Growing a business brings a variety of challenges, but you don’t have to do it all alone. We can provide a range of support to help you take your next steps. Through our Arrow programme, we can equip you with the tools you need to succeed on your innovation journey by giving you access to researchers, expertise and facilities from across four of the North East’s universities.
Our range of support for innovation
Whether you’re starting a new business from scratch or looking to expand your existing business with new products or services, we can provide support that’s tailored to your needs.
This includes:
- innovation support
- help with research and development
- proof of concept and validation
- specialist data science expertise
- access to state of the art research facilities and equipment
Depending on your business needs, this support could include access to research, university experts, facilities, drawing on some of our specialist expertise.
Funded through UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Arrow is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund with the North of Tyne Combined Authority as the lead authority and Durham County Council.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills.
The North of Tyne Combined Authority is a partnership of three local authorities: Newcastle City Council, North Tyneside Council, and Northumberland County Council and the North of Tyne Elected Mayor.
What has Arrow achieved so far?
Over the last four years, our Arrow programme has helped more than 150 regional SMEs innovate by connecting them with expertise from across Newcastle University, strengthening our local economy along the way.
An independent assessment has forecasted that within the next three years – Arrow will have:
- created 143 new jobs
- developed 53 new products or services
- increased private investment by £2.6m
- increased turnover by £16.9m
Find out how SMEs and start-ups have benefited from Arrow’s support. Hear from Reshma Begum of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) about how this support is helping SMEs innovate and is strengthening the regional economy, and from Newcastle University Pro Vice Chancellor Jane Robinson about our aspirations to continue and broaden the Arrow project in the future. Read more about our Arrow projects here.
