The Entrepreneurs’ Forum will stage the events in Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough as part of national efforts by the ScaleUp Institute
Three events to encourage companies to scale up will be held in the North East as part of national efforts to boost economic growth.
The events will be held in Newcastle, Sunderland and Middlesbrough during North East Entrepreneurship Week, a programme of events and activities which runs between November 11 and 20 under the theme The Place to Rise. The sessions will be led by North East business support group the Entrepreneurs’ Forum and form part of the ScaleUp Institute’s national ScaleUp Britain programme to celebrate, highlight and support scaling companies across the UK.
More than 25 of the region’s entrepreneurs, among them Crafter’s Companion founder and Dragons’ Den star Sara Davies, Sunderland entrepreneur Paul Callaghan and Bill Scott, CEO of Teesside’s Wilton Engineering, will give talks at the events. Sessions will cover issues such as starting a business, taking on staff and then scaling nationally and internationally.
The programme will be accompanied by the launch of a new region-wide Ones to Watch Index, which will identify 20 North East businesses with the potential to become some of the region’s most significant companies of the future. The final 20 will be revealed at Durham University Business School on November 4, ahead of the main programme.
Elaine Stroud, chief executive of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum, said: “Brilliant businesses are being started and built right across the North East, but their owners rarely get to see how much experience and support already exists around them.
“That’s what this week is for. Showing people thinking about starting a business that people like them are already doing it here, and for those scaling up, connecting entrepreneurs with others who have already faced the same challenges, and making the help that already exists across the region far easier to find.
“The Entrepreneurs’ Forum is delighted to have brought together so many organisations who collectively back the region’s entrepreneurs. The support is available and this week will show you how to find it.”
Recent figures show that the North East has 744 businesses for every 10,000 adults, compared to an average of 1,062 across England. That is the lowest rate of any English region and the North East would need to create 48,000 more companies to reach the national average.
Irene Graham, chief executive of the ScaleUp Institute, said: “Strong scaleup economies are built locally. Our research consistently shows that growing businesses want hyper-local connections to skilled talent, including experienced peers and mentors, university R&D support, investors, and greater access to market opportunities at home and abroad.
“They want to see the public and private sectors working together to address these needs and fast-track access to opportunities. Regions that focus on building talent, clusters, and capital, and harnessing their broad infrastructure towards scaling ambitions, whilst celebrating success, should see their growth thrive.”
The scale-up summits will be held in Newcastle on November 11, Sunderland on November 12 and Middlesbrough on November 13. More details can be found at NorthEastEntrepreneurshipWeek.co.uk.


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