NORTH East MPs have backed The Journal job creation campaign in a parliamentary motion.
The Journal has this week urged local firms to come together to bid to the Government’s regional growth fund in our Let’s Grow campaign.
The growth fund is normally out of reach to many small firms, because it needs bids worth a minimum of £1m, as well as expecting firms to have a amount of bid-writing expertise.
By pooling the bids, The Journal hopes to make one large bid and create hundreds of North East jobs.
Now Gateshead MP Ian Mearns has laid down an early day motion in Parliament praising the campaign.
Mr Mearns’ motion reads: “That this House joins business groups and unions in warmly congratulating the Newcastle Journal on the launch of its major new campaign, Let’s Grow, to help ambitious small and medium-sized companies in the North East to expand by encouraging such enterprises to form a consortium to take part in the second round of the Government’s Regional Growth Fund which has a minimum threshold of £1m for applications.
“Notes that the campaign is open to all companies with their registered head office in the North East with fewer than 250 staff, an annual turnover of no more than £25m and for a particular project which will create sustainable jobs in the region which would not go ahead without support from the fund.
“And believes that this practical action by the main business newspaper does much to underline the willingness of the North East to grow its economy and make a contribution to the UK as a whole.”
The motion has already been backed by South Shields MP David Miliband, Easington’s Graham Morris, Middlesbrough’s Tom Blenkinsop, Wansbeck’s Ian Lavery, North West Durham’s Pat Glass, Stockton North’s Alex Cunningham, Mary Glindon in North Tyneside, Catherine McKinnell in Newcastle North and Ronnie Campbell in Blyth.
The North East was one of the most successful regions in terms of securing support from the first round of bids to the fund. In total, some £50m was awarded which is expected to create or secure around 13,000 private sector jobs in the region.
North East chartered accountants UNW, who were involved in a number of successful bids to the first round of the Regional Growth Fund, will bring real practical RGF expertise and experience to the Let’s Grow campaign.
UNW’s corporate finance partner Neville Bearpark said: “We believe this campaign provides the region’s SMEs with a fantastic opportunity to access RGF funding. After this round closes there is likely to be far less support available to growing businesses in the North East so I would encourage any business with a good-quality growth project to apply now.”
