25 January 2010
Northwest unveils new 12 months free office space for business
investors
The Northwest is rolling out the red carpet to investors with a
new ‘soft landing’ scheme offering free office space in serviced
accommodation for 12 months, across the region.
The new scheme, ‘Hello Northwest’, officially launched today,
has been developed in partnership between the Northwest Regional
Development Agency (NWDA), investment and development agencies for
Manchester and the Liverpool City Region, MIDAS and The Mersey
Partnership, and leading serviced office providers - Avanta,
Bruntwood, Orega, Manchester Science Park, Liverpool Science Park
and Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus.
Further details about the scheme can be found
at www.englandsnorthwest.com/hello
or by phoning +44 (0)1925 400 495
Hello Northwest offers new overseas investors to
Manchester (Hello Manchester), Liverpool (Hello Liverpool) and the
Northwest (Hello Northwest), free desk space for the first 12
months of their relocation to the area as part of the region’s
continued drive to attract investment and jobs. The scheme will
allow investors to test out ideas before a major investment.
The offer is focused on attracting foreign-owned businesses and
is designed to promote and maintain the Northwest’s status as a
fast-growing, vibrant region combining a dynamic business base with
cosmopolitan urban centres and an international recognised creative
and cultural scene.
The scheme offers one free desk per investing company, 12 months
rent free in fully serviced accommodation in key locations
throughout the Northwest
The free rent offer is supported by the full spectrum of
business development services provided by the NWDA, MIDAS and TMP
including an extensive, free and confidential package of advice and
assistance to companies looking to relocate to the Northwest.
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) plays a very important part in
the Northwest economy. A study by DTZ for the NWDA in 2008
highlighted the value and significance that FDI has in our region.
The report found that over 17% of regional gross value added (GVA)
is accounted for by foreign owned companies operating in the
Northwest and that economic output (GVA) per worker is almost 50%
higher in foreign owned companies compared to the regional
average.
Mark Hughes, Executive Director of Economic Development at the
NWDA, said: “The Northwest is well known for its friendly
hospitality and welcoming population and we are also one of the
best performing regions for foreign direct investment. The Hello
service brings these two important characteristics together and
should help us secure even more investment in future years which in
turn will help grow our economy.
Colin Sinclair, Chief Executive of MIDAS, said: “We’re delighted
to announce the launch of Hello with our partner organisations.
Manchester has always given businesses a warm welcome and believe
this excellent service will prove to be one more compelling reason
for businesses to bring their investment and jobs to the City
Region.”
Lorraine Rogers, Chief Executive, The Mersey Partnership (TMP),
said: “This innovative, private sector led scheme will allow
foreign owned companies to get a low cost initial foothold in the
Liverpool City Region on which TMP and partners will help them to
build. We have already drawn up a target list of companies to
promote this scheme to and aim to expand it across the City Region
as the pilot proves successful.
The Northwest is already the UK’s leading region for Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI) outside of London and the South East and
the Hello scheme will help to build on this success.
In 2009, figures released nationally by UK Trade and Investment
(UKTI) showed that the number of inward investment projects secured
in the Northwest over the last financial year had risen to the
highest recorded number for the region, despite the difficult
economic conditions. The number of FDI jobs created/safeguarded is
strong too, higher than anywhere else in the UK outside of
London.
Bruntwood Sales Director Andrew Butterworth said: "We're delighted
to be an integral part of the Hello Northwest initiative. With a
broad range of flexible and fully serviced office space across the
region, Bruntwood is well placed to provide overseas businesses a
convenient workplace from which they can successfully establish a
meaningful base.
“From there, our extensive north of England office portfolio
also enables these companies to expand seamlessly with us, should
it be required in the future. As well as the choice and service
provided by everyone involved in the scheme, the Northwest offers
an incredibly rich commercial and cultural destination for foreign
investors; somewhere that many global businesses are already happy
to call their UK home.”
Chris Taylor, Director of Corporate Development at Avanta, said:
“Avanta has a history of wholeheartedly supporting initiatives to
help attract and support foreign investors to the UK and, having
supported a similar scheme in London for the past two years, we’ve
found them to be highly successful in attracting new businesses.
Therefore, we are 100 per cent behind the Hello Northwest
scheme.
“We know that new investors in Manchester will appreciate the
reduction in cost of initial market entry together with the
enhanced speed to market that we can provide and we shall therefore
look forward to providing them with a soft landing.”
Jessica Cox, Marketing Manager for Orega, said: "We look forward
to providing a warm welcome at our new Piccadilly Place business
centre which provides flexible and stylish serviced offices,
meeting rooms and virtual offices directly opposite the main
railway station in the city and only a 15-minute train ride from
Manchester airport. This is our latest new opening and is part of a
selective expansion programme that includes major cities in the UK
and on mainland Europe. We're thrilled to be part of such an
exciting initiative as Hello Manchester that will give overseas
companies the opportunity to have a soft landing in one of our
finest business centres."
Ends
Notes to editors:
Hello Northwest includes free office space at the following
locations:
• 3 Piccadilly Place, Manchester City Centre next to
station (Orega)
• 111 Piccadilly Place, Manchester City Centre
(Bruntwood)
• Atria, Bolton (Bruntwood)
• Booths Park, Knutsford (Bruntwood)
• Centurion House, Spinningfields, Manchester
(Bruntwood)
• City Tower, Manchester City Centre (Bruntwood)
• Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus, Halton
• Landmark House, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport (Bruntwood)
• Liverpool Science Park
• Lowry House, Financial District, Manchester
(Bruntwood)
• Manchester Science Park
• The Plaza, Liverpool (Bruntwood)
• Royal Mills, Ancoats, Manchester (Avanta)
• Station House, Altrincham, Trafford (Bruntwood)
• Wilderspool Business Park, Warrington (Bruntwood)