Projects
Greater Manchester Further Education Innovation Programme (GMFEIP)
2023 to 2026 | UKRI Innovate UK and Greater Manchester Combined Authority | £6.7m total funding secured for GMColleges
GMFEIP was a two-year, place-based innovation programme delivered across all nine GM Colleges and ten boroughs of Greater Manchester. Coral Grainger conceived, designed and led the programme as Innovation Projects Director, on secondment from Manchester Metropolitan University.
The programme was built around the radial innovation network model, a delivery framework designed to position FE colleges as locally embedded innovation intermediaries, extending the reach of the innovation ecosystem to businesses and communities not typically served by university-led provision.
What we achieved
Over 2,000 employers engaged, 85% with no prior experience of innovation support
795 businesses referred into the wider innovation ecosystem
459 FE staff upskilled to provide innovation-focused advice and employer support
353 Apprentice Innovation Ambassadors trained through the Innovation Literacy Programme
Innovation Literacy Launchpad scaled nationally via train-the-trainer model: 30 facilitators trained, 275 apprentices reached across 13 colleges in England, Scotland and Wales
FE colleges repositioned as recognised contributors to regional governance, including the Greater Manchester Advanced Manufacturing (GAMA) board
Funding secured
£2.5m FEIF from UKRI Innovate UK (Year 1)
£2.5m extension for Year 2
Further Innovate UK investment to scale the Innovation Literacy Launchpad nationally
£1.1m from Greater Manchester Combined Authority to embed and sustain the programme
The radial innovation network model developed for GMFEIP has been co-authored and published by Springer (2025) and adopted as a theoretical framework in subsequent peer-reviewed academic research.
Degree Apprenticeships, Manchester Metropolitan University
2018 to 2023 | Manchester Metropolitan University
As Apprenticeships Lead for the School of Digital Arts (SODA) Coral led the development and delivery of three degree apprenticeship programmes, building employer partnerships, co-designing curriculum and managing the full programme lifecycle from Trailblazer standard development through to Ofsted inspection.
Digital User Experience (DUX) Degree Apprenticeship: led the national Trailblazer group to develop the apprenticeship standard. Only Tech Industry Gold accredited UX degree apprenticeship in the UK. Graded Outstanding at Ofsted deep dive. 38 employer partners, £2.3m income
Creative Digital Design Professional: launched 2022 with innovative hybrid delivery model. 18 employer partners, £650k income
Digital Marketing Degree Apprenticeship: launched 2019. 89 employer partners including BBC, Nestle, Bentley, DfE and Co-op. £2.3m income
Industry 4.0 Skills and Stakeholder Engagement, Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA)
Capital Relations Ltd | 2017 to 2018
Stakeholder engagement and skills planning for Greater Manchester's response to the fourth industrial revolution. Managed a cross-sector Project Board with leaders from GM LEP, Siemens, Jacobs, the Growth Company, Manchester Met and GM Colleges, developing a strategic framework for digitalisation skills and modern industrial talent supply across the city region.
Talent and Skills, Tech North / TechCityUK
2015 to 2016
Head of Talent and Skills for Tech North, part of the start-up team connecting the tech ecosystems of seven northern cities. Developed the Tech North Talent Partnership model, presented to DCMS Minister Ed Vaizey. Contributed to the design and launch of the Tech Nation Visa Scheme with UKTI, the Home Office and No.10, launched in Manchester by Baroness Joanna Shields.
National Digital Skills Strategy for Career Colleges c/o Baker Dearing Trust
Capital Relations Ltd | 2015 to 2016
Developed the national blueprint and strategy for Digital Skills Career Colleges in partnership with Lord Baker and the Career Colleges Trust, working from Westminster to design a model for vocationally specialist 14-19 institutions aligned to the needs of digital and technology employers.
Digital & Creative Faculty Development, Oldham College
Capital Relations Ltd | 2014 to 2015
Employer engagement and partnership strategy to develop Oldham College's digital and creative faculty, combining tech and creative disciplines and skills to meet modern business needs. Built the employer relationships and curriculum alignment mechanisms that connected the college's digital provision to the needs of the regional economy.