yourselves in the market?

Grow

We encourage peer networking allowing for new connections. We have the knowledge to enable you to understand the best paths to take to grow your businesses

Discover the programme

“Through the work of the Greater Manchester Cyber Foundry, our world-leading universities are giving start-ups and SMEs the freedom they need to create and innovate, but within a digital environment that is safe and secure from cyber criminals.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester

“This project puts cyber security at the heart of an organisation’s business growth strategy, regardless of their sector. Cyber security becomes about growth and productivity not just defence against potential losses.”
Dr Daniel Prince, Lancaster University