About Us
We are an independent private sector company which is working to improve business support across the region, to deliver a real impact on the economy of North East England. We achieve this through the delivery of the Business Link, North East England Service Provider Register and North East England Investment Centre services in the North East.
Business & Enterprise North East is single-mindedly focused on transforming the Region's economy by bringing customers a consistently high quality, responsive and dynamic service. We are funded by One NorthEast and the Learning and Skills Council. Our services are supported by the European Regional Development Fund, through the Government Office for the North East.
We are a key feature in delivering the North East's Regional Economic Strategy that seeks to address the region's record on new business creation and economic productivity. In bringing together One NorthEast and Learning and Skills Council resources, the creation of Business & Enterprise North East represents the first key step along the way to delivering a truly regional business support service. Our team will enable more businesses to achieve their goals and contribute even more to the region through creating more employment and prosperity.
Our portfolio of services therefore runs through all the key stages of the Region's business network stimulating people to start up businesses, helping new businesses at the early stages, then accelerating and/or easing the growth trajectories of high added-value businesses and working with suppliers to provide solutions to North East businesses.
The following services form part of our delivery portfolio:
Business Link, as part of a National franchise, the Business Link service includes the following support:
- Information/general support:
a universal information service provided to all businesses. - Pre-start assistance:
this involves stimulating the interest in and commitment to starting businesses in the region. - Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage for start-ups:
dedicated diagnostics and brokerage for start-ups during the first 12 months of trading. - Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage for established businesses:
dedicated Diagnostics and Brokerage early stage businesses and more mature companies providing the strategic return required. - Workforce development Information, Diagnostic and Brokerage:
dedicated diagnostics and brokerage for the workforce development needs of the region's businesses.
The North East England Investment Centre (NEEIC) works to assist new and existing businesses to develop and grow by investing public funds in companies that are entering into business development projects, using external suppliers. This can include projects from marketing, strategic planning and website development to staff training courses and director development. All applications for financial support are assessed on the contribution they make to improving the economic prosperity of the region.
The North East England Service Provider Register (NEESPR) is a regional register of service providers that can provide business development solutions to the north east business community. This is the only register being used by all Business Link Brokers to impartially source provision for their clients. Use of the NEESPR is also extending to other business support organisations in the region.
Our Structure
Our team, which currently comprises over 420 members of staff, work within a number of different disciplines (Skills, Customer Service, Investment, Finance, Procurement, Facilities, Human Resources, Account Management, Administrative Support, Operations, Marketing and Information) to support the business. Our structure is as below:
