Business and Intellectual Property Centre - North East

18/06/2026

📣Calling all businesses and start ups: how heart-felt are your sales pitches?
If you're struggling to find your authentic sales voice then join us next Tuesday 23rd June at The Word when BIPC sales expert in residence, Moira Barnes of Moira Barnes Sales Consultancy will share her “Selling With Heart” ethos. Discover how to approach sales in a way that feels right for you, no matter what product or service you offer.
This event is part of the ‘BIPC Bitesize’ series of 1.5 hour-long events at The Word in South Shields, aiming to educate and inspire busy local businesses and pre-starts.
Enjoy a half-hour presentation on a specific business topic, followed by Q and A and networking. Whatever your industry, you will come away with useful takeaways to help grow your business!
Book your free place https://tinyurl.com/y93ea3xz

16/06/2026

*** IP Tip Tuesday ***
Ideas alone are not protected – expression is.

Summer events and visibility can increase IP risks. Many small businesses and creatives across Newcastle and the North East do not realise that their ideas, content and branding can be protected through Intellectual Property (IP). Understanding your rights early helps reduce risk and supports long-term growth.

Book a free IP Surgery: https://www.bipcnortheast.co.uk/intellectual-property/

16/06/2026

Attention North Tyneside based businesses !

It’s time to apply for up to 12 hours of funded support through the Citylife Business Support Grant!

Receive Expert guidance and bespoke support tailored to your business across key business areas:

✅ Marketing & PR
✅ Intellectual Property & Legal
✅ Innovation & Growth
✅ Sustainability

Take the first step today with a free expert session. Find the perfect match for your business needs here 👇

https://www.bipcnortheast.co.uk/citylife-business-support/

15/06/2026

Are you new to tendering for public sector contracts? Then you need to sign up for our FREE workshop next Monday 22nd June in Newcastle's City Library.

Getting Contract Ready: An introduction to public sector contracting will help you assess your readiness and develop your tender library.

Delivered by Business & IP Centre’s Experts in Residence Kate Duffy and Mel Carr, this workshop will be particularly useful for businesses and voluntary & community organisations (VCOs) who are relatively new to tendering for public sector contracts or would like to improve their bid-writing skills.

Book your place now

Getting Contract Ready: An introduction to public sector contracting that will help you assess your readiness and develop your tender library. Delivered by Business & IP Centre’s Experts […]

14/06/2026

The high street is changing. How can your business compete?
In Houghton le Spring next month, BIPC Experts in Residence Karen Williamson (retail) and Andy Ditchburn (marketing, branding and web design) will deliver insight and take-away tips to help your high-street business thrive.
In addition, Jodie Gillespie of Sunderland City Council, will introduce a new fund being launched for high street businesses in the Newbottle Street area!
As always, there'll be time for networking and Q&A over a delicious brunch and a chance to hear about some of the other free business support available in your area.
Book your FREE place https://tinyurl.com/8uzd38wr

The high street is changing. How can your business compete? At this business brunch, BIPC Experts in Residence Karen Williamson (retail) and Andy Ditchburn (marketing, branding and web […]

12/06/2026

FSB's Small Business Index for Q2 is now live!

It only takes 5 mins but your valuable insight will help to shape crucial policy recommendations to key decision makers to help support small businesses.

This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn

11/06/2026

📣Calling all businesses and start ups: how heart-felt are your sales pitches?
If you're struggling to find your authentic sales voice then join us on Tuesday 23rd June at The Word when BIPC sales expert in residence, Moira Barnes of Moira Barnes Sales Consultancy will share her “Selling With Heart” ethos. Discover how to approach sales in a way that feels right for you, no matter what product or service you offer.
This event is part of the ‘BIPC Bitesize’ series of 1.5 hour-long events at The Word in South Shields, aiming to educate and inspire busy local businesses and pre-starts.
Enjoy a half-hour presentation on a specific business topic, followed by Q and A and networking. Whatever your industry, you will come away with useful takeaways to help grow your business!
Book your free place https://tinyurl.com/y93ea3xz

09/06/2026

*** IP Tip Tuesday ***
Collaborating with others? Agree IP ownership upfront.

Summer events and visibility can increase IP risks. Many small businesses and creatives across Newcastle and the North East do not realise that their ideas, content and branding can be protected through Intellectual Property (IP). Understanding your rights early helps reduce risk and supports long-term growth.

Book a free IP Surgery: https://www.bipcnortheast.co.uk/intellectual-property/

08/06/2026

Are you new to tendering for public sector contracts? Then sign up for our FREE workshop on Monday 22nd June in Newcastle's City Library.

Getting Contract Ready: An introduction to public sector contracting will help you assess your readiness and develop your tender library.

Delivered by Business & IP Centre’s Experts in Residence Kate Duffy and Mel Carr, this workshop will be particularly useful for businesses and voluntary & community organisations (VCOs) who are relatively new to tendering for public sector contracts or would like to improve their bid-writing skills.

Book your place now – this workshop is bound to be popular!

https://tinyurl.com/4nddhpk3

08/06/2026

What a way to kick off the week!

This morning we were at Helix Arts delivering an action-packed Business Brunch for North Tyneside businesses.

A huge thank you to Business North Tyneside and our brilliant Experts in Residence Andy Ditchburn , Jane Shaw and Ashleigh King 🎙️🎧 (MBA) for sharing their insights, experiences and practical advice with everyone in the room.

Some of the top takeaways from our experts included:

Andy Ditchburn, Web, Brand & Marketing Expert
• Know your content and know your customer.
• Take care of your website as well as your social media channels.
• You don’t have to do everything — focus your efforts where your customers are.

Jane Shaw, Creative Business Expert
• Success isn’t just measured financially.
• Creative recognition, meaningful community impact and long-term resilience are all key indicators of a thriving creative business.
• Build an enterprise that flourishes on your terms.

Ashleigh King, Podcasting Expert
• No one has the story you have to tell.
• Podcasting is a powerful way to share stories that matter, build connections and showcase your expertise.
• Consider budget as well as consider your time, planning and resources needed to create content consistently.

To top it all off, we enjoyed a brilliant tour of the new podcasting studio, giving attendees a chance to see the facilities first-hand and learn more about the opportunities podcasting can offer businesses.

Thank you to everyone who joined us. Keep an eye on our page for upcoming events , we’d love to welcome you along.

And a special thank you to all the businesses who attended and contributed to the conversations throughout the morning. Your engagement, questions and willingness to share your experiences made the event such a success. We look forward to seeing you again soon!