FINANCIAL help is to be given to small and mediumsized firms in County Durham to employ more staff or keep on existing ones.

Sasda, the development agency for Sedgefield borough, has secured European funding which will be used to create jobs in the area and secure those jobs which may be in danger of redundancy.

As well as money for support services, Sasda has access to a discretionary fund which can assist organisations with their employment situation, either as encouragement to employ a resident of Sedgefield district or to help them secure the future of existing jobs in the area.

Steven Robson, marketing specialist business advisor at Sasda, said: “Say we went into an organisation to provide support and guidance and found that they could take on extra staff or we could identify an extra job opportunity.

“They could be given a lump sum of up to £1,500 after the employee had been there six months, which could be used to supplement a wage or for uniforms, anything of that sort of nature.”

The full amount would normally be paid to companies where the employee worked more than 30 hours a week, with a slightly lower sum for employees working 16 to 29 hours.

Mr Robson said: “We are trying to focus in on creating more job opportunities.”

Although the focus is on jobs in the Sedgefield district, consideration will be given to companies from outside the borough who employ staff from the borough.

Chief executive Karl Bone said: “The project is hugely significant for the future prosperity of the area.

“The resources we can now offer to those who may be thinking of employing additional staff, or businesses who need support to help consolidate their existing workforce, are first class.”

Sasda has hired four specialists who will deliver the contract from its head office in Newton Aycliffe.

The team has been brought together to cover a range of business support areas, including marketing, sales, HR and finance.

The money comes from the Working Neighbourhood Fund (WNF), a dedicated fund for local councils and communities to get people back to work.

Sasda was awarded the WNF contract earlier this year and will complete the project in 2011.

Within the North-East, the WNF accesses more than £65m to help create and secure employment, with more than £1.1m being accessed for the Sedgefield district alone.

For more information on the fund and how to access the range of support, contact Sasda on 01325-310730 or at sasda.info