Partner Article

Businesses quiz ONE on superfund

The North East’s new superfund was examined in depth this week by members of the region’s business community.

The £125m Finance for Business North East fund – formerly known as JEREMIE – was launched last month by One North East, and aims to bring “a degree of certainty to investment in business development”.

140 delegates gathered at The Copthorne Hotel in Newcastle on Wednesday to quiz Malcolm Page, Deputy Chief Executive of One North East, Andrew Mitchell, Chief Executive of North East Finance and all of the Fund Managers.

The event was organised by Service Network. Neil Warwick, Chair at Service Network, said: “At Service Network we make it our business to offer unparalleled access to new opportunities and today’s event is no exception. Not only were delegates able to find out more about what this new fund is, how it works and how they, or their clients, can potentially benefit.

“Crucially, they were also able to ask questions directly to the Fund Managers. We were delighted to bring so many people together and to make our own contribution to the success of the launch of Finance for Business North East, and in turn, economic regeneration right here in the North East.”

Richard Clark, Manager for Wealth Management at Dickinson Dees was at the event. He said: “Finding finance for our private clients is becoming increasingly difficult and this new fund is potentially a great opportunity for many of them. I’m hoping that I can pass on the knowledge I’ve gained today and add value to the advice and relationships I have with my clients.”

Emelia Flockhart, Sailor Girl, said: “We’re a new events management business established in 2009 so today has been good on several levels. Firstly, we have big ambitions for growth and it’s great to know that we could potentially be eligible for funding. Secondly, we do a lot of work with the technology sector, so it will be great to share what I’ve learned with our network too.”

John Dickson, Chairman, Owen Pugh Group said: “We’re well known civil engineers in the region and I was concerned that our core business may not be eligible for funding. I passionately believe that as a growth company with over 280 employees, we should be encouraged to grow and have access to investment such as this. I was able to ask questions directly and am looking forward to discussing eligibility and our strategy for growth with the fund managers.”

For more information visit www.service-network.co.uk or www.northeastfinance.org.



This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .