A TOTAL of £9m is being spent in County Durham improving access to business support.

Despite help being available to companies, the complexity and number of options can discourage businesses.

Thousands of small companies across the county will now have improved access to advice and information through Business Link.

The funding has come from a number of sources, with £6m from Business Link County Durham, regional development agency One NorthEast and the County Durham Economic Partnership and a further £3m provided by the European Regional Development Fund.

The money will go into a partnership that has been set up to offer a streamlined approach to business support and advice.

The move is part of a region-wide review of services under the North East Business Support Network .