As we look back over the past 12 months, I’m immensely proud of what the team at RTC North, alongside our partners and clients, has delivered. This has been a year of real traction, where ambition has turned into action and challenges have sparked new opportunities.

Our 2024/25 Annual Review isn’t just a record of statistics, though the stats are impressive. We’ve supported over 1,650 businesses to innovate, 684 businesses to grow, and 931 to compete – and that’s exactly what we set out to do.

Together, these businesses have created or safeguarded more than 827 jobs so far, and we’ve seen a real shift in confidence and investment, with an average of £25.5k additional investment per firm.

But what excites me most isn’t just what we’ve done – it’s what lies ahead.

We’ve worked with manufacturers to boost productivity, helped small companies break into supply chains, and supported young people into STEM. Innovation remains central to everything we do, but it’s now backed by a deep understanding of what growth really looks like, whether in digital health, advanced manufacturing, or clean energy.

Looking to the future, I believe the North is on the brink of something special. As more powers are devolved, we’re better placed than ever to solve local challenges with local solutions. We’re already seeing momentum around The Great North collaboration and RTC is committed to helping that vision become a reality.

Our ambition is clear: help more businesses break through to the next level. That means more micros scaling into viable SMEs, more confident leaders making informed decisions, and more inclusive prosperity rooted in the North.

To our team, thank you for your passion and drive. To our partners, thank you for your trust and collaboration. Let’s keep building. The best is still to come.