--- title: "Big tech office space in Manchester" description: "Where big tech occupiers cluster in Manchester, what they pay, and what the typical fit-out looks like." canonical: https://classa.info/cities/manchester/industries/big-tech pageType: city-industry lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Big tech occupiers in Manchester typically cluster in New Bailey / Salford Central, plan ~160 sqft per seat at high-end fit-out ($180–260/sqft), and pay around 45 GBP/sqft ($57 USD) on Class A. ## TL;DR - Preferred submarket: New Bailey / Salford Central. - Typical fit-out spec: High-end ($180–260/sqft). - Plan ~160 sqft per seat for headcount sizing. - Class A rent context: 45 GBP/sqft ($57 USD). - Typical lease: 10 years with 18 months rent-free. - Talent depth in Manchester: 85/100. # Big tech office space in Manchester **Big tech occupiers in Manchester typically cluster in New Bailey / Salford Central, plan ~160 sqft per seat at high-end [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out ($180–260/sqft), and pay around 45 GBP/sqft ($57 USD) on [Class A](/glossary/class-a).** ## TL;DR - Preferred submarket: New Bailey / Salford Central. - Typical fit-out spec: High-end ($180–260/sqft). - Plan ~160 sqft per seat for headcount sizing. - Class A rent context: 45 GBP/sqft ($57 USD). - Typical lease: 10 years with 18 months rent-free. - Talent depth in Manchester: 85/100. ## Where they cluster Big tech occupiers in Manchester typically anchor in New Bailey / Salford Central. Financial services, professional services, government, tech. ## What they pay Class A rent in Manchester runs 45 GBP/sqft ($57 USD) on a 10-year lease with 18 months free. Prime submarkets sit at or modestly above the city index. ## Spec and fit-out Typical big tech fit-out targets high-end specification at $180–260/sqft. Branded reception, full client-facing programming, premium furniture, and specialist AV are standard. ## Headcount sizing Plan around 160 sqft per seat blended (workstation + circulation + amenity). A 100-headcount big tech office in Manchester typically targets 16,000 sqft of leasable area. ## Talent angle Engineering campuses gravitate to creative-class submarkets adjacent to public transit, universities, and dense talent housing. Strong tech, media, banking, and professional services talent. University of Manchester, MMU, and Salford anchor the regional pipeline — among the largest in Europe by enrollment. Strong graduate retention drives the post-2015 tech absorption pipeline. ## Tax and lease context Headline corporate tax: 25%. Full Repairing and Insuring (FRI) structures predominate. 10-year terms with 5-year tenant breaks are standard. Rent reviews to open-market every 5 years. Rent-free periods of 18-24 months on a 10-year term, plus £40-£60/sqft TI typical. ## Key facts | city | Manchester| | industry | Big tech| | naics | 518210, 541511, 541512| | preferredSubmarket | New Bailey / Salford Central| | preferredFitoutSpec | High-end| | fitoutBand | $180–260/sqft| | sqftPerSeat | 160| | classARentLocal | 45 GBP/sqft/yr| | classARentUsd | $57/sqft/yr| | vacancyPct | 11.2%| | typicalLeaseYears | 10| | typicalRentFreeMonths | 18| | talentIndex | 85| | corporateTaxPct | 25%| ## Frequently asked questions ****Where do big tech occupiers lease office space in Manchester?**** : Most cluster in New Bailey / Salford Central. Rent runs ~45 GBP/sqft ($57 USD) for trophy and prime stock. ****What fit-out spec do big tech occupiers run in Manchester?**** : Typically high-end at $180–260/sqft. ****How much office space per seat should a big tech occupier plan in Manchester?**** : Plan ~160 sqft per seat blended. A 100-person team typically takes 16,000 sqft. ****What NAICS codes describe the big tech vertical?**** : Representative NAICS 2022 codes: 518210, 541511, 541512. ****What is the talent index in Manchester?**** : 85/100. Use the city profile for full detail. ## Related - [**Big tech — global overview**](/industries/big-tech) - [**Manchester — full city profile**](/cities/manchester) - [**Financial services in Manchester**](/cities/manchester/industries/financial-services) - [**Asset management in Manchester**](/cities/manchester/industries/asset-management) - [**Investment banking in Manchester**](/cities/manchester/industries/investment-banking) - [**Legal services in Manchester**](/cities/manchester/industries/legal-services) ## Editorial provenance Reviewed by [**Class A Atlas Editorial Desk**](/about/authors/class-a-atlas-editorial-desk) — House byline · global editorial team. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards). ### Primary sources for this page - [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE - [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL - [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield - [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills - [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers [Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections) ## Related topics - [**Class A Lease Negotiation**](/topics/class-a-lease-negotiation) — How to negotiate a Class A office lease — the playbook from LOI to signed deal. - [**Hybrid Workplace Strategy**](/topics/hybrid-workplace-strategy) — How to size, structure, and lease a Class A office for a hybrid workforce. - [**ESG / LEED for Tenants**](/topics/esg-leed-tenants) — How tenants evaluate, negotiate, and report on ESG performance in a Class A office lease. - [**Cross-border Expansion**](/topics/cross-border-expansion) — How to run a coordinated Class A office search across multiple geographies. - [**Fit-out Capex**](/topics/fit-out-capex) — How to budget, sequence, and govern Class A office fit-out capex. - [**Lease vs Flex**](/topics/lease-vs-flex) — When premium flex (coworking, [managed office](/glossary/managed-office)) beats a conventional Class A lease — and vice versa. --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/cities/manchester/industries/big-tech), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.