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Nursery or childcare companies in Manchester

293 nursery or childcare companies have a registered office in Manchester, and 104 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £24,850 in cash and owed £17,083 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Child day-care activities” (SIC 88910).

The numbers

Nursery or childcare companies in Manchester compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureManchesterUK
Registered companies2938,379
Formed in 2025 or 2026104 (35%)25%
Being struck off or in liquidation15 (5.1%)5.7%
Typical cash at year end£24,85068 accounts£41,233
Typical amount owed at year end£17,083133 accounts£30,223
Typical number of employees3140 accounts6

What this means if you’re starting one

Manchester already has more of these businesses than most places

Nursery or childcare companies are 0.22% of companies registered in Manchester, against 0.15% UK-wide (1.4× the national share).

Demand here is proven, but so is choice. Customers can compare you with several nearby options.

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

35% of the 293 nursery or childcare companies in Manchester were formed in 2025–26, against 28% of all companies in Manchester.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

Planning a business like this in Manchester?

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Nursery or childcare in other places

Other businesses in Manchester

All business benchmarks in Manchester