AMBITIOUS CHANGES
BIC unveils bold vision for the future
Vision – North East BIC chief executive has revealed new branding and plans for the business hub .
A
leading provider of business space and support has unveiled a bold new vision as it looks to help North- East businesses embrace ‘ the workplace of tomorrow ’.
The North East BIC helped hundreds of businesses across the region adjust and adapt during the pandemic and believes a new global business culture , centred on work-life balance and employee wellbeing , will change the way the region ’ s businesses operate for generations to come .
Not only has this inspired the BIC to re-imagine how it supports its own staff , but also the thousands of businesses it supports , leading to the introduction of a new strategy and service offer aimed at helping the region ’ s businesses embrace the workplace of the future .
Underpinned by a modern new brand identity , which reflects its commitment to do ‘ business for good ’, the changes will see the BIC revamp its start-up support offering and place a heavier focus than ever before on social entrepreneurship , with the introduction of its Innovate for Good programmes and AMIF , a unique project helping refugees harness their skills to set up in business .
The organisation has also made a commitment to continue investing in wellbeing and wellness by improving its green spaces , embracing and encouraging coworking and hybrid working and developing a Net Zero strategy which includes investing in EV charging points and Pollinator Parks ®.
Established in 1994 , the North East BIC now operates three – soon to be four – business centres across the region and has helped over 4,000 entrepreneurs set up in business since it opened its doors .
Central to this success has been its long-standing business start-up and social enterprise programmes , both of which have been revamped alongside its rebrand , to ensure they are fit for the 21st century as the BIC not only looks to champion the region ’ s start-up community , but also its enterprising philanthropists .
BIC chief executive Paul McEldon OBE said : “ Over the past few decades our start-up and scale-up programmes have played a key role in not only helping people realise their ambitions of launching their own businesses , but also helping organisations innovate and grow , and this support will play as crucial a role as ever before .”
For more information on the North East BIC , visit www . ne-bic . co . uk .
Wearside fire safety firm gains BAFE approval
A Wearside based fire safety and training provider has been successful in gaining BAFE accreditation for their fire risk assessment provision .
ProFire Safety and Training , who launched in January 2020 and is located at the North East BIC in Sunderland , provides fire safety services such as fire risk assessments , fire door inspections and various workplace training courses .
The firm has been working towards gaining the BAFE accreditation following a demand in services , specifically from the public sector , housing associations and property management businesses .
BAFE ( British Approvals for Fire
Equipment ) is the independent registration body for third party certificated fire safety organisations across the UK . The accreditation is recognised as the gold standard within the fire safety industry and gives customers the reassurance that their supplier is being independently and regularly assessed by a UKAS certification body .
News
BUSINESS BRIEFS
£ 1.5M CITY CENTRE WORKS The evolution of Sunderland city centre is set to continue with a host of public realm works in the Minster Quarter .
Sunderland City Council will invest around £ 1.5m enhancing High Street West between The Peacock Pub and Low Row , complementing recently completed work at Minster Park and Garden Place .
The schedule of works will include high-quality paving , street furniture and a new crossing point between Minster Park and Garden Place .
WHOPPER RETURNS The Whopper is returning to Sunderland with the opening of a new drive-thru restaurant .
Burger King is opening the outlet at Salterfen Park , the new business park being built at the junction of Ryhope Road and Salterfen Road , creating 34 jobs including four managerial roles , two assistant managers and a shift manager .
£ 1.45M BOOST Offshore Wind North East , the national conference and exhibition that took place on Wearside at the end of 2021 , will generate an estimated £ 1.45m in new work for businesses in attendance . Held in Sunderland at the start of December and organised by NOF – and supported by North-East England ’ s offshore wind cluster , Energi Coast – the event attracted around 750 delegates and 130 exhibitors .
FRP EXPANDS TO HOUGHTON As specialist business consultancy FRP expands its UK footprint , the firm has added a third North-East regional office in Houghton-le-Spring .
The location takes FRP ’ s national network to 25 offices .
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