Manchester City Council

What Manchester City Council does

Manchester City Council is the unitary local government authority for the city of Manchester, England, serving approximately 550,000 residents with statutory public services including council tax administration, waste and recycling, social care for adults and children, housing, planning, transportation, public health, education-related services, and community programmes. It operates under the Our Manchester Strategy 2025–35, a ten-year city plan, and is coordinated regionally through the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) under devolved arrangements. The council's core technology stack is standard local-government digital infrastructure comprising CRM systems, HR and finance operating systems, and integration layers between key systems; the council does not offer commercial software products and delivers services via the manchester.gov.uk portal, physical offices, community hubs, drop-in services, and multi-platform social media.

Revenue is generated through four primary streams: council tax (a recurring property-based levy), central government funding and grants (revenue and capital settlements), business rates on commercial properties, and service fees and charges for specific services such as planning applications, parking, and means-tested social care contributions. The council has delivered approximately £440 million in cumulative savings between 2010/11 and 2023/24 amid a ~40% headcount reduction since 2010, while simultaneously growing its regeneration and capital programme. Recent high-profile partnership-led growth initiatives include the Victoria North 15,000-home new town designation with Far East Consortium, a 1,600-home deal with the Greater Manchester Pension Fund, the 900,000 sq ft Manchester Digital Campus, a £31.9m Wythenshawe regeneration with Muse, a 15-year virtual Power Purchase Agreement with AGR Renewables, and the "Mamma Mia! The Party" venue with Pophouse Entertainment at Etihad Campus. The council provides shared legal services to Salford, Rochdale, and Bolton councils, and was recognised as 2022 Local Government Chronicle Council of the Year and a 'first class Council in a city of firsts' by the LGA Corporate Peer Challenge.

Name

Manchester City Council

Legal name

Manchester City Council

Website

https://manchester.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Manchester City Council is the unitary UK local government authority serving approximately 550,000 Manchester residents, delivering statutory public services including social care, housing, waste management, council tax, planning, transportation, and regeneration, funded through council tax, central government grants, and business rates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Public Services

NAICS

Executive Offices (92111), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Council tax administration
• Adult social care
• Waste and recycling
• Urban regeneration

Headquarters

HQ city

North Manchester

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Primary local taxation charged to residents and property owners based on property valuations to fund council services.
2. Government Funding and Grants: Central government funding including revenue grants and capital funding for public services and infrastructure projects.
3. Service Fees and Charges: Fees for specific council services including planning applications, parking permits, social care contributions, and other discretionary services.
4. Business Rates: Levies on commercial properties and businesses operating within the council's jurisdiction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, England, delivering statutory public services to approximately 550,000 residents. Its core offerings include council tax administration, waste collection and recycling, social care for vulnerable adults and children, housing and homelessness support, planning and building control, roads and transport infrastructure, libraries, parks and leisure, benefits administration, public health, schools and education support, and community engagement. It also drives citywide economic growth and major regeneration projects such as Victoria North and Wythenshawe.

Product overview

Manchester City Council is a local government authority that provides public services to residents, including council tax, waste management, housing, planning, social services, education, transport, health and wellbeing services, and community support. The council does not offer commercial software products; its services are government-provided public services delivered through physical locations, websites, and digital platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Council Tax Administration Statutory administration of council tax for Manchester residents and property owners, including payment by direct debit or card, discounts and exemptions, and account changes.
• Waste and Recycling Collection Household waste, recycling, and bulky item collection service for Manchester residents, including ordering bins, boxes or recycling bags and checking collection days.
• Social Services and Adult Social Care Statutory social services for Manchester residents including adult social care, support for vulnerable adults, safeguarding, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, and Mental Capacity Act training.
• Housing and Homelessness Services Housing and homelessness support for Manchester residents, including advice, residential property support, and housing allocation services.
• Planning and Building Control Statutory planning application and building control services for residents and businesses developing property within Manchester.
• Benefits Administration Statutory welfare benefits administration for Manchester residents including housing benefit and council tax support claims and ongoing account management.
• Roads and Transport Statutory roads and transport services including roads maintenance, transport infrastructure, taxis and private hire licensing, and parking.
• Libraries Public library services for Manchester residents offering access to books, learning resources, and community programmes.
• Parks, Leisure and Arts Public parks, leisure facilities, and arts programming for Manchester residents including the Manchester Culture Awards and recreational services.
• Schools, Education and Childcare Schools, education, and childcare support services for Manchester residents and families.
• Health and Wellbeing Services Public health and wellbeing services for Manchester residents including the GM Live Well programme and family support services.
• Business and Investment Services Business rates administration, planning support for commercial developments, and economic development and investment services for Manchester-based businesses.
• Licences and Permissions Statutory licensing and permissions service for residents and businesses covering activities requiring local authority approval.
• Work, Jobs, Training and Advice Employment support and advice service for Manchester residents including job vacancies, job seeking advice, redundancy support, and apprenticeships.
• Environmental Problems Reporting Service enabling Manchester residents to report environmental problems such as fly-tipping, pollution, and other environmental concerns for council action.
• Crime and Antisocial Behaviour Services Service for residents to report crime, antisocial behaviour, and nuisance issues for council and partner agency action.
• Parking Services Parking services for Manchester including permits and parking enforcement across the city.
• Payments and Billing Unified payment portal enabling Manchester residents and businesses to make payments to the council for council tax, parking, and other chargeable services.
• Births, Marriages, Deaths and Nationality Registration Statutory registration service for births, marriages, deaths, and nationality.
• Markets Public markets service operated by Manchester City Council for residents, traders, and visitors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2% fewer children in care since 2008 compared to 35% national increase
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• CyanLinescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Partnership board co-chaired by Bev Craig (Leader of Manchester City Council) and Tom Bloxham (Chair of Urban Splash and CyanLines co-founder) to deliver 100+ mile walking and cycling network connecting Greater Manchester's parks, rivers, canals and viaducts.
• The University of ManchestermajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2026Partnership with University of Manchester and Greater Manchester Policy Hub for Areas of Research Interest (ARI) pilot, developing 13 ARIs focused on 'good growth' and 'prevention' priorities.
• Manchester DigitalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partnership with Manchester Digital and Beetroot Consulting on research 'Where are all the Black Women in Tech?' exploring structural conditions affecting Black women's participation in Greater Manchester's tech industry.
• Far East ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Hong Kong-based Far East Consortium is the development partner for Victoria North, a 15,000-home regeneration project spanning 390 acres from Angel Meadow to Collyhurst, designated as one of seven new towns by the UK Government.
• Pophouse EntertainmentmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Partnership with Pophouse Entertainment to develop Mamma Mia! The Party venue at Etihad Campus as part of Medlock Square development, hosting up to 600 guests per show.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 March 2026Partnership with GMCA on £1bn Good Growth Fund and ten-year growth pipeline, with Manchester Invest Partnership showcasing projects at MIPIM 2026.
• Clarion Housing GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 March 2026Clarion Housing Group, the UK's largest social landlord, selected as development partner for Gorton regeneration project - a ten-year commitment to deliver up to 400 homes.
• Ocean OutdoormajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 February 2026Long-term large format OOH advertising partnership with Ocean Outdoor, covering Chester Road Roundabout and 16 existing digital sites across the city.
• MOBO AwardsmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 February 2026Collaboration with MOBO Awards for Fringe Festival featuring MOBO Fringe: Manchester Talent Programme, building on £1 million+ economic impact from 2025 Newcastle programme.
• MusemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 February 2026Partnership with placemaker Muse for £31.9 million Wythenshawe regeneration plan including new food hall and Culture Hub, expected to complete in 2027.
• AGR RenewablesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Landmark 15-year virtual Power Purchase Agreement with AGR Renewables completed in 2024, supporting renewable energy infrastructure.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Birmingham City Council: UK's largest metropolitan local authority, providing the same range of statutory services (social care, waste, housing, planning) to a larger and more diverse population. Direct peer on scale, fiscal pressure, and regeneration mandate.
• Leeds City Council: Large metropolitan council in the North of England with comparable housing growth targets, regeneration programmes (South Bank), and shared exposure to local government finance settlement pressures.
• Liverpool City Council: Core city council in the North West with similar demographic profile, regeneration focus, and history of austerity-driven budget stress, making it a directly comparable statutory service delivery peer.
• Bristol City Council: Core city authority outside London with a comparable mix of regeneration, housing delivery, and devolution aspirations, often benchmarked alongside Manchester for AI/digital maturity and economic strategy.
• Sheffield City Council: Northern metropolitan borough council with parallel regeneration and housing pressures, sharing fiscal structure and devolution-region context through the South Yorkshire MCA.
• Newcastle City Council: Core city council in the North East with comparable regeneration programmes, social housing portfolio, and student-population dynamics. Peer through the MOBO Awards partnership footprint.

Regional players

• Salford City Council: Neighbouring GM council and existing shared legal services customer of Manchester City Council. Closely linked through GMCA and devolved governance structures.

Broad incumbents

• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: Statutory combined authority covering all 10 GM councils, including Manchester. Coordinates devolved transport, housing, and economic growth functions, making it a broader regional incumbent relevant to Manchester's growth strategy.
• Westminster City Council: London borough with the highest business rates base in the UK; relevant comparable for understanding the upper bound of council fiscal capacity and digital service maturity in a dense urban context.
• London Borough of Camden: Inner London borough with strong data/digital reputation and a comparable regeneration and housing delivery mandate, frequently cited alongside Manchester as a UK council innovation peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mancitycouncil
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ManCityCouncil
• Facebookfacebook.com/mancitycouncil
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/manchester-city-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/manchestercitycouncil
• TikToktiktok.com/@mancitycouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Manchester City Council