IT, telecoms and infrastructure consultancy FarrPoint has provided vital advice that led to a successful £23.8M bid to fund full-fibre connectivity in the Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) region.
GMCA was awarded the funding by the Government in the Chancellor’s spring statement as part of the £190M Challenge Fund to promote the roll out of full-fibre to local areas.
Andrew Muir, CEO and co-founder of FarrPoint, said: “This is a great result for the GMCA and the business community in Manchester, we are proud to have played a part in this. The funding is designed to provide the fastest, most reliable broadband to more businesses and homes across each region. Connectivity is already key to enabling public sector smart initiatives and allowing the public and business to take advantages of the capabilities that Gigabit connectivity brings. This demand for access will only increase and the funding will play a vital role in making sure that the deployment of gigabit-capable full fibre infrastructure is commercially viable and in place.”
Muir continued: “This funding will see more than 1,500 public sector locations in Manchester connecting to the new digital infrastructure and will include hospitals, schools and local government offices. In turn this will drive further investment in Gigabit connectivity in the area and provide the basis for the roll out of innovations in IoT and 5G technology”.
The firm, founded in Edinburgh over 10 years ago, recently opened an office in Manchester and appointed two new consultants, based in Manchester and Newcastle respectively, to represent it in the North of England.
FarrPoint worked closely with law firm Hill Dickson and commercial consultancy company Cube Ultra on the successful bid alongside the internal procurement, commercial and economic teams within GMCA. The firm has a long record of expertise in tendering and procurement for connectivity and technology solutions, working with the likes of the Scottish Government, NHS and many city and County Councils throughout the UK.
