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Hello, and welcome back to our first newsletter 2026! We hope all our readers have enjoyed a wonderful and relaxing festive break.
As we pack away our Christmas jumpers, and trade mince pies for meeting invites, we've celebrated the start of the New Year with exciting news. Over the last few weeks, we've been delighted to welcome two new members to our growing team.
As our newest Digital Strategy Officer, Ismahan Hassan will lead programme co-ordination across the Strategy, strengthening our day-to-day delivery, reporting and alignment as we bring our ambitious 2026 Delivery Plan to life. Joining just before the Christmas break, it's been a pleasure to get to know Ismahan as she's started to support our team to stay organised, co-ordinated and accountable. We're looking forward to working alongside her as helps us to further amplify the Strategy's impact!
Last week, we were also excited to be joined by Sam Milsom as our new Senior Digital Strategy Officer. Already a familiar face in Manchester's tech ecosystem, Sam will be leading the development and delivery of our Digital Inclusion Action Plan, driving forward our Let's Get Digital team's vital mission to support all people in Manchester to access the benefits of being online. If you have an interest in these areas of the Strategy, do reach out and say hello!
January also saw us spend an inspiring afternoon at Sister for Manchester's inaugural #BuildLikeAPro event. Bringing together over 100 founders from across the UK to create, connect and compete, founders transformed innovative ideas into working products in just 48 hours - many without any previous coding experience! We're hugely proud to have sponsored the event, and look forward to supporting more opportunities for all founders to access the community, support and investment to succeed.
Continue reading to explore our biggest highlights from the last year; receive your invitation to join our upcoming AI conference; and discover an exciting funding opportunity for founders working in creative technology.
Happy reading, and see you next time!
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We're kicking off the New Year by looking back on our biggest highlights from 2025!
From community co-creation and research reports to conferences and connectivity mapping, it's been an action-packed year for our growing team. To celebrate, we've brought together a list of moments that have made us most proud to be a part of Manchester's Digital Strategy.
Head over to our website to explore our 2025 reflections in full. We can't wait to see what 2026 has in store!
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Save the date in your diaries!
We're thrilled to be partnering with the brilliant team at Nexer Digital to host our first unconference, generously supported by Digital Futures at the University of Manchester. The participant-led event will bring together public sector leaders, academics and civic tech practitioners to explore how AI could be used for the benefit of society.
We want to explore a range of topics and challenges, including how we might:
- Shape local and regional priorities for responsible AI adoption.
- Identify where AI can deliver real public and social value.
- Connect research, policy and practice to turn ideas into action.
- Give communities a voice in shaping inclusive AI.
Whether you're a student looking to begin your journey in tech, an AI expert already shaping policy and practice, or simply interested in the role AI increasingly plays in all our lives - if you've got ideas to share, we'd love to hear from you!
Find out more, or register for your FREE ticket by heading over to the link below.
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Last week, we were excited to bring together our amazing people's panellists to share their insights on a public-facing version of Citizens Advice's Caddy tool.
Led by Manchester Metropolitan University in collaboration with Manchester City Council, the People's Panel for AI aims to empower residents to shape the use of AI in frontline service delivery.
Caddy is a Generative AI powered support tool used internally by Citizens Advice advisor teams. A public-facing version could help Citizens Advice to increase the impact and reach of their support.
After hearing a presentation from Stuart Pearson, Head of Innovation at Citizens Advice SORT, panellists took part in consequence-scanning exercises to explore the potential benefits and possible negative impacts of the proposed tool. Ultimately recommending a hybrid approach providing different levels of help based on user need, insights from the panel will be used to inform Caddy's future development, ensuring that the tool remains transparent, safe and informed by human need.
We're looking forward to hosting two more panels with Manchester City Council's ICT team later this week. In the meantime, explore Stuart's experiences of taking part in the panel by clicking on the link below!
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 MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub Grants
Are you a Greater Manchester–based SME working with immersive, creative technology or creative AI?
Round 3 of MediaCity Immersive Technologies Innovation Hub's Grant Fund is now open, supporting practical projects across all sectors where immersive, creative and media technologies are applied.
The fund is ideal for teams looking to complete an in‑flight project, rapidly test a new idea, or prove feasibility before scaling.
Grants of up to £10,000 are available, covering up to 50% of eligible project costs.
Applications are live and will be awarded rolling basis until all available funds have been allocated, so make sure you don't miss out!
Find out more or apply by heading over to the link below.
Digital Skills Festival 2026
The North's flagship skills festival is set to return from 2nd - 6th February 2026, bringing together Greater Manchester’s tech community for a week of collaboration, inspiration and action.
Taking place across some of the city’s most iconic venues, the week-long festival connects industry, education and emerging tech talent to explore the key issues shaping our digital future – from skills and diversity to AI, leadership and opportunity.
Key days include:
- Future Innovators
- Digital Her: Driving Diversity
- Talent: Pathways Into Tech
- Digital Leaders & Digital Skills Feast
- AI Futures
Register for your place, or find out more, by visiting the Digital Skills Festival website.
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Digital Inclusion Good News
The Digital Inclusion Team recently distributed 100 refurbished smartphones with 12 months of free data to Manchester organisations, as part of Hubbub’s Community Calling programme.
There was a huge response to the application process, with over 2,000 phones applied for, showing how valuable these donations are for our communities. Overall, the Let's Get Digital team were able to support 25 organisations working with vulnerable residents such as those experiencing homelessness, older adults and asylum seekers and refugees.
Thank you to Hubbub for working with us to ensure more residents have access to the digital tools they need!
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Every month, we'll be sharing updates, news, and opportunities from the Digital Strategy Team, our partners, and the wider digital ecosystem. Whether you're interested in collaborating, have questions, or simply want to learn more about our ambitious vision for Manchester's digital future, we'd love to hear from you!
Find out about the different ways you can reach us below:
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