A portion of a £1.5m in capital grant funding in a small business service programme was awarded to a farm shop in Northumberland.

The Northumberland Small Business Service (NSBS), delivered by Advance Northumberland on behalf of the Northumberland County Council, offers free assistance including workshops, one-to-one support, and capital grant funding.

More than 300 micro-small businesses have been supported in NSBS's first year of operation.

The programme has now committed £1.5m in Capital Grant funding, unlocking a further £2.2m of private sector investment from rural businesses who are keen to increase productivity and/or diversify their profile.

A portion of the capital grant was awarded to Brocksbushes Farm.

Harry Dickinson, director of Brocksbushes, said: "(the grant) will take our business to the next level and give us a home that can accommodate the current demand, with room to grow in the future."

OpenWorks, a Prudhoe-based business, also received grant support.

Neil Armstrong, engineer director at OpenWorks, said: "This grant has enabled OpenWorks to seize a time-sensitive development opportunity that will benefit the North East, through the creation of direct jobs and increased volume of work to the local supply chain."

Since its inception, the NSBS has delivered more than 800 hours of support through workshops and one-to-one specialist support, covering topics such as digital marketing, finance, HR, business resilience, and specific support for farm enterprises by the Northumberland National Park Authority.

Apart from grants, businesses who attended workshops said these initiatives helped them gain an understanding significant to their growth and sustainability.

The efforts of the service have also led to the creation of 100 jobs within the region and are projected to quadruple this number over the next few years.

Councillor Richard Wearmouth, deputy leader and cabinet member for Supporting Business and Opportunities at Northumberland County Council, said:  "The Northumberland Small Business Service is helping to drive growth and resilience of businesses across Northumberland."

Liz Nelson, interim programme manager at NSBS, said: “NSBS is a great opportunity for businesses and individuals thinking about starting their own business. 

"The free support is invaluable for the Northumberland business community, and the team look forward to more milestones over the next few years."

The service will continue until 2026.