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Why Newcastle

A city that never stands still

Newcastle is a UK core city with a highly developed urban economy based around knowledge-based industries, research and innovation.

Newcastle is nurturing a research and innovation ecosystem that is driving inclusive economic growth across the city and providing a growing number of opportunities for investment.

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Newcastle is the commercial heart of North East England with an urban population of 300,000 and an urban economy worth £9.9bn. The city has a long history of technological innovation and nurturing groundbreaking advancements across a range of fields.

Today, Newcastle is the UK’s premier test bed location, a ‘living lab’ for rapid innovation, demonstration and commercialisation of products and services to create a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy. From world-class universities, colleges, hospitals and health trusts to a diverse business community, innovation ecosystem and talented workforce, Newcastle’s investment proposition is built on solid foundations.

The city offers access to £30bn of investable opportunities across the region and is covered by a £4.2bn devolution deal, including a £1.4bn (£48m per annum) investment fund. Newcastle is also a smart city driving the global data-driven revolution and holds the distinction of being the first city worldwide where the local authority, hospital trust, and universities jointly declared a climate emergency and committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2030.

Boasting a highly educated and interconnected population, Newcastle has 60,000 students enrolled at its two city centre universities and benefits from convenient transportation links by road, rail, and air that connect seamlessly to all areas in the UK.

What sets Newcastle apart is its friendly, open, and supportive business community. This environment, characterised by low start-up costs and close collaboration among key institutions, fuels the growth of industries of the future.

Investing in Newcastle means investing in a ‘Goldilocks City’ offering a commercial ecosystem that strikes the perfect balance – small enough to make a big impact in the market, but also large enough to generate a big return on investment.

Strengths

The strengths of our city

A diverse and agile workforce

Newcastle is an international city with a highly developed urban economy powered by a workforce that is diverse, educated and loyal. The number of people working in high-skilled jobs is higher than both the regional and UK average.

We are a Northern Research Powerhouse – the largest concentration of researchers in the UK outside of London between Newcastle, Northumbria and Durham Universities.

2.7m regional workforce - a diverse labour market with loyal staff and lower attrition rates than the national average within a 1-hour drive of Newcastle.

Educated workforce – 44.3% of employees hold a degree level qualification and 62.9% hold 2 or more A-levels.

60,000 students – a regenerative pipeline of talent with the highest proportion of STEM graduates per head of the population of any region in England.

18,000 international students – a global pool of talented learners bringing extensive second language capabilities and new cultural experiences to the city.

A well connected location

Newcastle is a gateway to the UK and the rest of the world. We have an international airport close to the city centre which connects people to the UK, Europe and rest of the world, with over 70 destinations to fly to and from. We have a European Cruise Terminal situated under 30 minutes away which provides sustainable links to mainland Europe.

Our train station located in our city centre is at the heart of the UK’s national rail network with London, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester all reached in less than three hours. We also have the Tyne and Wear Metro – a fast and convenient light rail system connected all parts of the North East with the commercial centre of Newcastle.

Port of Tyne and Blyth – two of three deep water ports in the North East region that are easily accessed from Newcastle and offer state-of-the-art logistics solutions.

A1(M) Motorway – a major north-south road which connects Newcastle with London and Edinburgh directly and provides access to all other major roads in the UK.

Stellium Data Centre – a state-of-the-art facility offers top-tier data and connectivity services via a new international subsea cable connecting Newcastle to New York in just 66 milliseconds.

Full Fibre Rollout – a £62m project that has seen 415km of superfast fibre-optic broadband laid beneath the streets of Newcastle, connecting households and businesses to the internet more quickly.

Infrastructure

Take a look and see why being part of Newcastle makes great business sense.

Funding

Investment Zones

The new North East Mayoral Combined Authority is designated as one of 12 UK Investment Zones to enable the creation of comprehensive incentives for attracting investment in the local economy around strategic sectors such as green industries and advanced manufacturing. Investment zone sites can also benefit from 100% retention of business rates growth over an agreed baseline for 25 years.

North of Tyne Inward Investment Fund

£10m is available through the North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) to support businesses looking to invest and create jobs in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. The NTCA Inward Investment Fund can contribute up to 10% of capital costs, with grants of between £100,000 up to a maximum of £1m.

North East Development Capital Fund

North East Development Capital Fund can invest from £400,000 to £2m to support established businesses via debt finance, mezzanine loans or equity investment to help fulfil their growth potential.

Northstar Ventures

Northstar Ventures is a UK-based venture capital firm dedicated to supporting innovative businesses. With a focus on social and economic impact, they provide funding and expertise to help startups and entrepreneurs thrive, contributing to the growth and success of North East England and beyond.

NEL Fund Managers

NEL Fund Managers is a prominent investment firm specialising in fund management and finance solutions. NEL manages the Growth Capital Fund, providing between £100,000 and £500,000 of unsecured investment to ambitious companies which need additional finance to boost growth or to consolidate their market position.

Maven Capital Partners

Maven Capital Partners is a leading private equity and alternative asset manager with a focus on supporting entrepreneurial businesses. Operating across the UK, they provide strategic investments and expertise in North East England, fostering growth and contributing to the success of a diverse range of enterprises in various sectors.

Mercia Asset Management

Mercia Asset Management is a leading fund manager that provides equity and debt to UK businesses with growth ambition. A key investor in North East England, Mercia is dedicated to cultivating the success of dynamic businesses.

BGF

Business Growth Fund is a £3.5m programme of investment funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund that supports business growth across the areas of Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council, North Of Tyne Combined Authority, Sunderland City Council.

Northern Accelerator

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.

Ignite Accelerator

Ignite is an early-stage accelerator programme for start-ups with high-scaling potential (usually tech). Established in 2011 it’s supported more than 500 founders, who between them have raised hundreds of millions in investment and created hundreds of jobs.

Your Business. Your City. Your Future.

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