One Page Summary

Cities are full of generous people who are deeply caring. But as often as you give someone a few quid, or buy them a sandwich - you still aren't able to help to get people off the streets in the long term.

TAP will enable people to give a one-off £3 contactless payment to tackle homelessness that will make a difference, all while collecting a new cultural product: an art card that tells the story of the city that week through the work of a local artist.

We will buy and place 20 contactless boxes in bars, cafes and offices across the city. The units we use are splash-proof, robust and can be left unattended.

All proceeds from sales will go to local charities and services which create employment opportunities for homeless individuals. They will use these funds to pay for homeless people to receive training courses for practical roles, supplement/provide apprenticeship wages, and other relevant support.

All impact will be publicly available and recorded, so Manchester is able to feel proud of the impact that their TAPs are having.

The potential return is enormous. If each of those boxes received just 2 taps a day; the £30,000 investment will have been re-granted in nine months. If they received 10 taps a day, it would take just two months. 

But its not just about the money. TAP Manchester will be a positive voice for homeless people and a champion for their unfulfilled potential.  And that voice will be primarily fueled by the creative community; luckily Manchester is one of the most creative cities in Europe. It is a hotbed for young talent, with 7,000 creative students. But there also need to be more opportunities for exposure, with 59% of artists in early-stage careers (Slater et al, 2014). TAP cards will offer a unique platform for these artists to be showcased alongside some of Manchester's most recognisable artists.

In phase two of TAP Manchester, we would like to role out the infrastructure for employing our own vendors, using the same model as TAP London.