Iconic Manchester warehouse opens its doors to entrepreneurs and SMEs, in new Enterprise City district

Bonded Warehouse, the latest space within Enterprise City, a 2 million square foot (sq ft) tech, media and cultural cluster, has opened its doors to small and medium sized businesses.

The iconic 1800s warehouse is situated within the original Granada Studios estate, in the heart of Manchester city centre, and has been redesigned and reconfigured. It now houses 10,000 sq ft of studio workspace, 66,580 sq ft of workspace and 12,760 sq ft of retail and leisure space, to provide everything needed for modern business.

The building, which was constructed in the 1860s, will contain bespoke workspaces and social spaces on every floor, a space for wellness and fitness, a brewery and tap room, Halcyon gin bar by Manchester gin distillers, Zymurgorium, and Bonded Social, an all-day/night coffee lounge for working and socialising.

Bonded Warehouse will also be home to Exchange, a revolutionary new digital and technology programme for the UK’s next best start-ups, delivered in collaboration with Tech Nation. Its mission is to support 2,000 ambitious individuals within the tech sector, over a 15 year period. Exchange is funded by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), and supported by Manchester City Council (MCC).

Bonded Warehouse is managed by All Work & Social, the work and social spaces division of the Allied London portfolio, and aims to create the ultimate blend of community, commerce and collaboration between its six levels of workspaces, studios, retail spaces and tailored event spaces.

Bonded Warehouse encourages its members to socialise and work together, in order to foster opportunities for growth and expansion, within its unique and inspiring atmosphere, as Enterprise City creates the future of modern industry.

Tanya Grady, Head of Partnerships at Enterprise City, said: “The launch of Bonded Warehouse is the latest in a series of exciting developments for the Enterprise City district. Our vision is to create a new tech, cultural and media cluster in the heart of Manchester city centre, combining all the elements that a modern business, or entrepreneur, needs to establish itself, and scale.

“The new workspace and leisure destination will be a vibrant ecosystem for contemporary commerce, and includes space for work, collaboration, learning, wellbeing, fitness and socialising. It is the latest piece of the cluster to open for business, as we continue to create an investable city in the heart of Manchester. We are also continuing to nurture start-ups and foster entrepreneurialism at all levels by launching Exchange, a unique DCMS funded programme, within the tech and digital industry, which will attract innovators, creators and trailblazers.”