The National Business Unit will be based at Ofsted's existing regional office for the north and will also deal with all nationwide enquiries from both the public and providers relating to nurseries and childminders.
It is the first time that these functions have been brought together under one roof.
Ofsted is also recruiting 160 new administrative and managerial staff to work in the new centre at the Royal Exchange Building, increasing the number of Ofsted employees working there to 370.
As part of a recruitment campaign, advertisements for 'childcare customer contact staff' are appearing on 180,000 sandwich bags at cafes throughout Manchester.
An Ofsted spokesperson said, 'Using sandwich bags for advertising job vacancies enables us to target people who work or shop in the city centre and may be looking to change or start jobs there. Good advertising is about making people take notice - we hope the sandwich bags will do this.'
Chief inspector of schools David Bell, said, 'Ofsted has always had a significant presence in Manchester and so it was an obvious choice for us.
The centralisation of staff to deal with childcare enquires and applications will not only make better use of resources, but will also ensure a high-quality service for those using the business centre.'
The new centre is due to open on 12 December.
