NET 250 Returns to Spotlight the North East’s Top Firms
Newcastle University Business School has once again joined forces with North East Times (NET) on the next edition of NET 250 – a flagship campaign championing the North East’s most successful companies.
11 December 2025
Following the successful launch of NET 250 last year, the School and NET continue to recognise the strength, resilience and innovation of the region’s business community. NET 250 highlights the top 250 companies in the North East by turnover and plays a key role in showcasing the economic engine that drives the region forward.
Students driving NET 250 research
The project places students from Newcastle University Business School at the heart of the region’s leading business research. For the second year running, they are at the centre of the research that powers the NET 250 list.
Will Lawson, a BSc Economics student selected for the project, said: "I’m really looking forward to working on the NET250 project with an experienced team. I hope to improve my skills in financial data research and analysis, as well as teamwork and communication. I’m also excited to learn more about the business landscape of the North East and how it has changed from previous years."
Supported by academic supervisor Aidan Beck, Lecturer in Accounting, the students will carry out independent research using financial data from public sources, including Companies House and a range of business databases. Their work will be rigorously checked and formally audited by PwC before the final listing is published.
Carly Martin, MSc Accounting, Finance and Financial Analysis student, added: “It’s amazing to be part of such a collaborative project that combines data analysis and financial reporting. I hope to gain hands-on experience working with financial data and alongside a team of wonderful individuals.”
Celebrating industry collaboration
Highlighting the continuation of this project, John Duns, NET Business Development Director, said: “We’re delighted to be once again working with Newcastle University Business School to deliver The NET 250.
“Last year’s inaugural event was a huge success, helped in no small part by the endeavours of the Newcastle University Business School team, led by academic supervisor Aidan Beck.
“The team’s hard work and expertise created a list of the region’s top-performing organisations by turnover – now an incredibly valuable source of information on the North East’s commercial landscape.
“We’ve introduced new categories for next year’s event, which will showcase more of the region’s exceptional organisations and allow us to celebrate their achievements.
“We’re really looking forward to the ceremony.”