The Growth Company (GC) is seeking Expressions of Interest from community-based organisations in Manchester to deliver a new Worklessness Programme across the Manchester district.

Manchester City Council is seeking a lead provider to deliver this programme from April 2027 to March 2029. The programme aims to reduce the barriers to employment faced by Manchester’s residents and to support those struggling to stay in work, using a holistic, partnership-led approach. The primary outcome is for participants to move into work or sustain employment.

The programme aims to:
• Reduce the barriers to employment for Manchester residents.
• Engage and support people who are not in employment to participate in the labour market.
• Support people in work, at risk of falling out of work due to health conditions or disabilities, to remain in employment.
• Engage employers to provide meaningful work opportunities.
• Deliver a coherent, joined-up local work, health and skills offer.

GC is seeking Expressions of Interest from locally embedded providers who:

1) Are based in, or have a strong presence within, Manchester communities
2) Have trusted relationships with local residents and referral partners
3) Have experience supporting people facing health, disability, wellbeing or wider barriers to employment
4) Work effectively with racially minoritised communities and other underrepresented groups
5) Deliver culturally competent, trauma-informed and/or neurodiversity-aware services
6) Can contribute to delivery in priority Manchester neighbourhoods and communities
7) Can provide specialist interventions such as:
8) Mental health and wellbeing support
9) Disability support
10) Youth support
11) ESOL and language support
12) Digital inclusion
13) Confidence and motivation building
14) Community engagement and outreach
15) Employer engagement
16) Housing, debt or wider wraparound support

To apply for this EOI opportunity, please register as a supplier on the Panacea Supplier Platform at the following web address: https://app.panacea-software.com/growth

Once you have accessed the site, to view the opportunity you need to navigate to 'Register Interest', click the 'Participate' Button, then navigate to 'My Questionnaires' where you will be able to download the relevant EOI document. Your EOI submission must be made on the Panacea Portal.

The deadline for submission of the required EOI document is at 17:00pm on Friday 28th August 2026.