SERVICES helping people in deprived districts to start their own businesses will be extended for a further two years following an additional £1.5m investment.

Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has secured the funding from the European Regional Development Fund, through regional development agency One North East.

This adds to £1.46m already invested by the Redcar and Cleveland Local Enterprise Growth Initiative, and £60,000 from Darlington Borough Council.

It will extend enterprise coaching services, due to end next year, across 32 deprived wards, 22 in Redcar and Cleveland and ten in Darlington, until 2013.

The initiative aims to increase numbers of new startup businesses by 300 a year and ensure that more than 80 per cent of these businesses survive more than 12 months.

It will target people who would not normally consider self employment as a career option, including people made redundant, long-term unemployed, young mothers and people on incapacity benefit.

Councillor Mark Hannon, responsible for economic development at Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council, said: “Current funding had only allowed us to operate in 16 of the 22 Redcar wards until 2011, but the new funding not only extends the project to 2013, it also adds the Redcar wards of Zetland, West Dyke, Westworth, Longbeck, Hutton and Guisborough to its coverage.

“And for the first time, we are now including ten of the most deprived wards of Darlington.”

A series of events will run in community venues to raise awareness and people with business ideas will then be offered one to one coaching.

The project is supported as part of the Tees Valley Industrial Programme, a £60m investment over the next two years from One North East and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Further details are available from Business Link on 0845-600-9006 or visit business link.gov.uk/northeast