SMALL businesses in the North-East are being offered “boot camps” in a £2m project aimed at helping them to expand faster.

Enterprise coaching and workshops focused on finance options will also be offered.

The “boot camps” are part of a venture between the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and North-East Enterprise Agencies Ltd (NEEAL), which are each contributing £1.06m.

The project is aimed at 164 existing small and mediumsized enterprises (SMEs) over the next two years and will help 1,700 people gain extra business skills.

The support package, Starting a High Growth Business, will consist of a two-day “boot camp”, workshops and one-toone mentoring to develop business plans.

Paul McEldon, chairman of NEEAL, a consortium started in 2007 by 12 non profit-making enterprise and development agencies in the North-East, said: “This will ensure accessible and high-quality business support is available to anyone considering starting a business which, given the uncertain environment and the importance of rebalancing the North-East economy, is fantastic news for the region as a whole.”

Communities Minister Baroness Hanham, whose department manages the ERDF programme, said: “A significant number of new businesses and new jobs will be created as a direct result of this project.

“Private sector growth is vital to a strong economy, particularly in the small and medium enterprise sectors, and this project will play an important role in strengthening the North-East’s business base, contributing to the growth of the local and national economy.”