The North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) is calling on digital influencers to decide how best to spend a £5 million innovation fund.

Its £5 million digital ecosystem support call heralds the next phase of the £10 million Digital Growth and Innovation Programme. The programme will be used to create up to 500 new jobs, to build a more inclusive, green economy, as we recover from Covid-19. The Combined Authority want to hear ideas on how to create a digital ecosystem for small businesses and public services in the North of Tyne.

Cllr Nick Forbes

North of Tyne Cabinet Member for Business Competitiveness and Leader of Newcastle City Council Cllr Nick Forbes said: “We know that the digital sector I one of our major industrial strengths here in the North of Tyne. That’s why as a combined authority we’re putting £5 million into an innovation fund to help grow the ecosystem of the sector.

“You will know better than I do what we need to do to attract talent, grow the pool of people doing this kind of work, and to make sure that the digital sector is properly embedded in our thinking for the future, across all of our businesses and public services. So we want to hear from you.  Your ideas.  What you think would make a difference. And we want to see your application for funding. Come forward; let’s see what we can achieve together.”

North of Tyne is calling for ‘Expressions of Interest’ covering a range of interventions designed to support the growth of digital businesses.

Funding priorities for this Call include, but are not limited to:

  • Support for start-up and early-stage digital/tech businesses
  • Target support to grow existing and emerging digital clusters and sub-sectors
  • Encourage mission-driven innovation and growth in health-tech and other emerging clusters that have societal impact
  • Design approaches to strengthen our digital story, improving regional and national awareness of its strengths

The Combined Authority is making up to £5m of funding available over the next three years. We are seeking high quality, evidence led and partnership focused proposals. The proposals should have the potential to have a strategic and significant impact on the digital sector in the North of Tyne.

Please see the detailed call for proposals below. An Application Form is available on request. Deadline for submission of Initial Expressions of Interest is Noon on 13 November 2020.

Please click here to see the detailed call for proposals.