Great news for small businesses across the region — Citylife Business Support has returned for 2026, and we're delighted to be part of it once again.

A new round of fully-funded expert support is now available to SMEs in Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, North Tyneside and Northumberland, running from April through to December 2026. Applications opened on 1st May, and if you haven't already taken steps to register your interest, now is the time to act.

Phase 2 of the North of Tyne Business Support Fund is now live, offering up to 50% funding for growth-focused projects costing £3,000–£8,000. If your business in Newcastle, North Tyneside, or Northumberland needs support with strategy development, performance improvement, or business growth planning, HiThrive is here to help. As a registered provider with NBSL, we can guide you through the application process and ensure your project maximises this funding opportunity. Don’t miss out—get in touch with HiThrive today!

The Sunderland Business Support Fund (SBSF) is a grant programme aimed at driving economic growth by enabling businesses to access external expertise, facilitating business growth and improvement plans.

Exciting news! HiThrive is thrilled to be part of the new Growth & Resilience Support scheme, offering fully-funded support for eligible micro and small businesses in Northumberland.

Have you heard the exciting news? HiThrive is thrilled to be part of the new Citylife Business Support Scheme, following our successful involvement in three previous initiatives. This new scheme is designed to provide fully-funded support to eligible SMEs in Newcastle upon Tyne’s local authority area. But what does this mean for you?

Following the announcement of a new £1.5m grant fund from the North of Tyne Combined Authority to support business innovation across North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland, we’re pleased to confirm that applications are now open.

The North East Business Support Fund has been helping North East SME’s to grow and develop for almost a decade.

If you’ve heard of business consultants, but don’t quite understand what it is that they do, don’t worry - you are most definitely not alone!

One of our most commonly asked questions is at what stage is it best to engage the services of a virtual assistant?

Back in 2019, we teamed up with North East’s Business & IP Centre to offer free one-to-one advice to local businesses.

At HiThrive, we are committed to helping and supporting small businesses during this challenging time.