Participants at this year’s Oktoberfest are set to reap further benefits with the addition of an exclusive professional services section.
Oktoberfest is the north east’s largest engineering and manufacturing showcase, set to take place on Wednesday, October 19th at the XCEL Centre, Newton Aycliffe. With over 90 exhibitors signed up to take part the event is a must for anyone with a stake in the region’s manufacturing and engineering sector.
Now in its fourth year, a select number of companies will be on hand to offer a range of professional services and support. As well as Cellular Solutions, ITPS and law firm Swinburne Jackson, one of the latest companies to sign up to exhibit is regional fund management firm NEL Fund Managers.
NEL is the north east’s most active business investor, and is responsible for the management of the £20m Finance for Business North East Growth Fund, which is aimed at established companies based anywhere in the north east which are at a development and growth stage.
Jane Siddle, Investment Executive at NEL says: “The Growth Fund provides a fantastic opportunity for ambitious regional businesses to access the investment capital they need to develop their services, expand their operations and create new, sustainable employment opportunities.
“Manufacturing and engineering businesses form the backbone of our investee portfolio, and we’ve made several Growth Fund investments in these sectors over the last 18 months which have helped businesses move forward at a far faster pace than they would otherwise have been able to.
“We’re continuing to actively looking for more ambitious companies to join our list of successful investees and hope our presence at the Oktoberfest event will give both visitors and exhibitors the chance to find out more about how we might help them realise their business objectives.”
Another company looking to highlight their expertise and offer advice on a range of finance issues is BLA Consulting. Experts on tax advice and cash flow solutions, BLA will be sharing their stand with Howarth Lynch, an independent chartered tax consultancy firm specialising in Research and Development (R & D) relief and credits. Partner at BLA Consulting David Bradshaw said; “We work with clients to maximise their profit, cut their tax bills and improve their personal wealth. Research and Development Tax Credits are a spectacularly underutilised government incentive. The relief works to give 200% tax relief for research and development spend so long, of course, that the right conditions are met. The thing that businesses don’t realise is that those conditions are present more often than not. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look!”
Investments of between £50,000 and £400,000 are available to qualifying companies from the Finance For Business North East Growth Fund. For more information about NEL’s investment criteria, visit www.nel.co.uk or contact the investment team on 0845 111 1850.
Anyone interested in finding out more about how to get involved in Oktoberfest should contact Engineering Clusters County Durham on 01207 585 816, email info@durhamoktoberfest.org.uk or visit the website at www.durhamoktoberfest.org.uk.