A DURHAM law firm partner has joined the panel of the County Durham Growth Fund.

The fund is a £4.9 million grant scheme funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), designed to provide grant support to SME’s in County Durham for capital investment projects with the aim of creating quality jobs in the private sector.

The three-year programme, managed by Umi in partnership with Business Durham, runs from April 2019 to March 2022, whereby applicants can apply for up to 40 per cent of the value of a specific project.

The final date for projects to be completed is December 31, 2021 and jobs must be in place by December 31, 2022 in order to receive the grant.

Swinburne Maddison LLP partner Jonathan Moreland has joined the investment panel of up to 12 voting members, across varying sectors, It draws representation from the local business community.

Jonathan heads up the Employment and Dispute Resolution teams at the firm, acting for business owners across the region, and brings the benefit of his extensive experience to his new role.

He said: “I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to join the County Durham Growth Fund Panel.

“This fund is a great opportunity for businesses already based within the County Durham area and for those wishing to expand into the area to invest in their organisation and improve prospects for the next generation.”

In the first three months of being launched the panel has provisionally granted about £2m across ten businesses, in different sectors, leading to the creation of 200 jobs in the County Durham area.