North East Rural Growth Programme

Fully-Funded Business Support for Rural Businesses Across the North East

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ANNOUNCEMENT

Exciting news — HiThrive is Supporting the North East Rural Growth Programme

HiThrive is supporting the delivery of the North East Rural Growth Programme (NE-RGP) — a fully-funded initiative supporting eligible businesses across rural areas of the North East to grow, create jobs, and build long-term resilience.

If your business has ambitions to grow and create new employment opportunities, you may be eligible for fully-funded support — with funding secured through to March 2029.

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The North East Rural Growth Programme is developed and supported by:

Northumberland County Council logo with red and yellow banner above the text.

The North East Rural Growth Programme is funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (North East MSA), with Northumberland County Council acting as the Lead Delivery Partner, supported by Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Northumberland National Park Authority, Food and Drink North East Limited, and North East Enterprise Agency.

Working alongside you, HiThrive can provide expert advice to help accelerate growth, increase productivity, access new markets, secure investment, and build the capacity needed to create new jobs.

Support can include:

  • Financial planning and forecasting

  • Business planning and strategy

  • Sales and accessing new markets

  • Accessing funding and investment

  • Improving productivity and resilience

BENEFITS

What’s in It for You?

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Up to 12 hours of 1:1 support

Eligible businesses can receive up to 12 hours of fully-funded 1:1 support, tailored to the specific needs of your business, with an additional two hours of desk-based research available where required.

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Access to workshops

Eligible businesses can also attend themed workshops covering a wide range of growth and resilience topics — and still access your full 1:1 support allocation on top.

This tailored, fully-funded support is focused on helping rural businesses grow, expand their workforce, and realise their long-term ambitions.

HOW IT WORKS

How Does the Support Work?

01

Register via the appropriate portal for your area (links below)

02

A Local Authority Business Adviser contacts you, visits your business, and carries out a diagnostic assessment.

03

A specialist is allocated based on your needs, sector, and geography.

04

You receive a Scope of Work email confirming the agreed areas of support — your project starts from this date.

05

Your specialist works with you over an initial six-week period, with a mid-point check-in to ensure progress.

GEOGRAPHY & PROGRAMME AREA

Is Your Business Eligible?

The programme is available to businesses in rural parts of the North East, with two distinct timeframes depending on location. Area Programme is available until:

Rural SW Durham, Gateshead & Northumberland:

March 2029

Urban Northumberland:

December 2026

To be eligible, your business must:

  • Be located within one of the programme areas listed above

  • Be trading and employ at least one member of staff

  • Have a clear ambition to grow and create new employment opportunities.

REGISTRATION LINKS

How to Register

Northumberland

Learn more

Durham

Learn more

Gateshead

Learn more

Not sure where to start? Get in touch with the HiThrive team — we’re happy to point you in the right direction.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • The support is consultancy-based and tailored to your business. It covers areas such as business planning, financial planning and modelling, marketing and routes to market, sales growth, operational improvements, strategic planning, and resilience. Projects are designed around your specific goals — the first session with your advisor is used to agree exactly what will be covered.

  • The NE-RGP is funded by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and led by Northumberland County Council, working alongside Durham County Council, Gateshead Council, Northumberland National Park Authority, Food and Drink North East, and the North East Enterprise Agency. NBSL coordinates Technical Specialist delivery, and HiThrive is an approved Technical Specialist on the programme.

  • Yes. Eligible businesses can attend as many workshops as they wish and still receive their full allocation of up to 12 hours of one-to-one support. Workshops can also be a useful starting point before embarking on more in-depth 1:1 support.

  • The programme covers up to 12 hours of direct one-to-one support, plus up to two additional hours of desk-based research where relevant. For businesses with needs beyond this, it may be possible to discuss further support outside of the programme directly with HiThrive.

  • Eligibility is assessed by the Local Authority Business Adviser when you register. If you’re unsure, the best first step is to register via the appropriate portal for your area and let the team guide you. You’re also welcome to get in touch with HiThrive beforehand if you’d like a quick chat about whether the programme sounds right for you.

Ready to take your business to the
next level?

Fully-funded support is available now. Register through your local portal, or get in touch and we’ll help you get started.

Book a Free Consultation