Engineered living materials (ELMs), composed of living cells embedded in a biocompatible matrix, promise to revolutionize multiple fields including tissue engineering and artificial meat production, however there remains a challenge to precise 3D control of material properties and desired cellular outcomes. The Printed Symbiotic Living Tissues consortium (PRISM-LT) seeks to solve this problem, by developing a platform where naïve stem cells are 3D bioprinted alongside “helper” microorganisms, which are genetically modified to guide differentiation of naïve mesenchymal stem cells. One challenge facing synthetic consortia of mammalian cells and bacteria is preventing bacteria from outcompeting mammalian cells. Minicells, anucleoid spherical cells produced by abberant bacterial cell division, are a potential solution to this. To this end, we have developed a minicell producing strain of E. coli through deletion of minCD. Minicells from this strain – purified by differential centrifugation and ceftriaxone treatment – show the ability to accumulate growth factors expressed from their parent cells. Specifically, sfGFP tagged bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) accumulates within the minicells, whilst BMP2 fused to an autosecretion signal successfully expresses on their surface. We show that minicells are capable of being incorporated into polylysine-PEG-alginate microcapsules, and interact with gelatin methacrylate microparticles within those capsules – suggesting their biocompatibility. Finally, we test a suite of L-lactate biosensing plasmids to generate minicells with a tuneable response to a common mammalian metabolite. Together, this work advances minicells as a tool for incorporation within engineered living materials – providing the dynamic activity of viable bacteria without the risk of outgrowing mammalian culture companions.