The art of the possible: Turning ambition into action

Craig Huntingdon is running a couple of minutes late.

An unintentional detour from the A66 has taken him along County Durham’s southernmost leafy lanes, past overhanging trees, tangled hedgerows and golden brown late summer fields.

It has also carried him over Winston Bridge, set between Barnard Castle and Darlington where, almost 40 years ago, pilot Ray Hanna sent a Spitfire screaming through the 18th century crossing’s archway for a television adaptation of Derek Robinson’s A Piece of Cake RAF-inspired novel.

As diversions go, it couldn’t be more fitting.

As a partner on Scaleup North East – the Government-backed venture delivered by RTC North that helps businessowners plot growth blueprints – Craig is used to navigating unexpected turns in the road.

He’s also well versed in commercial manoeuvres that make the seemingly improbable possible.

Craig says: “Scaleup North East provides aspiring business founders with guidance in a non-prescriptive way.

“We get to know founders and their companies, and understand their growth ambitions, helping to inject confidence in processes, de-risk concepts and boost market connections.

“We show the art of the possible, removing mental barriers to opportunities that exist.

“That often comes by starting with the end goal; by defining that, we’re able to create a pathway to make ambitions a reality,” adds Craig, who is joined by Scaleup North East partners Angelina Bell, Tony Brooks, Dan Martin, Steve Bell and Mark Harrison.

A cornerstone of Scaleup North East’s support is its sector agnostic approach, which has resulted in work with companies such as Newcastle-based Nursem, whose hand creams are used by staff on NHS wards, and fellow Newcastle firm Smart Carbon, known for carbon emissions reporting and reduction support.

Augmented by partners’ experiences as founders and senior-level executives, it delivers insight, perspective and practical strategies to help founders navigate common obstacles.

Craig says: “We work with operators spanning a number of sectors.

“They’re not looking for an industry expert because they’re already brilliant at what they do.

“Instead, they want help with commercialising and marketing products.”

“That’s where the broad knowledge and expertise of Scaleup North East’s partners comes in,” says Craig, who spent time as an Aldi trading director after globally scaling a wall covering manufacturer following a management buyout in his early 20s.

He adds: “It’s the same with other growth barriers like recruitment.

“Some founders blame themselves for failing to find the right staff, but they’re too often looking through the prism of their processes being wrong, rather than a lack of suitable candidates.

“We help revise their outlooks and show them they’re not approaching challenges alone.”

And this is all the more crucial, says Craig, in a regional landscape where latest figures show 1545 businesses that qualify as scale-ups or stand close to the landmark are collectively turning over nearly £15 billion and employing more than 118,000 people.

He says: “The density of scale-ups has a positive proportionate effect on a region’s surrounding economy.

“Scale-up firms, which grow at more than 20 per cent for at least three years, are the backbone of economic transformation.

“Having more of them equates to a regional growth engine powering a stronger economy.

“And that is very important from an inward investment perspective too, because if you’re looking to move into the UK from overseas, you want to operate in an area with the largest possible set of assets.”

To maintain that momentum, Craig says the North East must continue carving its own identity, rather than impersonating models in London, Manchester and Birmingham.

And through its support mechanisms, he says Scaleup North East, which has also worked with Newcastle-founded Care Messenger – whose partnership with global electronic products maker LG is addressing low technology adoption in the elderly that leads to loneliness and social exclusion – is helping founders dial into opportunities directly attuned to the area’s nuances.

He says: “We don’t have some of the economic assets to support scale-ups like London, Manchester and Birmingham.

“But we do have capital efficiency; we can do a lot more in the North East because the cost of doing business here is lower.

“Companies are learning to make money stretch further, which is extending runways and, when combined with productivity per scale-up, the North East is punching above its weight.”

This performance, says Craig, is unfolding across numerous sectors, with the innovative legacy of the region’s industrial past helping engender multifarious prospects underpinned by a “build it here and sell to the world” approach.

He says: “Manufacturers and engineering firms are tapping into global supply chains, with their close proximity to the North East’s ports providing a genuine advantage.

“The region’s health and life science ventures are benefitting from strong partnerships with NHS trusts and universities; its digital and artificial intelligence businesses are thriving because they can scale products with a far lower cost base than London peers; and the North East is a pioneering area for energy transition too.

“It all proves the North East doesn’t need to mimic the scale-up playbook of other areas, and that business owners can scale from the region in a sustainable and compelling manner.”

He adds: “By using available assets, building the right team early and focusing relentlessly on markets where they have an edge, businesses can thrive from the North East.

“We must harness our unique assets.

“The North East has grit, resilience and tenacity – baked-in human factors that make all the difference when growing a business – in abundance.

“And using our unique assets, we can successfully scale businesses here on our own terms.

“The North East has always been about making things work, and its scale-up story is far from over.”

Scaleup North East

To be eligible for Scaleup North East support, companies should be:

•  Businesses, including start-ups, which are scaling or can demonstrate significant growth potential

•  Based in the areas of Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne or the Gateshead Metropolitan Borough

Ideally in the following sectors, although others will be considered:

• Digital and technology

• Health and life sciences

• Low carbon and green growth

• Creative industries

• Advanced manufacturing

The following sectors are not eligible for support:

• Agriculture

• Fishery and aquaculture

• Banking

• Insurance

•  Firms should ideally demonstrate a growth rate of 20 per cent over two previous years, or high growth potential, demonstrating growth of above ten per cent and forecasting future growth of at least ten per cent, with increase in employment

For more information, visit www.scaleupnortheast.co.uk

Scaleup North East is delivered by RTC North and funded by the Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. The programme is led by the North East Combined Authority, covering the seven local authority areas of County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Northumberland.

 

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund

The UK Shared Prosperity Fund proactively supports mission-delivery: pushing power out to communities everywhere, with a specific focus to helping kickstart economic growth and promoting opportunities in all parts of the UK.

The Government’s Autumn Budget announced a further £900 million of funding for local investment by March 2026, with a transition year administered throughout the former North of Tyne region by the North East Combined Authority.

For more information, visit www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus

 

RTC North

RTC North is a leading provider of business support and innovation services, working with organisations to unlock their potential and achieve sustainable growth. With a wealth of expertise and a commitment to excellence, RTC North empowers businesses to overcome challenges, embrace opportunities and drive success in a rapidly evolving marketplace.

 

Scaleup North East

www.scaleupnortheast.co.uk

LinkedIn: RTC North

Pictures: Pawel Gajek (The Bigger Picture Agency)