The North East Chamber of Commerce has come together with a number of other organisations in the region to boost support for start-ups and small businesses.
The Chamber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with North East Enterprise Agencies, whose members work to help smaller firms. North East BIC, Northumberland Business Services, TEDCO, Project North East, Enterprise Made Simple, South Durham Enterprise Agency, and CDC Enterprise Agency have joined the partnership, which is designed to help more entrepreneurs and small businesses launch, grow and succeed.
Through the MoU, the organisations aim to work more closely to share expertise, deliver joint events, mentoring and training, and connect businesses to the networks and resources they need.
Paul McEldon, chief executive of North East BIC and chair of NEEAL, said: “I’m delighted to be formalising this strategic alliance with the Chamber. As a partnership of like-minded champions of enterprise, we’ve always believed the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and working together, we can achieve far more than we could individually.
“Enterprise makes an immense contribution to the North East economy, and helping people realise their ambitions to create sustainable businesses can have life-changing impacts. By aligning with the Chamber, which shares our ethos and offers significant opportunities for new businesses, we can amplify those outcomes even further. Our members are excited to join forces and take this initiative forward.”
Kevan Carrick, chair of North East BIC, added: “With Government funding reducing, it’s more important than ever to take a collaborative approach to growing the number of businesses and strengthening the regional economy.”
The MoU takes effect immediately and will run for an initial 12 months, with both parties committed to reviewing and building on the partnership over time. Businesses supported by any of the NEEAL member agencies can get a 10% discount on Chamber membership.
Sarah Skelton, senior membership development and operations manager at the Chamber, said: “Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and their success is vital to the region’s prosperity. This partnership with NEEAL means we can make it even easier for entrepreneurs and small business owners to find the right advice, connections and confidence to grow.
“Together we can help more businesses unlock their potential and contribute to a stronger, fairer North East.”
