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Scaleup Annual Review 2019 showcases North East business success

The North East LEP’s ambitious goal of increasing the number of scaleups in the North East by 50% by 2024 through its multimillion pound Scaleup North East programme has had a significant boost.

According to the Scaleup Annual Review 2019, the region has 27% more scaleup companies than in 2016 and the increase in the density of scaleups is ahead of the national average.

The definition of a scaleup is an organisation that has increased turnover or employment by more than 20% annually.

Local businesses that have recently achieved scaleup status include ABCA Systems Ltd; Atom Bank; Crafter’s Companion; Cussins Ltd; END.; Lanchester Wines; Mailprotector; Oil Consultants; and Tharsus.

The Scaleup Annual Review 2019 provides oversight of the national scaleup business landscape and drills down into the local scaleup ecosystem and regional performance.

The page related to the North East states that: “ONS data for 2017 shows that there are 820 scaleups in the North East LEP: 290 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their employees, 680 are classified as scaleups due to rapid growth in their turnover and 150 are scaleups that are increasing both employment and turnover simultaneously.

“The ONS data reflects that across the four-year period from 2014 to 2017 the density of scaleups has increased by 4.13 per 100,000 of population per year, which is above the median of +3.90 per 100,000 of population.”

The Scaleup Annual Review 2019 attributes this success to interventions made by the North East LEP, from bespoke packages of Scaleup North East support delivered by established Scaleup Partners and its Mentoring Programme, through to work with the Entrepreneurs’ Forum’s established Scale-up Leaders’ Academy.

It also cites the North East LEP’s Supply Chain North East programme, which is designed to empower North East businesses to diversify their offer, as well as the High Potential Startups programme launched in July 2019 to increase the number of businesses reaching £1m turnover in three years.

Through High Potential Startups, support is facilitated through peer-learning plus coaching, mentoring and investor relation activities.

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP, said: “The results within the Scaleup Annual Review 2019 show we have made strong progress to achieving our goal of increasing scaleups in our region by 50% by 2024.

“It also reflects the strength and ambition of our scaleup businesses who continue to drive ahead with focused expansion plans despite the current political uncertainty. These results should be celebrated but will not distract from our longer-term goal and we look forward to welcoming a whole new cohort of scaleups in 2020.”

For more information on Scaleup North East, please visit www.scaleupnortheast.co.uk.

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Entrepreneurs with big ideas invited to join new business support programme

Budding entrepreneurs in the region are being given the chance to turn their notepad doodle into the next Google with support from the North East Growth Hub’s new High Potential Startups programme.

Giving would be entrepreneurs access to expert advice and support to help them create the high growth businesses of tomorrow, High Potential Startups provides the introductions and the business support needed to bring business ideas to life, bigger and better than people can alone.

Colin Bell, Business Growth Director at the North East LEP said: “High Potential Startups is all about finding new, ambitious businesses with the potential to grow fast and make a real impact on the economy.

“Scaleup business generate one third of new economic and job growth, which is why it’s so important we help North East entrepreneurs turn their ideas into viable businesses that create more and better jobs.

“In the Strategic Economic Plan we set a target to increase the density of scaleup businesses in the North East by 50% by 2024. We currently have 17% more scaleups in the region than we did in 2017 and High Potential Startups will help us deliver more of these important, fast growing growing businesses.”

As well as targeting entrepreneurs, High Potential Startups will educate businesses on the benefits that come from supporting existing staff members to launch new ventures.

Intrapreneurship allows staff to develop new business ideas that often add value to their current place of work. Organisations can use staff spin offs to improve productivity, reach new markets and adapt faster to changes in the economy.

Investing in intrepreneurship has been to shown to improve staff motivation and morale, as well as drive business growth.

Colin continued: “Speaking as someone who has launched a business, I know what a scary prospect it can be. We want people with a great business idea to know support is on hand to turn that idea into reality.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re working full time for another business or working on your idea at home in your spare time, if it has the potential to create jobs and generate £1m or more by its third year, High Potential Startups can help you test market ideas, fill knowledge and skills gaps, and find cofounders to take your business to market.”

To find out more about High Potential Startups and to apply, visit www.highpotentialstartups.co.uk.

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The ScaleUp Institute’s 2018 Scaleup Survey

The ScaleUp Institute’s 2018 Scaleup Survey is the UK’s largest survey of its fast-growing companies.

The Survey is now in its fifth year. Its influence and importance has grown rapidly, as it focuses attention on what high-growth firms most value and need.

High-growth businesses are invited to complete the survey, which should take 15-20 minutes, to share views on the main barriers to growth and what businesses need from the private and public sectors in order to continue to scale.

Complete the survey.