TEDCO Chief Executive, James Craft, reflects on some of the incredible work being done in the North East to support aspiring entrepreneurs, new start-ups and organisations trying to scale.
In recent weeks we’ve been working away on our 2023–2025 Impact Report here at TEDCO. It’s an important part of the work we do as an organisation to reflect on our work, assess our success and understand how we are serving our local communities.
Of course, that means not just patting ourselves on the back but also taking the time to identify how the world of work is changing and where we need to adapt in order to best meet those evolving requirements.
Why? Because the next generation of successful businesses don’t just appear by chance. In order to develop a healthy and vibrant business community, I believe we need great business support – support that is only possible through regional funding and strong partnerships.
As I’ve tried to outline in my foreword to the report, enterprise is about more than just financial gain; it’s about strengthening local communities and helping create opportunities for those who need them most. In the North East, we’ve been delighted to see that the ambition, drive and determination of people within our region is not only alive and well . . . but thriving.
Over the past two years, more than 2,000 people have taken steps to explore enterprise with support from TEDCO. This single number tells an important story. It shows a region full of people who are testing ideas, gaining new skills and working out what kind of future they want to build for themselves.
Between 2023 and 2025 TEDCO has delivered a significant increase in business skills workshops, with workshop attendance rising by 99 per cent over the past year. This was matched by a 61 per cent increase in the number of business skills workshops delivered, ensuring support reached people at different stages of their journey.
These numbers show that people want to learn, whether they are at the very start of an idea or already feeling confident about running something of their own. When support is both accessible and personal, it gives people the space to grow.
New skills that last longer than a business idea
One of the most important points we’ve tried to make in the Impact Report is that success is not only measured by how many new businesses launch. Many people who attend workshops or meet with an adviser might decide not to start a business at all. That choice still holds value.
Business support helps people build skills that stay with them for life. These include confidence with digital tools, the ability to manage their own finances and a clearer understanding of how to solve problems at work.
Fundamentally, these lessons matter whether or not someone becomes a business owner. It creates capable people who feel more in control of their future, whatever direction they choose next.
The most convincing evidence of progress comes not just through the figures we’ve been able to collate but from the people behind the numbers. The Impact Report is full of examples that show how diverse the region’s enterprise community has become.
There is the North Tyneside engineering firm Frontline Integrity, which has moved from local start up to winning a King’s Award. There is the growing production company Nana Peg Productions, which is championing North East creatives.
There are founders who have secured investment, such as AMS Welding, and others like Megan Archbold who are reshaping expectations in skilled trades. Each of these stories began with early support from TEDCO. These examples prove that when people are given the right guidance at the right time, they can build something that benefits both their own lives and the wider economy.
A future shaped by thousands of individual steps
The figure of 2,000 represents individual decisions to improve, explore new opportunities and also contribute to the community. I believe it also reflects a region that is becoming more confident in its ability to grow its own businesses and support its own talent.
With continued investment, practical support and a commitment to making enterprise accessible to everyone, the North East has every reason to feel positive about the road ahead. This past two years gives us a glimpse of what can happen when people feel supported to take the first step.