Manchester Digital Development Agency

Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA) is responsible for co-ordinating the Digital Strategy for the Manchester city region and has a number of key roles in supporting growth, employment and skills, including:

• Supporting Manchester 's thriving digital business sector through its work with the independent trade association Manchester Digital;
• Organising and delivering events and workshops to increase the digital skills of residents, businesses and third sector organisations;
• Developing Manchester as a Smart City through the Manchester Living Lab and a range of open innovation projects.

MDDA was founded in 2003 and has strong connections to many organisations carrying out digital work in the business, government, academic, cultural and community sectors locally, nationally and internationally. If we cannot help you directly we probably know someone who can.

You can find out more about MDDA online at:

• MDDA website: http://www.manchesterdda.com/
• MDDA on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mdda
• MDDA on Vimeo: http://vimeo.com/mdda

Contact us by phone on 0161 255 8111 or by email at info@manchesterdda.com.

Supporting Manchester 's digital businesses

MDDA provides signposting and networking services to help you connect with the digital business sector in Manchester, which ranges from social gatherings such as GeekUp, Northern Digitals, and Social Media Manchester, to creative spaces such as the MadLab and the Fab Lab Manchester.

MDDA supports Manchester Digital, the independent trade association for the thriving ICT and new media industries in the North West of England. Manchester Digital organises the flagship Big Chip Award, runs regular top quality seminars and evening events, and supports small self-help groups and networks offering practical help and advice: http://www.manchesterdigital.com/.

Supporting growth, employment and skills

MDDA has a priority in working to increase the digital skills of Manchester 's residents and businesses through a number of free workshops and events, working in partnership with local regeneration agencies and private sector partners.

Now in their sixth successful year, MDDA's popular Selling on the Web series of evening workshops gives small businesses the knowledge and skills they need to start trading online. Attendees learn directly from local digital experts in web design, marketing and law.

Our Web Workshops for community and voluntary groups demonstrate how to use low cost and free web tools and services to collaborate, share and store information and improve their organisation's online presence.

Connecting 2.0 Communities are free drop-in surgeries at which community groups and small businesses can get direct, face-to-face advice and support from local technology companies.

Making Manchester a Smart City

MDDA is involved in a range of open innovation projects that are working to make Manchester a Smart City through the Manchester Living Lab, supported through a range of EU programmes. The projects include involving citizens in testing energy management systems through smart meters, working with government agencies to open up data, developing a next-generation access fibre based digital infrastructure  and working with local residents to equip them with the skills to support the co-production of new community services.

The Europe-wide SMARTiP - Smart Citizens in Smart Cities and APOLLON Living Lab projects are developing tools and techniques to embed Smart City open innovation processes in Manchester.