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One North East Regional Update

What we are doing

North East England comprises Northumberland, Tyne & Wear, County Durham and Tees Valley.

Since 2002, public funders in the North East have worked together to simplify the region’s business support landscape, and continue to do so.

Examples of business support simplification in the North East include:

• Regionalisation of Business Link information, diagnostic and brokerage services in April 2007
• Office of the Third Sector funding for Social Enterprises, delivered through Business Link North East and the Investment Centre from 2007
• A joint Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS), encompassing MAS, North East Productivity Alliance (NEPA) and Designing Demand to be operational during 2008

Update on work so far

One NorthEast has already made significant progress towards simplifying business support in the region and has been actively involved in all areas of the national Business Support Simplification Programme (BSSP).

ONE has been involved in the evolution of the publicly funded business support product specifications and participates on the Steering Group and Transition Working Group. Alongside this, ONE is working with the Department for Communities and Local Government on the design of the Local Community Business Coaching offer.

Building on this approach, One NorthEast is leading the development of a regional Transition Management Plan and is establishing a regional Transition Management Board to guide the transition process. This process is being supported by a mapping exercise of all publicly funded business support in the region.

In addition, a programme of engagement with regional stakeholders is planned, building on work to date, such as the information event held in conjunction with Government Office in August 2007.

Business Link

The Business Link website should be your first port of call for finding information about business support in North East England. The website provides comprehensive information on a wide variety of business topics, including starting up, finance, taxes, sales and marketing, employing people, environment and efficiency and growing your business, among many others.

Business Link North East provide free information, can diagnose business development needs and can broker to a wide variety of interventions, delivered by the public, private and third sectors.

Business Link North East can be contacted on 0845 600 9 006.

Want to know more

One NorthEast’s website is a useful source of information, particularly about regional business support initiatives.

Contact details

Chris Taylor - Business Strategy Senior Specialist, One NorthEast
0191 229 6607

Michelle Duggan - Government Office North East