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A celebration of careers guidance in the North East this National Careers Week

Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director at the North East LEP, shares her thoughts on the importance of quality careers education in schools and colleges – something the North East LEP has been championing in our region through North East Ambition.

Good careers guidance has the power to change lives. It transforms students’ futures, from better attainment in school to social mobility, with broader horizons and raised aspirations. It can help improve outcomes for all young people, regardless of their starting points or backgrounds.

As we mark the start of National Careers Week 2024, I am proud to reflect on, and celebrate, the amazing careers guidance work happening right across our region, and the important role it has in helping young people prepare for the world of work.

Often, it can be the case that the amount of hard work and effort our schools and colleges put in to prepare their young people through careers education, sadly goes unrecognised.

So, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the incredible skill and dedication of our careers leaders, as without them we would not have made such a vast amount of progress over recent years.

A Landscape of Impact

Today, North East Ambition (NEA) works with more than 190 secondary schools and colleges spanning the seven Local Authorities in the North East. These schools and colleges are achieving an average of 5.2 out of 8 Good Careers Guidance Benchmarks. Considering the Benchmarks only became part of statutory guidance in 2018, that is no mean feat!

In primary education, NEA works closely with 375 schools, pioneering a national pilot to embed careers-related learning, and build careers aspiration and inspiration from an early age.

Recognising the unique challenges faced by SEND students, we’re working with Careers Leads across our region’s SEND schools and together, have developed dedicated projects and resources, working to ensure more employers recognise the value SEND students can bring to their organisations.

When it comes to promoting technical education as a route into a rewarding career, we have led on regional activity to ensure students at school leaving age are informed about traineeships, apprenticeships, T-Levels, further/higher education, and other academic and vocational routes to employment.

For example, the North East is a national leader in the provision of T Levels, which offer a mix of classroom and on the job learning and are the equivalent to three A Levels.  We’ve seen a remarkable 577% growth in T Level learners since 2022 and a 467% increase in T Level industry placement providers across the LEP area. Our role in supporting schools to understand the local post-16 T Level offer is crucial, as is our collaboration with employers to highlight the benefits of offering T Level placements.

Pioneering Initiatives

Careers guidance doesn’t just happen in the classroom, and we are immensely proud of the work we have undertaken with regional partners to ensure that each and every young person can have access to information about the world of work and the opportunities that could be theirs.

Our Enterprise Advisor Network embeds business leaders into secondary schools and colleges to help shape the delivery of careers education and create invaluable connections between education and the business world. More than 200 business leaders are enrolled on the programme, representing a diverse range of industries key to the North East.

We were delighted to lead The Mentoring Project, which was launched last year to help young people involved with the Youth Justice Service (YJS) to raise their aspirations.

The pilot matched a group of YJS young people with employers to provide opportunities to learn about the type of skills and behaviours valued in the workplace and to introduce them to positive employer role models.

Our Teacher Encounters programme provides teachers, both current and trainees, with insights into the local labour market, which they can then use in the classroom to relate curriculum learning to careers.

We recently supported the Young Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network to train young apprentices to visit schools and colleges to share their stories and inspire the next generation with their firsthand experiences.

These initiatives and collaborations are transforming the career trajectories of young people throughout the North East.  Thanks to this work, our young people are now more aware of the career opportunities available across the region, the routes into them, and the skills and expertise employers need.

Going forward and with the continued hard work and dedication of partners and careers leaders, we envisage an even deeper focus on careers education in our region, continuing to build an environment where the understanding of career opportunity and development is seamlessly integrated into the educational fabric. We have already achieved so much and now is the time to continue our important work and ensure all learners can reach their potential.

National Careers Week is a fantastic opportunity to share some of the amazing work taking place across the North East LEP region to educate and inform young people about the career opportunities available to them.  Each day we’ll highlight some of the programmes and initiatives led by the North East LEP, and those by our partners in education and industry, that are helping young people make more informed choices about their future.

Join the conversation on social media using #NCW2021 and visit www.nationalcareersweek.com to discover more.

For more information about North East Ambition, visit www.northeastambition.co.uk

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A statement from Helen Golightly OBE, Chief Executive, North East Local Enterprise Partnership as she announces her intention to leave public service in May. 



It has been the privilege of my career to lead the North East Local Enterprise Partnership as its chief executive over the past 10 years. An organisation that has been committed to creating more and better jobs for the North East, to improving the lives of the people who live, work, study and visit here and to growing and developing the region’s economy.

I am immensely proud of the team of incredible individuals we have brought together at the LEP. I can honestly say that they are the most dedicated, passionate, driven team I have ever worked with, and I’m excited to see what happens next as their collective passion to make a difference for others moves into the new Mayoral Combined Authority when it is formed on 7 May. 

Our journey to devolution has certainly been interesting, but together as a region, we have made it happen.  I am proud of the part I have played in reaching this monumental point where our region unites as one, having secured the ambitious and historic deal.
However, the time feels right for me to step away in May, and not be part of the new organisation.  

As a member of the region’s interim senior team for the new Mayoral Combined Authority, I am working closely with colleagues to ensure the region builds on the progress made to date by the North East Local Enterprise Partnership and that we are operationally ready from day one in May.  I remain fully committed in supporting colleagues to do that. We have huge ambitions for the new organisation, and being ready to deliver from day one, whilst bringing five organisations together, has always been a critical part of the transition plan. 

Anyone who knows me will say that my family is my biggest passion in life, followed closely by a sense of adventure to see as much of the world as possible. After more than 33 years as a public servant, it feels like the right time to do more of those things. I’ll always be one of the North East’s most passionate champions. 

Lucy Winskell OBE LL, Chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership says “Helen has been an outstanding public servant for the past 33 years and it has been an absolute privilege for me personally, to work with her so closely over the past four years. Not only have I learned so much from her, I have nothing but respect for her calm, inclusive and impactful leadership, something I know my fellow board members and LEP chairs before me, Andrew Hodgson and Paul Woolston, would be in complete agreement with.
 
Helen’s contribution to the North East will be felt for many years to come, but today, I offer nothing but best wishes to her and her family, who mean so much to her, as they prepare to embark on this exciting next chapter in a few months’ time.”

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The North East LEP is looking for a research partner to explore international learnings on inclusive productivity

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) is looking for an organisation to undertake some research into North East productivity and inclusive economic growth and learn from similar regions internationally.

Emma Ward, Evidence and Evaluation Programme Manager, explains why this is an interesting project to inform our regional evidence base and be presented as an output at our annual state of the region event, Our Economy.

Improving productivity is a regional priority. Closing the gap in GVA per hour worked between the North East and England excluding London is a target within the North East Strategic Economic Plan. Productivity was also the primary focus of the government’s Industrial Strategy in 2018, and as a region, we conducted extensive research to support the development of the North East Industrial Strategy and understand regional productivity and the barriers to its improvement.

Five years later, the operating and economic context in the North East has changed. In December 2022, following extensive negotiations, the Government announced that it had reached a devolution deal with the local authority areas of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, and Sunderland. This deal has a strong focus on driving inclusive economic growth across the North East by investing in people and places.

At the North East LEP’s flagship state of the region event, Our Economy, we choose a topic each year to explore in depth. This year, it makes sense for us to delve into inclusive productivity. We want to enhance our understanding of productivity in the North East, as we recognise its critical importance for our businesses and increasing wages for our residents. Moreover, we want to explore how we can make productivity gains more inclusive and learn from similar regions worldwide that have focused on inclusive growth.

To achieve this, we are seeking to collaborate with a research partner who has substantial expertise in economic research.  

We envisage the project will consist of two stages, but we are open to shaping the approach with the successful bidder. The first stage involves helping us understand productivity in the North East, assessing how the region performs on its key drivers, and identifying links with inclusivity. While we have already examined productivity data for the region in detail, we are open to working with the provider to fill any gaps or incorporate innovative research techniques we have not yet covered.

The second stage focuses on drawing lessons from other regions worldwide. We would anticipate the appointed contractor to use globally comparable datasets, such as OECD data, to identify regions comparable to the North East and analyse their economic trajectories post-2008. From this analysis, to recommend a few case studies from which to draw policy lessons for our region.

The research outputs will be shared on the North East Evidence Hub, our one-stop shop for evidence about the North East economy. They will also be presented during the Our Economy event in November. We will collaborate with the successful provider to validate the outputs and ensure they are delivered in a format suitable for the Evidence Hub. We have a budget of up to £20,000 for this commission.

This is an excellent opportunity for a provider to contribute to the regional evidence base in the North East while expanding their knowledge of regional and international productivity trends.

The opportunity to apply for this project closes on Friday 18 August at noon.

Further details of this procurement opportunity and expressions of interest can be submitted here.

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Celebrating apprenticeships and their many benefits

National Apprenticeship Week takes place from 7th-13th February and celebrating this thoughtful and effective means of developing individual skills and knowledge has never been more important.

Apprenticeships play a tremendously important part of our skills pipeline and development. They offer opportunities for young people, our wider communities and those in work. They also help answer any talent issues that businesses may be facing at a given point in time and increase productivity.

The last two years have been tough for everyone, but especially so for those taking their first steps into the world of work, who must have found it really strange. It’s only right to applaud those who have been tenacious enough to stick at it and thank the incredible employers who had faith in the system and kept going despite a myriad of challenges, not least the move to online and remote workforce management.

A real and wonderful cause for celebration this National Apprenticeship Week is the significant increase we’ve seen this year in the number of apprenticeship vacancies that are available.

Kudos to the teachers and lecturers who have promoted this valuable route to skills and employment and who take our apprentices through the programme, and to the employers who give up time and effort to work with those – young and old – learning new skills for the first time.

So many apprentices and their families have recognised the value of apprenticeships and are seeing a positive career impact. The ability for our young people to learn while they earn, develop technical and practical skills and work towards a recognised qualification, with the potential to study at degree apprenticeship levels, should not be under-estimated. We are hopeful that the current momentum and increased success we are seeing will encourage even more to follow suit and sign up.

What’s particularly exciting is the number of new apprentice routes coming through, which really create varied career options. For example, many are coming through for the first time from various employers within the public sector including many of the government departments with which we work, such as DEFRA and the NHS through to the Cabinet Office.

Our emerging sectors, from energy, offshore and health and life sciences, are also rich in apprenticeship opportunities. All of these open the door to more and better jobs and are great for those keen to develop and stay future-ready.

From what we see in schools and colleges, the apprentice route is becoming well established and our work with national stakeholders such as the Education Training Foundation and Amazing Apprenticeships is really helping our drive to achieve parity in technical and academic education. It’s a really positive step that apprenticeships are increasingly seen as a clear, proven and successful career route with parents, carers and young people.

Apprenticeships are embedded into our North East Ambition Programme and our big ask is for even more employers to get involved.

Changes to the system and particularly rules that came about during the COVID period have occasionally made navigating official websites quite complicated, however the team at North East Ambition are always here to answer any issues or questions. Our apprenticeship providers also have teams of experts dedicated to working with employers. If you’re interested, please just ask for help as it’s out there to explain and simplify the process.

Finally, I am struck when I talk to business leaders from around the country and our region about how many of them came through the apprenticeship route. We have some great ambassadors and advocates for apprenticeships and that is something to be proud of.

I hope National Apprenticeship Week 2022 inspires even more people to choose an apprenticeship, and even more organisations to reap the benefit of securing talent in this way. It’s a tried and tested way to help people into employment, to support businesses and to boost our local economy.

Visit www.northeastgrowthhub.co.uk for information and support on apprenticeships for businesses.

By Michelle Rainbow, Skills Director for the North East LEP.

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Levelling Up – Statement from our Chair, Lucy Winskell OBE.

Lucy Winskell OBE, Chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), responds to the Levelling Up announcement issued by government today, Wednesday 2 February 2022.

We welcome the publication of the Levelling Up White Paper and government’s commitment to reducing the economic and social disparities across the UK. The North East currently has the highest unemployment rate in England, yet has huge opportunities through its assets, businesses, and people to change that. With the right level of investment and partnership working with government, we can make a difference to the economic and social wealth of the region.

We were also pleased to see further commitment to devolution. We are clear that local decision-making, targeting investment resources to local priorities, will make a difference and we will continue to work alongside our political partners in the region to secure the optimum devolution position for the North East.

Other highlights for me are the confirmation that future decisions on how the UK Shared Prosperity Fund will be invested will be made within the region, a focus on helping people to improve their skills and a commitment to invest in our transport systems. We look forward to continuing to work with all of our partners to not only level up the North East with the rest of the UK regions, but surpass them.

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North East Local Enterprise Partnership reaction to ONS regional labour market statistics.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Strategy and Policy Director, Richard Baker, has commented on today’s regional labour market statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)*.  

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership’s Strategy and Policy Director, Richard Baker, has commented on today’s regional labour market statistics, released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS)*.  

“As we move out of COVID-19 controls into a policy agenda focused on levelling up the national economy, today’s data supports the need for government to focus this agenda on a group of issues in the northern labour market.

“Today’s figures show furlough has been successful in containing the rise of unemployment amongst employees throughout the pandemic. Early commentators suggested the impact of COVID-19 could see North East regional unemployment exceed 10% but today it is around just half that at 5.1%.

“They also show a bounce back in employee numbers in the region. Between February and November 2020, payrolled employee numbers in the North East LEP area fell by almost 20,000 or 2.5%. However, between November 2020 and October 2021, numbers increased by almost 32,000, resulting in a figure 1.5% higher than it was pre-pandemic – which is good news. But there are also significant challenges.

“The region’s economic ambitions set out in our Strategic Economic Plan are that the North East has more people working, with fewer unemployed people (not in work but looking for work) and fewer being economically inactive (having left the labour market) compared with the rest of the country.

“Today, we can see that whilst we’ve had the largest decrease in the unemployment rate over the last year, this has not been accompanied by an increased employment rate. Instead, the economic inactivity rate has increased by more than in any other English region, with an additional 32,000 working age people being inactive compared to the same period of 2020. Recent increases in inactivity have been particularly large among older workers.

“There is more work to do to understand the detail behind these changes. However, we can see that the North East region has about 4,200 fewer employees in manufacturing than pre-Covid, with decreases in some service sectors too. Meanwhile there have been large increases in the number of employees in sectors such as health, science and education as our economy changes.

“Experimental data produced this month seems to confirm the trend we saw last month that we are seeing large numbers of older workers leaving the labour force, as well as continuing challenges for the very youngest.

“Both the North West and Yorkshire and the Humber have also experienced falling employment and rising inactivity, but this is not true elsewhere in England, highlighting the need for distinct employment policies for the North.

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Investing in Innovation for a greener UK

Alan Welby, Innovation Director discusses today’s announcement of the Chancellor’s plans for UK to be the world’s first net zero aligned financial centre. 


Put simply, net zero refers to the balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere. We reach net zero when the amount we add is no more than the amount taken away.  

Net zero means a radical change across the entire economy, replacing fossil fuels and other sources of emissions wherever possible. 

This is why the announcement at COP26 that the global finance system will be rewired for net zero and that the UK will become the first net zero finance centre in the world is so important. This step is of huge significance to the North East LEP area.  

The North East holds considerable potential for investors interested in market growth that assists our net zero ambitions, particularly in ‘green’ industries but also in the technologies that will enable all sectors to reduce their carbon debt. 

Our businesses already contribute to net zero markets, from renewable energy generation and energy storage to electric vehicles and battery manufacture but we also have capabilities in emergent and nascent markets that will also be looking to their net zero commitments. We have significant regional specialisms and capabilities, and operate internationally in autonomous vehicles, robotics, space and satellites whilst our presence, along with our capabilities, in other markets including biopharmaceuticals, fintech and cybersecurity is growing. 

We need to ensure that businesses in these markets are reaching their full potential to achieve net zero carbon emissions and commitment to investment in these markets is critical. Through a gearing up of finance for sustainable growth, we can give a big boost to business innovation and investment that powers this transition. 

One example of what we are doing to accelerate investment in innovation and boost net zero innovation activity is the 12-month Finance for Sustainable Growth or ‘F4SG’ pilot with the City of London Corporation that is showcasing the North East’s initiatives in green innovation and associated enterprises to a wider investor base. Its aim, through intensifying the region’s connections to London and its global network, is to boost the flow of green investment to the region and to reinforce the North East’s ecosystem for nurturing sustainable businesses. The initiative is a collaboration of the Corporation with the North East LEP, Northern Accelerator and North Star Ventures. 

We’re excited to see where this pilot takes us and to show London-based and international investors some of the ground-breaking innovation happening in our region.   

Find out more about the innovation support and finance available in our region via the Innovation Toolkit on the North East Growth Hub.   

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Northern leaders set out collective offer to work with Government to level up the North

Civic and business leaders from across the North are putting forward a collective partnership offer to Government, setting out how the North can lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution and deliver on the levelling up promise.

In a document published today by the Convention of the North and the NP11 group of northern local enterprise partnerships (LEPs), northern leaders set out the five “gamechangers” which, through collaboration across the North and with Government, will grow an inclusive economy that delivers for the North and the country, while also tackling the health inequalities that have been laid bare by COVID-19. Those game changers are:

  • Leading the Green Industrial Revolution
  • Closing the healthy life expectancy gap between the North and South through innovation
  • Closing the education and skills gap
  • Improving connectivity in towns and cities in the North
  • Increasing private and public investment in R&D spending in the North

The five gamechangers represent a combined Northern offer to Government to ensure the North plays its full part in levelling up the UK, leading the transition to a Net Zero economy and developing a competitive Global Britain.

Leaders have invited the Secretary of State for Levelling-Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, to join them for a working Convention in Liverpool in January 2022, focused on turning the Government’s positive commitment to level up the North into action.

Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, who will mark the document’s launch with a business roundtable in Liverpool focusing on the opportunities for the North to lead the transition to Net Zero, said:

“True levelling up has to mean tackling long-standing and structural inequalities that exist between North and South in this country on a wide range of issues, from healthcare and job prospects, to transport and infrastructure spending. This is not an issue of party politics but one of fairness and social justice.

“As leaders representing millions of people across the North, we want to work with government to make that a reality. The North has been hit harder than the rest of the country, but I believe that with proper support we also have the potential to bounce back further and faster than the rest of the country too.

“From levelling up to climate change and everything in between, the solutions to many of the fundamental issues facing the country lie in empowering local leaders to work with central government and take the decisions that our areas need to shape our own destinies and build a stronger, fairer, better balanced United Kingdom.”

Cllr Nick Forbes, Leader of Newcastle City Council and Chair of the Convention of the North, said:

“The North of England is ready and prepared to play a leading role in driving this country forwards but we need meaningful partnerships with Government if we are to succeed.

“We are asking the Government to work with us and equip the North so it can achieve its full potential. Delivering this would truly demonstrate a commitment to levelling up the North.

“We want to develop skills within our communities, tackle the health inequalities that have been laid bare by the pandemic, attract greater investment into our towns and cities, and lead on the Net Zero transition. We cannot achieve these goals on our own, and that is why the North is united behind these priorities and this offer to Government today.”

Sir Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the NP11 and of the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP), said:

“The North has phenomenal assets in areas such as energy, advanced manufacturing, health innovation and digital that can power the UK’s post-COVID recovery and create jobs and opportunity for our people. As a combined region, we also have the scale to help the Government deliver on its ambition for a competitive and confident Global Britain.

“Successful partnership working between the public and private sectors is going to be crucial to delivering the gamechangers we have collectively identified. Businesses drive innovation and create quality jobs, both of which contribute to people’s health, wealth and quality of life. This is why the NP11 is adding its business voice to that of northern civic leaders in making this offer today.”

Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, said:

“Today is a powerful statement of northerners’ desire to get on with the job of levelling up, working together across the North and with Government. Through a clear focus on our levelling up priorities of health, skills, transport, innovation and leading the transition to net zero, we can deliver an inclusive, productive, sustainable economy that works for all northerners and for the country.

“As an immediate action, we’re calling on Government once again to publish its Integrated Rail Plan and commit to delivering both Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 in full. We will not be able to achieve levelling up without an affordable, effective and reliable transport system that connects people to jobs, education and essential services.”

Kim McGuinness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, added:

“All too often, health inequalities go hand in hand with the wider impacts of poverty. That’s seen in so many different aspects, from missed life chances for young people to the greater risk of being a victim of crime for people living in areas of deprivation.

“The way to solve this, to spread opportunity and to reduce crime, is to level up health services and investment in the North.”

Today’s publication of Northern leaders’ collective offer to Government will pave the way for a Convention of the North with NP11 event, due to take place in Liverpool in early 2022.

Following the success of its inaugural event in September 2019, at which Prime Minister Boris Johnson made a series of commitments to the North, the Convention of the North with NP11 will work with Government to focus resources and investment on the North to allow it to level up.

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The Convention of the North

The Convention of the North brings together people from across the North, including businesses, trade unions, elected leaders, and community and faith groups, to speak with one voice on pan-Northern issues.

The NP11

The NP11 is the business-led voice for the North that brings together the 11 Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) from across the North of England. It plays a leading role in realising the vision for an economically thriving Northern Powerhouse that drives economic prosperity, international competitiveness, and inclusive growth that benefits everyone across the North’s great towns, cities and rural communities.

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CHALLENGE NORTH EAST LEADS ON INNOVATIVE COVID-19 SOLUTIONS

A challenge that called on North East businesses to generate innovative solutions to the Covid-19 crisis has reached a milestone moment.

The North East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) asked the regional business community for answers to Coronavirus-related problems through Challenge North East, a new open innovation programme.

The programme saw the LEP offer funding and development support to SMEs whose ideas could help the North East adapt to the challenges of COVID-19 in two specific areas – delivering safe and engaging in-person events; and safely adapting in-home services.

Launched last year, Challenge North East was co-designed in consultation with business partners across the region to identify the key challenges posed by Covid-19 that North East SMEs could potentially develop innovative solutions to.

Over 60 businesses entered their ideas to the programme. A cohort of 16 SMEs received up to £5,000 of full funding and support to develop their solutions through Challenge North East’s co-design programme, working with business partners to quickly develop a prototype and test their solutions.

The finalists will pitch their ideas to an independent panel at the end of March to win up to £40,000 in further funding. All 16 SMEs will be given support and guidance to further their ideas.

Challenge North East is delivered by the Innovation SuperNetwork, Digital Catapult North East Tees Valley and Sunderland Software City.

Sarah Cox, Programme Director of Challenge North East, said: “It’s been fantastic to see the strength of the ideas that have come through from such a diverse group of businesses. There are some really innovative solutions that have the potential for multiple applications. Particularly impressive is the way many of the solutions offer economic and also social benefits, helping some of our most vulnerable communities.

“We have also been heartened by level of engagement from large regional organisations and our challenge supporters who helped us understand the problems they are facing and  and their willingness to support SMEs as they develop and test solutions with real-world applications.”

Alison Freer, Innovation Manager at Innovation SuperNetwork, said: “Challenge North East is very much a collaborative effort with our delivery partners and challenge supporters, pooling respective strengths and experience to champion the creativity and hard work of SMEs.

“The level of innovation demonstrated by the businesses involved has been inspiring. We are delighted to play our part in helping participants to develop their solutions in response to Covid disruption and find new market opportunities in doing so.”

Alan Welby, Director of Innovation at the North East LEP, said: “Covid-19 has been incredibly disruptive and had forced us to entirely change the way we live our lives.

“Challenge North East champions innovative solutions to this by drawing on the vast amount of talent and expertise in our region. By tapping into the potential of our people and organisations, we will find the solutions we need to rise to the challenges of these trying times.”

Some of the SMEs involved pivoted to adapt existing products and services to address Covid-19-related challenges, while others built entirely novel solutions based on their areas of capability and expertise.

This design-led innovation saw a wide range of imaginative solutions generated, ranging from process innovation, to digital platforms and physical products, all designed to help society adapt to Covid-19.

Organisations supporting Challenge North East include The Baltic, Beamish Museum, The Sage Gateshead and Sodexo along with Northern Gas Networks, ESH Group, Karbon Homes, Beyond Housing.

Challenge North East has received funding from the government’s Local Growth Fund. The Local Growth Fund is supporting capital investments to promote innovation, economic and skills infrastructure and sustainable transport as part of the North East Growth Deal.

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