County Durham companies looking for investment to help grow their business, create jobs and deliver new innovations are being invited to a special event being held to mark the launch of the North East Fund (NEF), a £120m investment pot delivering significant funding opportunities to regional SMEs.
The event, taking place from 8:30am on Friday 25 May 2018 at Ramside Hall, Durham, is open to companies of all sizes operating across all industries who may be considering funding to accelerate future growth, develop new ideas or engage new technologies in order to unlock potential.
£20m of the North East Fund has been allocated specifically for investment in County Durham and the event will provide a unique opportunity for business owners to meet with North East Fund managers, local economic development and financial representatives. Attendees will be able to discuss the benefits of investment for growth, obtain information regarding the five separate fund categories available within the North East Fund and network with other organisations who have previously gone down the investment route to achieve success.
Andrew Mitchell, CEO of North East Fund Limited explained, “This is a great opportunity for County Durham businesses to come along, find out more about the North East Fund and what exactly is available to them in terms of investment opportunities. More than £120m of investment is now accessible over the next five years through five different funds, namely The Venture Fund, The Development Capital Fund, The Growth Capital Fund, The Small Loans Fund and the Innovation Fund, and we anticipate over 600 businesses across the North East could directly benefit from it. This could also mean the creation of approximately 3,500 jobs which is a fantastic prospect for the region and will also create a legacy of around £80m for further investment.”
The North East Fund is managed by North East Fund Limited (NEFL) and delivered through four specialist fund management organisations including Maven Capital Partners, NEL, Northstar Ventures and Mercia Capital Partners. It comprises of five separate funds that are available to SMEs across Durham, Sunderland, Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle and Gateshead local authorities.
Brian Archer, Managing Director of Business Durham said, “Companies tell us all the time how important the right funding is to help them thrive and grow. Our own Finance Durham fund was set up for that reason and is already supporting companies across County Durham. The funding available through the North East Fund offers company a range of finance options and we encourage businesses to come along to find out more and take advantage of the funding available.”
Companies can register their interest in the event taking place at Ramside Hall, Durham, from 8:30am on Friday 25 May 2018 by going to www.northeastfund.org or by emailing: [email protected]
