Sow the City

What Sow the City does

Sow the City is a Manchester-based Community Interest Company (CIC) and social enterprise founded in 2009 that delivers urban greening, community food growing, and nature-based projects across Greater Manchester. It operates six interconnected service pillars: Site Transformation (design and construction of biodiverse green spaces on derelict or unused urban land), Workshops and Training (food growing, nature crafts, AQA-accredited and Forest School sessions from £125 per 2-hour session), Green Volunteering (corporate team-building and CSR activities), Community Services (resident engagement and advocacy), Research and Consultancy (GIS, Biodiversity Net Gain assessment, public health and ecology advisory for government and NHS clients), and The Boiler House (a Moss Side community workshop space for woodworking, DIY and skills training). Technical components include a solar-powered hydroponics system using Nutrient Film Technology, Plant Orchestra bio-electric sensors that translate plant signals into sound, and GIS-based food poverty mapping that overlays retail availability against the Indices of Multiple Deprivation. The organization is funded through a mix of public sector contracts (local authorities, NHS trusts, schools, housing associations), corporate volunteering fees, paid workshops, and grants from the National Lottery and Big Society Capital. Since founding it has reached over 20,000 people through courses and workshops, facilitated over 15,000 volunteering hours, and transformed almost 15,000 m² of derelict land, with projects delivering a self-reported 6:1 social return on investment. Customer relationships span Manchester City Council, Stockport MBC, Southway Housing Trust, multiple NHS trusts, the National Trust, Network Rail, Friends of the Earth and corporate CSR buyers.

Name

Sow the City

Legal name

Sow the City CIC

Website

https://sowthecity.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sow the City is a Manchester-based Community Interest Company that designs and delivers urban greening, community food growing, and nature-based training projects for local authorities, NHS trusts, housing associations, schools and corporate clients across Greater Manchester.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Manchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Contracts: Contracts with local authorities, NHS, schools, and housing associations to deliver community green space development, green infrastructure improvement, nature connection programmes, health improvement, and food education projects.
2. Business Services: Corporate volunteering days, team building activities, and corporate sponsorship opportunities for businesses seeking CSR engagement.
3. Workshop and Training Fees: Paid workshops and training sessions, with workshops starting at £125 for a two-hour session for up to 12 people. Discounts available for smaller organisations and charities.
4. Grant Funding: Grant funding from organisations such as the National Lottery and social investment from Big Society Capital.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sow the City is a Manchester-based social enterprise that designs and constructs urban green spaces, delivers community food growing projects, and provides nature-based training and therapeutic horticulture programmes. Services span site transformation, workshops and training, corporate volunteering, community engagement, and research and consultancy for local authorities, NHS, housing associations, schools, businesses, and residents across Greater Manchester.

Product overview

Sow the City operates as a single unified offering focused on urban greening and community engagement rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization provides six interconnected service pillars: Site Transformation (design and construction of green spaces), Workshops and Training (educational programs including AQA accredited courses), Green Volunteering (corporate team building), Community Services (resident engagement and advocacy), Research and Consultancy (technical expertise for clients), and The Boiler House (community workshop facility). Additional services include Nature for Health (therapeutic horticulture programs) and a Referral Scheme connecting people to the network. Projects span environmental restoration, food security, health interventions, educational programs, and urban biodiversity enhancement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Boiler House: A friendly community workshop space dedicated to making and mending, located a mile from the centre of Manchester, offering access to a wood workshop, DIY workshops, and space for community events.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6:1 social return on investment for projects
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• National TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2023Partnership on Castlefield Viaduct urban park development and Station Sanctuary project at Piccadilly Station. Sow the City co-designed gardens for National Trust's Grade II listed viaduct pilot scheme.
• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStation Sanctuary partnership transforming underused space outside Piccadilly Station into a biodiverse garden.
• Manchester Action on Street Health (MASH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStation Sanctuary partnership where women from MASH co-designed the garden, shaping a space for commuters and vulnerable individuals.
• MetMUnch at Manchester Metropolitan UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Wave EU programme partnership delivering training, outreach and street action to promote climate change action and food understanding.
• Groundwork Greater ManchestermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Wave EU programme partnership engaging young people in climate change activism and urban food policy.
• Manchester Climate Change AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood Wave programme partnership for climate change and food policy engagement.
• HubbubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn Our Nature programme delivery partner, finding new ways to make Manchester greener, healthier and more connected.
• Greater Manchester Integrated Care PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablishment of NHS Green Spaces and Biodiversity Toolkit for healthcare settings.
• Natural EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWythenshawe Hospital green space research commissioned through Bollin to Mersey Nature Recovery Partnership. Supported National Nature Recovery Project programme.
• Northern Health GPPO LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Grange Community Garden development in Beswick, East Manchester, commissioned by Manchester Health and Care Commissioning.
• 4CTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Grange Community Garden partnership for wellbeing garden development.
• Friends of the EarthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPostcode Gardener programme funding and partnership for Wythenshawe greening interventions 2024-26.
• Wates Family Enterprise TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nature of Moss Side project funding for green space mapping and recommendations.
• The Growth CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport to Succeed enrichment provider, offering nature, gardening, growing, wildlife activities for programme participants.
• Being ThereminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity supporting clients with life limiting illnesses, participating in Grange Community Resource Centre sessions.
• 42nd StreetminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth mental health charity engaging with Vegetarian Society Forest Garden for community outreach.
• North Manchester General HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Minds project creating community gardens and horticultural therapy activities for mental health recovery.
• Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Health Walk development and #Thrive ecotherapy programme partnerships.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Groundwork Greater Manchester: Operates in the same Greater Manchester geography delivering community greening, environmental programmes, and partnerships with local authorities; explicitly listed as a Sow the City delivery partner on the Food Wave EU programme, making it the closest functional peer.
• Trees for Cities: UK-wide charity focused on urban tree planting and green space creation in cities, working with schools, housing associations, and local authorities — closely overlapping with Sow the City's Site Transformation and Green Volunteering pillars.
• The Conservation Volunteers (TCV): National environmental charity delivering community green space projects, conservation volunteering, and health & wellbeing programmes across the UK; directly comparable to Sow the City's site transformation, volunteering, and therapeutic horticulture offerings.
• Incredible Edible: Community food growing network operating in towns and cities across the UK; directly comparable to Sow the City's Growing Manchester, Growing Communities, and food poverty programmes.
• Garden Organic: National charity focused on organic growing, community food growing, and horticultural training — overlapping directly with Sow the City's workshops, training, and food growing programmes.
• Hubbub: Environmental charity delivering community engagement and green space projects in cities; an existing Sow the City delivery partner on the In Our Nature programme and a clear functional peer in Manchester urban greening.

Regional players

• City of Trees: Greater Manchester-based tree planting and urban woodland initiative operating in the same geography and often with the same local authority and corporate partners, competing for similar funding pots.
• The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire, Manchester and North Merseyside: Regional wildlife charity delivering urban and community nature-based projects across Greater Manchester — competing for local authority biodiversity funding and BNG-related contracts.
• Capital Growth (London Food Link): London-focused community food growing network supporting growing spaces, training, and policy; directly comparable model to Growing Manchester and Growing Communities but operating in a different UK region.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Horticultural Society (RHS): Large established horticultural organisation running community gardening, schools, and therapeutic horticulture programmes nationally; broader portfolio but overlapping in training, gardening-for-health, and community garden development.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sowthecity
• YouTubesoundcloud.com/user-839749832
• Instagraminstagram.com/piccadillystationsanctuary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sow-the-city

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Sow the City