The Government Property Association is looking for offices in Manchester stretching up to 100,000 square feet, CoStar News understands.
The agency, which advises on and manages government property, has instructed agents at BNP Paribas Real Estate to find between 70,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet. Sources said it put the requirement out in the final quarter of last year.
They added the government is looking to increase the number of civil servants working in the city ahead of the GPA's plans to develop a major civil service hub in Ancoats alongside Manchester City Council, comprising two buildings totalling around 860,000 square feet, read here.
Market sources added it is likely to involve a government department or agency moving into Manchester from another part of the country. The GPA is understood to be seeking a flexible lease term and wants the offices to be ready for occupation next year.
One source also said the GPA is targeting existing schemes in the city, with a limited number of projects being built. Offices under construction with availability include Bruntwood SciTech's No.3 Circle Square, which has around 137,000 square feet left after Auto Trader's 130,000-square-foot deal last year.
There are also large refurbishments that could appeal to the GPA, including Parthena Reys' repositioning of One Hardman Boulevard. The owner submitted plans in December for the 350,000-square-foot scheme which will be ready for occupation in 2026.
The GPA's hunt for sizeable offices in Manchester comes as the city has seen a slowdown in larger requirements in recent months following the competition of deals by Auto Trader as well as Bank of New York Mellon.
The US finance giant took the whole of 4 Angel Square at MEPC's NOMA, circa 200,000 square feet, while tech firm ARM signed for 69,000 square feet at Gary Neville's No.1 St Michaels, which is now fully let.
Across the regions the GPA has a number of active projects and requirements, with the agency also working up a 100,000-square-foot plus deal in Birmingham, with sources saying it is destined to take space at Credit Suisse's 120 Edmund Street redevelopment.
The government agency is also building a circa 110,000-square-foot civil service hub worth £118 million in Darlington after getting approval in August as well as a 195,000-square-foot government office in York, capable of housing 2,600 civil servants.
The GPA's plans for a large civil servant hub in Ancoats follows its deal to buy a five-acre site from the city council, which is the former Central Retail Park. It launched a consultation with Manchester City Council in the summer asking for views on the scheme that could eventually span to 1.25 million square feet.
BNP Paribas Real Estate declined to comment while the GPA did not respond to a request for comment.