The GM Tech Brief: UK Budget and the tech sector | MDF programme | MentorHER | Tech Pulse with Zopa Bank
It might have been described by some as a rather dull Budget, but there were some interesting announcements for the tech sector, particularly for startups and founders.
The new Founders’ Relief, which will reduce Capital Gains Tax to 10% on qualifying gains of up to £10m, is a significant development, alongside the expansion of employee share options, further investment through the British Business Bank and new support for female founders. There’s also some welcome progress on making it easier for innovative businesses to sell into government, something we’ve been calling for over many years.
I was particularly interested in the new Data Centre Covenant, which aims to speed up access to grid connections while ensuring local communities benefit from investment in new infrastructure. Given the growing demand for computing capacity, pressure on our energy infrastructure and the importance of data sovereignty, we need to think carefully about where this investment goes and how the regions hosting these facilities benefit.
The proposals for greater fiscal devolution could also be significant for Greater Manchester, particularly the ability to retain more of the revenues generated locally, although there’s still quite a bit of detail to come on how this will work in practice.
On skills, the £100m local apprenticeship service builds on work that organisations like Manchester Digital have been doing for years. Through Switchboard and our wider employer network, we know how important those relationships are in connecting businesses, education providers and young people. But finding opportunities is only part of the challenge, employers also need support to create roles and develop talent, particularly as AI changes the nature of entry-level work. Established networks have an important role to play in making sure this investment delivers meaningful opportunities for young people.
So perhaps not the most exciting Budget we’ve ever had, but there are some potentially important developments for our sector. As ever, the detail and how these commitments are delivered will matter, and we’ll be looking more closely at what they mean for businesses across Greater Manchester.
Katie Gallagher OBE
Managing Director, Manchester Digital
Manchester Digital Festival 2027: Programme revealed as tickets go on sale
Manchester Digital has unveiled the programme for Manchester Digital Festival 2027 (MDF27), bringing together businesses, talent, educators, innovators and industry leaders for five days of events across Manchester.
With 15 events already announced and more to come, the first wave of the MDF27 programme offers everything from industry conferences and leadership discussions to careers events, founder stories and opportunities to explore emerging technologies.
MD Members 26
Join us for the Manchester Digital Member Conference 2026, bringing together our community of digital and tech businesses for an afternoon of ideas, insight and connection.
MentorHER
Applications are now open for MentorHER Cohort 4, and we're looking for mentors and mentees to join the programme. Please share with your team.
Sector Insights
Tech Pulse: What our CTOs and senior tech leaders are saying right now
How is AI changing the way your engineering teams work day to day, and what does meaningful AI adoption look like beyond simply improving productivity?
Our engineering teams are focused on building the best possible banking experiences for our customers, and we want them spending as much of their time and energy on that as possible. While hiring is one way to increase capacity, we’re also exploring how AI agents can take on important but time-consuming tasks, from fixing bugs and applying patches to proactively investigating signals of potential issues before they arise.
For us, meaningful AI adoption isn’t just about doing things faster; it’s about fundamentally changing where our engineers spend their time, freeing them up to focus on innovation and delivering greater value to our customers. Demand for top engineers is high, Zopa is always on the hunt for new tech talent and actively welcome applications from the local ecosystem.
Peter Donlon, CTO, Zopa Bank
Canvas Events explores how technology is transforming venue finding in our latest In The Spotlight interview. CEO and Co-founder Sascha Michel discusses the company's growth, its use of AI and data to simplify event planning, and why Manchester was the natural next step for its expansion.
Max Contact asks whether businesses are making the most of AI-powered insights, drawing on a recent industry roundtable to explore how contact centres can turn growing volumes of data into meaningful action, while addressing the changing skills, responsibilities and pressures facing their teams.
Bilder Studio shares practical advice on keeping AI-generated product imagery consistent across marketing campaigns, exploring how businesses can maintain accurate product details, consistent branding and a cohesive visual style when creating images with AI.
News
What’s On
3rd November | Government Digital & Data
IT Service Manager – DVLA
Find out more
5th November | Cloudguard
Prove It or Lose the Contract: What Buyers Expect on Supplier Cybersecurity
Find out more
19th November | The Curve
From Reports to Returns: A Practical Route Up the Data Maturity Curve
Find out more
Opportunities
The Greater Manchester Tech FundCould your organisation’s old tech help make life a little easier for someone in Greater Manchester? You can donate surplus technology to help tackle digital exclusion across Greater Manchester, as part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority's scheme.
Find out more
Copyright (C) 2026 Manchester Digital. All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you have subscribed to our mailing list or have recently attended one of our events.
Our mailing address is:
Manchester Digital No.1 Circle Square 3 Symphony Park Manchester, Greater Manchester M1 7FS United Kingdom