Stockport Council

What Stockport Council does

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, established in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972, is the statutory local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, England. It operates as a public sector body accountable to residents through elected councillors and is part of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The council delivers a comprehensive portfolio of statutory and discretionary services including Council Tax administration, education and school admissions, planning and building regulation, social care, fostering services, electoral administration, waste management, housing, and library services. It employs between 1,001 and 5,000 staff and operates from headquarters at Stockport Town Hall on Edward Street, with additional offices at Stopford House.

The council's service delivery is built on a digital-first platform centered on stockport.gov.uk, supplemented by a mobile app (One Stockport Family Hubs available on iOS and Android), physical service locations including Family Hubs and libraries, and community events. Service modules span core functions such as Council Tax billing and collection, EHCP and SEND support, school admissions, electoral services, and a Priority Account Service for supplier payments operated in partnership with Oxygen Finance. The fostering service includes short-term, long-term, specialist, and parent-and-child placements, structured around the Mockingbird extended family model with 5 operational constellations. Sub-brands (Stockport Family, Stockport Live Well, Start Well Stockport, Ambitious Stockport, Business Stockport, STAR Procurement) organize services for distinct resident segments.

The council's revenue model is taxation-based, funded primarily through Council Tax (compulsory charges on domestic properties set by valuation bands A through H), central government grants allocated for statutory services, and service-specific fees and allowances. Foster carer allowances are age-based weekly payments ranging from £366 to £572 per child, with additional birthday, Christmas, holiday, and clothing allowances. Distribution to residents occurs through direct digital self-service, in-person offices, telephone support, and community touchpoints. No revenue figure is publicly disclosed in standard corporate format, consistent with government sector accounting.

Name

Stockport Council

Legal name

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

Website

https://stockport.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council is the statutory local authority for the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport in Greater Manchester, delivering Council Tax administration, education, planning, social care, fostering, electoral, and library services to approximately 300,000 residents through digital and in-person channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Executive Offices (92111), Other General Government Support (921190), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF), District Administration & Central Office (EDAJAAAA), Municipal Tax & Revenue Administration (Local) (BPAIACAD)

Keywords

• Local government services
• Council tax administration
• Social care services
• Education admissions
• Waste management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockport

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Council Tax: Council Tax is a compulsory charge on domestic properties, both owned and rented, set by the council to raise funds for providing essential local services. Anyone over 18 who owns or rents their home has to pay Council Tax.
2. Government Funding: Central government funding allocated to Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council for statutory local government services including education, social care, and infrastructure.
3. Foster Carer Allowances: Foster carers receive tax-free financial allowances per child in their care. Payments cover the cost of looking after a child and include birthday allowances, Christmas allowances, holiday grants, and mileage reimbursement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council delivers statutory local government services to residents of the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport. Core service lines include Council Tax administration, schools and education (including admissions and SEND access), planning and building regulations, adult social care, fostering, electoral services, bins and recycling, housing, and libraries. The council also operates Stockport Family, an integrated family support programme delivered through local Family Hubs.

Product overview

Stockport Council operates a comprehensive digital services platform providing access to all local government functions. The portfolio spans multiple interconnected service areas including: the main stockport.gov.uk website as the central hub; Council Tax administration and privacy management; Schools and Education services with dedicated privacy notices for each function; Electoral Services for voter registration and polling; Planning and Building regulation services; Fostering Services including payments, training, and the Mockingbird project; Stockport Family and Start Well early years services; the SEND Local Offer for children with special educational needs; Priority Account Service for supplier payments; and Data Protection services for privacy compliance. This is a unified platform structure with multiple distinct service modules serving different administrative functions rather than a commercial product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stockport Family: Family services including parenting, SEND, fostering, adoption, and childcare support for Stockport residents.
• Stockport Live Well
• Start Well Stockport
• Ambitious Stockport
• Business Stockport
• STAR Procurement

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 minor.

• Oxygen FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStockport Council partners with Oxygen Finance as the leading provider of early payment programmes in the UK. The Priority Account Service (PAS) gives suppliers the option to be paid earlier than contracted terms. Oxygen Finance contacts suppliers about the programme and manages the early payment process.
• The Fostering NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStockport Council foster carers receive membership to The Fostering Network, providing access to resources, support, and the wider fostering community. The partnership offers monthly carer support groups and access to best practice sharing.
• The Share FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvery child in care has either a Junior ISA or Child's Trust Fund opened by The Share Foundation. Only the child can access the funds when they turn 18.
• Stockport Foster Carers AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoster carers have access to the Stockport Foster Carers Association, a group run by local foster carers that provides support and advice for all foster carers, including social events for foster carers and their families.
• Disability StockportminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe council works in conjunction with Disability Stockport to provide voting facilities for all electors with disabilities.
• Mockingbird Programme (Fostering Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStockport Council participates in Mockingbird, an innovative method of delivering foster care using an extended family model. The programme has expanded to 5 constellations with hub homes and satellite homes providing peer support, sleepovers, and social activities.
• Greater Manchester Local Authorities PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStockport Council is part of a partnership between all 10 local authorities in Greater Manchester working together to recruit foster carers. The Greater Manchester Community and Hub officers offer additional support throughout the fostering journey.
• Max CardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll Stockport foster families receive a Max Card which can be used at venues across the UK to get free or discounted admission to castles, zoos, bowling alleys, trampoline parks and more.
• Life LeisureminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll Stockport foster families receive a free Life Leisure pass for themselves, their birth children, and children in their care.
• Blue Light CardminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFoster carers are entitled to a Blue Light Card offering discounts from large national retailers and local businesses including holidays, cars, days out, fashion, gifts, insurance, and phones.
• VivupminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorStockport Council foster carers can access Vivup, an employee benefits, discounts and wellbeing platform offering exclusive benefits for high street shops, savings schemes, and discounted products.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Manchester City Council: Manchester City Council is the neighbouring metropolitan borough local authority in Greater Manchester, providing an identical statutory service portfolio (Council Tax, education, social care, fostering, planning) to a larger resident population. It is the most directly comparable peer in terms of governance model, service scope, and Greater Manchester partnership participation.
• Salford City Council: Salford City Council is a fellow Greater Manchester metropolitan borough authority with the same statutory responsibilities as Stockport Council and joint participation in the Greater Manchester Fostering Partnership and STAR Procurement. Highly comparable in scale, service mix, and operating model.
• Bury Council: Bury Council is a Greater Manchester metropolitan borough authority delivering the same statutory local government services as Stockport, with shared Greater Manchester partnership structures including STAR Procurement and the fostering partnership.
• Bolton Council: Bolton Council is a Greater Manchester metropolitan borough local authority with the same statutory service obligations and Greater Manchester partnership participation as Stockport Council. Comparable in scale and operating model.
• Trafford Council: Trafford Council is a Greater Manchester metropolitan borough authority providing the same statutory portfolio of Council Tax, education, social care, fostering, and planning services. It is part of the same regional partnership arrangements and serves a directly comparable resident population.
• Wigan Council: Wigan Council is a Greater Manchester metropolitan borough authority with identical statutory responsibilities (Council Tax, education, social care, fostering, planning) and partnership participation with Stockport Council within the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council: Tameside MBC is a Greater Manchester metropolitan borough council operating the same statutory local authority functions as Stockport, with similar demographic and budgetary pressures. It participates in the same Greater Manchester partnership structures and serves as a direct regional peer for service delivery benchmarking.
• Oldham Council: Oldham Council is a Greater Manchester metropolitan borough local authority providing the same statutory service mix as Stockport Council. It participates in the same regional partnership bodies including STAR Procurement and the Greater Manchester Fostering Partnership.
• Rochdale Borough Council: Rochdale Borough Council is a fellow Greater Manchester metropolitan borough local authority providing the same portfolio of statutory services and participating in the same regional partnership bodies as Stockport Council.

Regional players

• Cheshire East Council: Cheshire East Council is a neighbouring North West England unitary authority providing the same statutory local government services. While outside Greater Manchester, it serves as a regional peer for benchmarking service delivery models and is comparable in population scale and service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/StockportMBC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpfBM_8Z3I5eAr3p0j9g8Ig
• Facebookfacebook.com/StockportMBC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stockport-council
• Instagraminstagram.com/stockportcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Stockport Council