# Kao SEED Fund opens for second time to support community projects in Manchester

Date: 4 Nov 2026
Released by: Kao Data

## MediaRelease.co Summary

Data centre operator Kao Data has reopened its Kao SEED Fund, offering grants of £500 to £2,500 to community groups, social enterprises and not-for-profits in Reddish, Stockport, for projects running through 2027. The fund coincides with construction of Kao Data’s £350m data centre in North Reddish and is managed by charity organisation Sector 3. Applications close on 2 December 2026, with awards from January 2027.

## Original release

Kao Data, the specialist developer and operator of data centres, has announced the return of the Kao SEED Fund for a second time. The Kao SEED Fund will distribute funding pots of between £500 and £2,500, to community groups, social enterprises and not-for-profit organisations in Reddish for projects that will run throughout 2027. The Kao SEED Fund, which stands for Social Enterprise and Environmental Development Fund, opens for new applications on Wednesday, November 4. It coincides with the ongoing construction of Kao Data’s new £350m data centre in North Reddish. This year’s fund will focus on two themes: - Environmental Sustainability: projects that reduce waste, improve biodiversity, strengthen local links to nature, such as community gardens, alleyway projects, sustainable food growing and tool libraries. - Enterprise Innovation: projects that give local enterprises the chance to trial new initiatives that benefit the community and support local economic resilience, such as incubator market stalls and makers markets. The fund is once again being managed by Stockport’s charity infrastructure organisation, Sector 3, which will coordinate the application process, administer the funding and support successful projects. The first Kao SEED Fund supported 20 amazing community projects across Stockport throughout 2025 and included plastic donation stations and bike repair schemes to therapeutic gardening initiatives and employability programmes. Lizzy McDowell, Director of Marketing at Kao Data, said: “It’s incredibly important to us as a business to play our part in the communities where we site our data centres. The first Kao SEED Fund round funded some truly incredible community projects from across the borough of Stockport and we were really privileged to get to know them and follow their progress. “The next Kao SEED Fund round will focus on community groups and organisations located in North Reddish and South Reddish wards in order to support communities close to the data centre site. We cannot wait to find out what innovative community projects and initiatives will be on the horizon for Reddish residents.” Stockport MP Navendu Mishra supports the Kao SEED Fund and added, “Community organisations and charities play a vital role in supporting people across Stockport and strengthening our local communities. The Kao SEED Fund is a fantastic opportunity for groups in North Reddish and South Reddish to secure funding for projects that make a real difference to local people and I would encourage eligible organisations to apply.” Applications will close on Wednesday, December 2, 2026, and funding will be awarded from January 2027. There will be a Meet the Funder event on Wednesday November 11, 2026 at Re:Dish in Reddish, for charities and community groups to find out more about the SEED Fund. Source: https://kaodata.com/discover/news/kao-seed-fund-opens-for-second-time-to-support-community-projects-in-manchester/

## Key details

- Author/spokesperson: Kao Data
- Published: 4 Nov 2026
- Publisher country: United States
- Topics: Data Center

Original source: https://kaodata.com/discover/news/kao-seed-fund-opens-for-second-time-to-support-community-projects-in-manchester/
MediaRelease.co canonical URL: https://mediarelease.co/us/mr02619-kao-seed-fund-opens-for-second-time-to-support-04112026.html