Last call for businesses to apply for Accelerate Ashington website development grants

Accelerate Ashington, a programme run by Northumberland County Council-owned developer Advance Northumberland, has set the final date firms can apply for a website design and development grant this year as Friday, February 9.

The scheme aims to help companies in the town improve their digital capabilities, social media presence, and online storefront without incurring the usual expense, which can often be prohibitively high.

Grants between £1,000 and £5,000 are offered to website projects and eligibility criteria is available on Accelerate Ashington’s own site.

Ashington-based LGBTQIA+ charity Pride Action North took advantage of the scheme in 2023 to overhaul its “fundamentally broken” old website, which was no longer fit for purpose.

Chair of the charity Darren Irvine-Duffy said: “The process was easy and did not take much time.

“As someone who writes funding applications most days to support our service, it was clear what information Accelerate Ashington needed from us.”

He added: "The standout value so far is that everyone who has accessed our website has said how amazing and clear it is.

“We are already seeing results through our training offer and new business, a way we raise money to deliver our services.

“We have seen referrals increase. It is much easier for individuals to refer themselves or others to us."

Funding for Accelerate Ashington comes from the government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and was allocated to the project by the North of Tyne Combined Authority.