Get Business Ready In Gateshead With Enterprising North

Across Gateshead, Enterprising North is making business support easier to access by working directly within local communities. Through informal drop-in sessions, Sam Clark, our Engagement Coordinator, helps residents explore their ideas and identify the right next steps, including referral into the Enterprising North programme for tailored support.

Drop in on any of the dates below…

Chopwell

Where: The Bank, NE17 7HU

When: 06.02.26  Time: 9am - 3pm

Chopwell

Where: Chopwell Community Centre

NE17 7HS

When: 26.02.26  Time: 9am - 2pm

Winlaton

Where: Winlaton Community Centre,  NE21 6BY

When: 05.02.26  Time: 11am - 2pm

Winlaton Mill

Where: The Land of Oak and Iron Centre, NE21 6RU

When: 11.02.26  Time: 9am - 4pm

To learn more, get in touch with Sam: sam.clark@youarefirst.co.uk 

Startup Awards North East 2026 Launch Party

You’re invited 🌟

Startup Awards North East 2026 Launch Party is your chance to connect, get inspired and hear real stories from people who’ve been on the awards journey before.

🗓 Thursday 12th March

⏰ 5:00pm – 7:00pm

📍 Newcastle United Foundation, Diana Street, Newcastle NE4 6BQ

Enjoy an evening of relaxed networking, free food and drinks, and a brilliant community of founders, future founders and supporters.

Get your tickets here

With a special thanks to Startup Awards North East headline sponsor Business Enterprise Fund and our other wonderful partners who make Startup Awards possible PNE, The North East Chamber of Commerce and Square One Law

North East Businesses Poised for Growth with New Finance Support

Lloyds Banking Group has announced that over £1 billion of new finance will be available to support businesses across the North East in 2026, helping firms of all sizes invest, scale and compete - especially as the region positions itself at the forefront of the clean energy transition. This commitment reflects a strong belief in local economic potential and aims to unlock investment, new jobs and business growth across the region.

Read more

Support for Young Entrepreneurs Through SWEF Enterprise Fund Webinar

The South West Enterprise Fund (SWEF) is hosting an online Enterprise Fund webinar on 11 February to share how its grant programmes are supporting young entrepreneurs (aged 18–30) across Tyne & Wear and Northumberland. The Fund provides start-up grants up to £500 and business development grants up to £2,000 for eligible early businesses, offering valuable financial support to help emerging founders grow and develop their ventures.

Get your ticket here

Upcoming Events

Click on any event to learn more and get tickets!

• Tyneside Networking, 4th February, North Tyneside 

• Basic Bookkeeping, 4th February, Gateshead

• Devhub North, 5th February, Newcastle

• Business Brunch, 5th February, South Tyneside

• Jobs Fair, 6th February, Newcastle

• From Chaos to Clarity: The Magic of Visual Strategy When Exploring Your Business Ideas, 6th February, Gateshead

• City Ladies Networking, 10th February, Gateshead

• Spear-heads Connect & Collab Expo, 10th February, Middlesbrough

• The SWEF Enterprise Fund webinar, 11th February, Online

• Breakfast Briefing - Commercial Retrofit, 11th February, Newcastle

• Business Planning Workshop for Sports Groups, 11th February, Durham

• Know It All Network, 12th February, Morpeth

• Chamber Exchange, 12th February, Newcastle

• Level Two Business Course, 12th February, Gateshead and online

• Future Leaders Programme, 13th February, Gateshead

• New business finance available, 17th February, Sunderland

• Tyne Valley Connections - Business Social, 17th February, Hexham

• Boring Marketing Is Optional!, 18th February, Newcastle 

• BUSINESS NETWORKING, 19th February, Sunderland

• Women of Steel Female Focused Business Networking, 19th February, Newcastle

• PLATFORM, 20th February, Newcastle 

• Networking Event - The After Work Club, 26th February, Newcastle

• Level One Business Course, 2nd March, Online

• Level Two Business Course, 4th March, Gateshead and online

• Startup Awards North East Launch Party, 12th March, Newcastle

• The FUEL Finance & Funding Roadshow, 17th March, Newcastle

• Get Sh*t Done Day – Business Reset & End-of-Day Networking, 2nd April, Middlesbrough

• Level One Business Course, 13th April, Online

FIRST in January

Building Momentum in the New Year

January has been a positive and forward-focused month at FIRST, with a strong emphasis on reconnecting, delivering and building momentum for the year ahead. We kicked off the month by attending a networking event with the North East Chamber of Commerce, catching up with partners and strengthening relationships across the business community. Alongside this, we began new delivery at the CFO and with Christians Against Poverty (CAP), supporting learners through fresh opportunities at the start of the year. The month also saw the team out and about at networking events and job fairs, engaging directly with people across the region and continuing to raise awareness of FIRST’s support and provision.

To find out more about FIRST, head to our website.

Horsing Around Catering: a Vision for Work and Recovery

For Ben, employment is not just about income - its about rebuilding courage, belonging and hope.

Horsing Around Catering is Ben’s developing trauma-aware catering venture, built with purpose and shaped by lived experience. The name pays homage to his farming background, and the model is centred on support and practical opportunity for people rebuilding their lives after trauma, particularly those affected by domestic violence. Ben is currently in the development stage of the business, having spent time planning, training and building the foundations for launch, including completing FIRST’s Level Two Business Course, and his ambition for the venture is already clear…

Read the rest of Ben’s story here.

Bringing Enterprise Workshops to Tees Valley

January marks the beginning of FIRST’s work in Stockton, where we have recently delivered enterprise-focused workshops in partnership with Christians Against Poverty at Stockton Baptist Church, bringing high-quality enterprise support into the area for the first time. The sessions supported local residents to explore self-employment as a realistic and empowering pathway into work, with 100% of participants rating the experience as good, very good or excellent, and 100% saying they would value more opportunities to learn enterprise skills locally. Through partnerships like this, we aim to continue building skills and new pathways into work, education and self-employment across the region.

If you would like to speak with us about potential partnerships in Tees Valley or the surrounding area, please email billie@youarefirst.co.uk or follow the link here.

Give us your opinion and be in with a chance to win a £50 voucher

We want to hear about your experiences of enterprise in the North East. Your feedback will help us understand the real challenges and opportunities facing new founders across the region and shape the support available in the future.

It only takes a few minutes.
Complete our short survey using the link below and you’ll automatically be entered into a prize draw to win a £50 voucher.

👉 Click here to take the survey

*The winner will be selected at random at the end of March.