Skip to main content
    Insightful AI

    Manchester and Greater Manchester

    AI consultancy in Manchester and Greater Manchester

    We are based in Warrington, a short train ride from Manchester, and we work with SMEs, charities and public sector teams across all ten Greater Manchester boroughs. We do not have a Manchester office. We have a governance-first way of working, and we bring it to your building.

    Book a free discovery callTake the free assessment

    Working in Greater Manchester

    Based near Warrington

    Insightful AI Solutions Limited, Higher Whitley, Warrington, WA4 4QW

    No local branch. We come to you.

    The ten boroughs

    • Bolton
    • Bury
    • Manchester
    • Oldham
    • Rochdale
    • Salford
    • Stockport
    • Tameside
    • Trafford
    • Wigan
    Discovery calls online. Workshops and training on site or remote.

    What Greater Manchester's AI work means for your organisation

    Greater Manchester has gone further than most regions on AI. Two things matter if you are adopting AI here.

    The first is the AI.GM strategic framework. It sets out the aim of "using AI responsibly, safely, at scale to improve outcomes for people, businesses & public services". It covers six areas, including business adoption and skills. It applies to partners across business, public services, universities, investors and government.

    The second is the AI and Data Innovation Office, set up in 2025. Greater Manchester describes it as its "centre of excellence for artificial intelligence (AI) and data-driven innovation in public services". Its stated aim is to put the region's public sector at the forefront of AI adoption by 2028.

    If you run a public sector team here, that direction is now the backdrop to your own decisions. You will be asked how your AI use is governed, not just what it does.

    For smaller organisations the picture is different. Research published by the Centre for Enterprise at Manchester Metropolitan University in February 2026 found the biggest barrier for Greater Manchester SMEs was not cost. It was not knowing enough to start. The same study found privacy worries surfaced much more strongly in conversation than in survey answers, and that demand for practical, hands-on support outstripped the structured help available. The study was small, six interviews, a focus group and around 17 survey responses, so we treat it as a description of the problem rather than a measure of it.

    That matches what we see. Most organisations do not need a strategy document. They need someone to work through their actual tasks, say what is worth doing, and put the governance in place before anything goes live.

    We are based near Warrington and work across Greater Manchester. We are not part of any regional programme, and we do not sell software.

    Who we work with in Greater Manchester

    Greater Manchester is full of organisations that report upwards. Charities report to funders and the Charity Commission. Housing providers report to a regulator. Professional firms report to clients and their own governing bodies. Public sector teams report to councillors, boards and the combined authority. When one of them starts using AI, the question that follows is always the same: can we show we did this responsibly?

    We work with the people who have to answer that question:

    • Charities and voluntary organisations across the ten boroughs, from city-centre infrastructure bodies to small community groups
    • Professional services, digital and manufacturing SMEs that handle client or customer data
    • Public sector teams, including those working alongside the combined authority and the ten councils
    • Boards and trustees who need a decision on AI they can explain later

    How an engagement runs

    A Greater Manchester engagement begins online, with a free 30-minute discovery call. If there is a fit, a one-day scoping workshop follows, in your building or remotely. The written findings report that follows is yours whether or not you commission anything else.

    Everything after that is a separate decision, made with the report in front of you. Delivery is fixed price and governed from the first day, and if AI is not the right answer for the task, the report says so.

    See how we work

    1. Discovery call

      30 minutes, no commitment

      Free. Online.

      Book a free discovery call

      If we are not the right fit, we say so at the first step, not the last.

    2. Scoping workshop

      One structured day on your real processes

      £1,500 ex VAT. One day. On site or remote.

    3. Written findings

      Report, priorities and a clear order of action

      Included in the workshop fee. Yours to keep, whether or not you go further.

    Most organisations stop here and decide. There is no obligation to go further.

    1. Delivery

      Fixed price, defined deliverables, governance built in

      Fixed price, agreed in writing before any work starts.

    2. Handover

      Documentation your team can run without us

      Included in every deployment. Written for the people who will use it.

    How we cover Greater Manchester

    We are based in Higher Whitley, near Warrington. We do not have a Manchester office, a Manchester team or Manchester-based staff, and we do not describe ourselves as a local firm. What we do is turn up when you want us to. Manchester is a short train ride from where we are, and the ten boroughs are within an easy drive.

    In practice that means the discovery call is online, the scoping workshop and any training are delivered on site or remote, and the analysis and written findings are produced from our base. Review meetings are online or on site, whichever suits your team.

    Who you will speak to

    Ben Sefton, co-founder and strategy lead

    Ben spent 18 years as a Senior Forensic Investigator with Greater Manchester Police before co-founding Insightful AI. He leads governance and advisory work.

    We also work across Warrington and Liverpool.

    Frequently asked questions

    Do you have an office in Manchester?
    No. We are based in Higher Whitley, near Warrington, and nowhere else. We do not claim a Manchester team or a local branch. What we offer is to come to you, anywhere in the ten boroughs, for workshops and training, or to run them remotely.
    Can you help us respond to a regional AI programme or a funder asking about responsible AI?
    Yes. That is governance work, which is the core of what we do. We help you write the policy, assess the risks of specific uses and record the decisions, so you have evidence rather than an intention.

    See: AI ethics and governance.

    Which parts of an engagement happen in Manchester?
    Whichever parts you want. The scoping workshop and any training are delivered on site or remote. The discovery call is online. Analysis, the written findings and build work happen from our base near Warrington, with review sessions online or on site as you prefer.
    What will it cost a Greater Manchester charity to start?
    A discovery call is free. A one-day scoping workshop is £1,500 ex VAT, with the written report included. Charity training is priced per course, with every price published on the course page. Nothing beyond that is committed until you have read the report.

    See: Responsible AI for charities.

    Do you recommend particular AI tools or vendors?
    Only when the evidence supports one for your situation. We hold no reseller or referral arrangements with any supplier, so a recommendation never carries a commission.
    Do you also cover the rest of the North West?
    Yes. Cheshire and Warrington, Merseyside and Lancashire are all covered from the same office. The Warrington page has the full address.

    See: AI consultancy in Warrington.

    Talk to us about AI in Greater Manchester

    A free 30-minute call, online. We will tell you where to start, what to leave alone, and whether we are the right people to help.

    Book a Free Discovery CallTake the free assessment