THE region's information and communication technology needs are expected to be addressed by a £1.2m programme of support.

Enterprise agency Entrust has recruited Business Link and the European Regional Development Fund to finance up to half of each project.

Grants ranging from £2,000 to £50,000 will be available to set up anything from database integration to e-business, software development, new media, financial systems, Internet security and information and computer technology (ICT) training.

Norman Harrison, ICT manager at Entrust, has spent the past six months building a team of consultants in every discipline.

He said: "There is much talk of one stop shops in ICT, but nobody so far has brought together a multi-discipline team with the sole objective of matching North-East business needs for the next decade.

"This is a very exciting programme which will hone our region's competitive edge and help firms large and small to take on the world."

As a not for profit organisation, Entrust will act as broker in a project management role, ensuring the right skill mix is brought to the project as required.