Connect, learn, and thrive. The membership connects you to freelancers who get it.​ No spam. No gimmicks. Just real growth.

Access startup support and accelerate growth for your tech business

Search current funding opportunities from across UKRI, research councils and Innovate UK

Helping innovative digital businesses across the North East to collaborate, commercialise and attract finance.

Open to businesses and social enterprises based in Gateshead, Pathways to Innovation looks to help enterprises overcome the barriers preventing them from accessing innovation and growth, both individually and as a region.

The complete technology solution for your e-Procurement value chain.

Digital Catapult has launched this state-of-the-art 5G Immersive Lab in partnership with the North East Combined Authority to break down the barriers to digital adoption in the North East.

Access tailored support from industry experts to grow your business internationally through digital, including ecommerce.

Destination North East England has a collective ambition to double the size of our region's economy in ten years time.

Support designed to help individuals looking to start their own business or in the early stage of trading.

The Sunderland Skills and Inclusion Programme (SSIP) offers Sunderland businesses and employees the opportunity to access fully-funded courses spanning a range of subject specialisms and disciplines.

The Early Connect Employer Service is your one-stop-shop for expert apprenticeship guidance and advice.

The Social Enterprise Boost Durham project can help you with free business support and funding to start you on your journey for change in your community.

Invest Newcastle is an award-winning investment promotion agency working to drive economic growth, secure capital investment and attract companies to locate, expand and thrive in Newcastle.

Help to Grow: Management Essentials is a free, online course that explains the essential business concepts required for growth.

Free one-to-one support and mentoring for growing businesses which have been trading for more than 12 months in North Tyneside.

If you’re just starting to think about growing your business, or perhaps you have drafted a growth plan that you’d like to talk through with an expert, then this programme was developed with you in mind.

The Esports Business Cluster (the first and only in the UK) aims to create and support businesses already actively working or seeking to work within the esports sector.

Sunderland Innovate and Grow (SIG) brings together a range of complementary activities to catalyse and support innovation and business growth in the city.

Wear Together provides social entrepreneurs in Sunderland with access to business support and grants assisting them with start, development, and growth of social businesses.

Local Women Local Enterprise, a project by The Millin Charity, provides specialist enterprise support for women in Gateshead and Newcastle.

SONIC Labs Technology Access Programme (TAP) is an 8-month structured programme developed by Digital Catapult in collaboration with Ofcom, running from June 2024 to January 2025.

Durham Start-Ups is part of the Enterprising Durham programme of support, ensuring start-ups, sole traders, social entrepreneurs, budding founders and freelancers in Durham get off to the best start with the right skills.

Gateshead BIG is a brand new programme, delivered exclusively by Smarta, for established companies based in Gateshead that have ambitions to scale-up their operations.

Delivered by Smarta, Gateshead Start-up Skills is all about ensuring startups, sole traders and freelancers in Gateshead get off to the best start with the right skills.

Enterprising Sunderland is a project designed to unlock the potential of future entrepreneurs within our communities and to support businesses from all sectors to grow and innovate.

Local Automotive Business Support - Sunderland (LABS-S) is a tailored package of support for Sunderland businesses wanting to grow and thrive within the automotive sector.

Changemakers from Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland are invited to join NE BIC, Junction Point, PNE and Millin Charity to make a difference through enterprise.

eBay for Change is a free programme for social enterprises with products to sell.

Scale-up North East works with businesses that can demonstrate both the hunger and potential to achieve high levels of growth.

Rising Stars is Tech Nation’s pitch competition for early-stage tech startups.

The Better Business Skills programme provides fully funded business skills sessions and mentoring for North of Tyne residents aged 19+

The North of Tyne Culture and Creative Zone (CCZ) Programme is a new programme that aims to establish a supportive and attractive environment for creatives and cultural businesses to locate, start-up and grow.

Empowering Farm Enterprises: Specialised Support for Growth, Resilience and Diversification.

Specialist support for businesses located in rural Northumberland.

Support for new Northumberland businesses and residents looking to pursue a business idea

The Creative Enterprise Business Builder is a grant initiative designed to support companies who work in moving image for storytelling, spanning film television, games, animation and immersive industries.

Digitalising our Town Centres (DTC) support is available to town centre traders from across Gateshead, aiming to increase and improve digital skills within businesses.

Creative Enterprise Scaling Up is a brand new 5-month business development programme, to support companies working in the screen sector.

The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses UK programme is designed to provide high-quality, practical education and business support to leaders of high-growth small businesses and social enterprises across the country.

The Digital Pathfinders Digital Tech Resilience Grant is now available to Newcastle-based businesses.

Tech Startup Sunderland is a free programme of activity to help entrepreneurs across Sunderland to bring their tech and digital ideas to life through a wide range of expert-led support.

Growth Track is a support service for high-growth businesses looking to increase market share, develop a new product or service, or enhance customer experience.

Start up and grow in space with the UK Space Agency Accelerator.

The NERCCU offer free advice and guidance to businesses in the North East, and provides a range of services to ensure organisations have the basics in place.

A free programme offering Digital Skills, Leadership and Business Management to businesses across Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside

Helping ambitious business owners to prepare for sustainable high-growth, the Entrepreneurs' Forum's Scale-up Leaders' Academy will enable you to scale sustainably with the support of your peers and a clear strategic plan.

The World Franchise Council (WFC) is a non-political association of more than 40 national franchise associations from around the world.

Whether you are a local, national or international employer, Sunderland University will work with you to promote your organisation and its opportunities to our tomorrow-making students and graduates.

The UK Export Academy (UKEA) from the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) is a free training programme for UK businesses of all sizes looking to grow their international sales.

TusPark Newcastle works with Barclays Eagle Labs, the latest cluster of tech incubators in the UK, connecting UK companies directly to Chinese industries, universities and governments across the TusPark global network.

Sponsored by the Department for Business & Trade, the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) defends UK economic interests against unfair international trade practices,

ToNetZero gives employees and business owners access to training and one-to-one support to help them join the North East’s drive to reach net zero.

Free courses to help you learn new skills or get a new job.

The Family Business Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation founded by The Family Business Community to enable the UK family business sector to access educational and professional development support for both present and future generations.

The Entrepreneurs' Forum brings together like-minded business owners to share experience and help each other grow their companies faster.

There are opportunities for UK companies to supply products and services to the international science facilities in which the UK is a member.

A supply chain programme designed to boost supply chain growth and productivity in the North of Tyne and wider North East England region’s offshore wind and subsea sectors.

The Durham University SME Information Hub provides information and guidance on how the Career Service can help you engage with students and harness the best talent to take your business forward.

The SME Climate Hub is a non-profit global initiative that empowers small to medium sized companies to take climate action and build resilient businesses for the future.

Skills Bootcamps offer free, flexible courses of up to 16 weeks for adults aged 19+ who are either in work or recently unemployed.

Quality Franchise Association is a not for profit, trade association that assists both franchise businesses and individuals that are interested in franchising to start their own business.

Produced in Northumberland is the only fully audited scheme that verifies businesses who are producing or using local Northumberland products.

If your business has been running for more than 12 months, you can access 12 hours of expert business advice through the PNE Enterprise Business Hub programme.

ORE Catapult enables innovation and accelerates the development of offshore renewable energy, growing businesses and creating jobs throughout the UK.

The North East Combined Authority’s North East Ambition programme supports businesses and employers to work collaboratively with schools and colleges.

Northern Accelerator is an exciting collaboration between the North East’s universities, creating real-world impact from world-leading research, commercialising innovation and boosting the region’s economy.

NEPIC is an award winning membership organisation working with the chemical-using industries in the North East of England.

The North East’s largest and most influential business membership network.

The North East Business Resilience Centre are a police-led, not for profit organisation providing 24/7 support to small and medium businesses, our trusted Centre forms a partnership network to protect businesses from risk.

The Better Health at Work Award recognises the efforts of employers in the North East and Cumbria in addressing health issues within the workplace.

The North East Automotive Alliance (NEAA) is an industry-led cluster group, established to support the economic sustainable growth and competitiveness of the sector in the North East of England.

Business development experts for the energy sector. NOF work on behalf of their members and their network of partners to put companies of all sizes in touch with the best and most innovative supply chain businesses in the UK.

Newcastle University provides a range of recruitment services to employers across the North East.

National Innovation for Data (NICD) helps organisations to unlock value in their data by helping organisations to learn new data skills to become more productive.

A world-leading organisation supported by an initial investment from UK Government and Newcastle University – to help co-develop and bring to market products and services which create a world in which we all live better, for longer.

National Careers Service can support employers to support staff progressing their career journeys.

Made Smarter Adoption North East helps manufacturers in the region increase profits, improve efficiency and grow by investing in smart technology.

Providing a search facility to search for commercial land and property in Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and Durham

Start-up Loans has partnered with The Open University to create a range of free courses for entrepreneurs.

Lawyers For Your Business puts you in touch with a solicitor who can talk you through the legal issues you face and what you need to do next in a free 30-minute consultation.

The Productivity and Growth Programme supports businesses in all sectors in County Durham.

Make UK champions and celebrates British manufacturing and manufacturers. Together, we build a platform for the evolution of UK manufacturing.

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) link forward thinking businesses with the UK's world class knowledge bases to deliver innovation projects led by inspired graduates

Invest North East England is the first point of contact for businesses looking to locate and invest in our region.

With our rich history of inventiveness and community spirit, we aim to combine citizen insights, business knowledge and design thinking to establish the North of Tyne region as an international leader in innovation for the Internet of Caring Things market

Health Innovation North East and North Cumbria (HI NENC) has developed The Innovation Pathway. A vehicle for articulating the bespoke services that can be provided to NHS organisations and industry.

Innovate UK Business Growth is a key part of the UK innovation agency’s investment in the innovative businesses that drive economic growth.

The Good Work Pledge allows organisations of every type and size to be recognised for providing, or working towards providing, ‘good work’.

The ICAEW Business Advice Service (BAS) provides a free consultation to businesses seeking trusted business advice.

Help to Grow: Management is a practical 12-week training programme for senior leaders in SMEs, providing key skills to help businesses innovate and drive future growth.

Transforming lives through healthcare innovation

Department for Business & Trade (DBT) is the UK Government Department that supports companies in the UK doing business internationally and overseas organisations seeking to locate in the UK.

Working with local employers to help promote suitable paid opportunities to our students.

Supporting the North East and Cumbria’s VCSE sector towards Net Zero

Generator Union is a cross-sector membership network, bringing together freelancers & founders, students & start-ups and everyone in between.

Food and Drink North East (FADNE) is a community interest company (CIC) made up of local business owners and experts who understand the challenges the food, drink and hospitality sectors face and are working together to address them.

We are an accredited learning and development agency specialising in empowering enterprise skills for students, graduates, jobseekers, early stage founders and entry level staff.

Local experts providing practical businesses advice