Trinity Mirror Titles to Administer Government Funds to Boost Businesses

Two regional newspapers are playing a central role in the administration of multimillion pound funds designed to boost local businesses, it was announced this week.

The Journal in Newcastle and the Birmingham Post are both playing a key role in the allocation of Regional Growth Funds in their areas.  

Earlier this year, the Liverpool Echo and the Western Morning News announced similar roles in administering RGF funds.

The Post will administer a £5 million fund to help businesses across the West Midlands after its proposals for supporting employers won Government backing.

Ministers say the cash will create or safeguard 3,900 West Midlands jobs directly, as well as 29,800 jobs in the supply chain, the Post reported.

Meanwhile, The Journal announced this week that 400 jobs will be created in the North East thanks to its successful £3m regional growth fund bid.

Under the banner of its Let’s Grow campaign, the paper set up a consortium of smaller and medium-sized businesses and put together a bid for the RGF funds.

The £3 million sum is part of £93m worth of RGF investment in the North East set to see some 8,500 jobs across the region.

Brian Aitken, editor of The Journal, explains the unique appeal of his paper's bid:
"We were keen that businesses in our community benefited from the millions on offer but strict government rules meant firms had to be asking for at least £1m to stand a chance of getting the money.

"£1m is too much money for many small and medium-sized enterprises so the paper decided to join up with local business to establish a Journal consortium, giving smaller firms the chance to club together to apply for their share of some much-needed investment. By taking a lead, we were able to put in one bid for several companies.

"Our Let's Grow campaign asked companies to write in to us and tell us how much they needed, what they were going to do with it and how many jobs they would create. With help from accountants UNW and the Business and Enterprise Group, The Journal selected 13 companies and 11 of these were successful.

"The good news follows on from the success of our apprentices campaign - we hoped to help create 100 apprenticeships in 100 days and ended up with over 1,000.

“And, of course, we are taking part in the Local Business Accelerator campaign and we've generated 39 entries from companies in the North East so far.

"We are proud to be helping create jobs in the North East."

The minimum bid for RGF funds is £1 million but the involvement of regional newspapers allows smaller and medium-sized firms to secure smaller grants more appropriate to their needs.

Mark Prisk, the Minister for Business and Enterprise, told the Post: “There was concern that by having a sensible threshold of a million - so that we aren’t spending a lot of money proportionately on the administration of those very small schemes - that we might rule out the opportunity to help with local programmes with small and medium sized enterprises.

“So several newspaper groups have stepped up to the plate and offered to co-ordinate the funding.”

He added: “I very much welcome the newspapers’ role in this, together with local chambers or whoever the appropriate body is in their area.

“We are working with good solid local newspapers who are caring for their community.”