North East Combined Authority

What North East Combined Authority does

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (formerly the North East Combined Authority, renamed 18 May 2026) is a publicly constituted regional governance body for North East England, established through a UK Government devolution deal announced in December 2023 and formally created on 7 May 2024. It operates under joint leadership of the elected Mayor (Kim McGuinness, the first North East mayor) and the leaders of seven constituent local authorities — County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, and Sunderland — covering a region of roughly two million residents. Its statutory mandate is to absorb funding and policy decisions previously held by central government in transport, skills, business support, and economic development, and it reports £1.87bn in newly unlocked investment in its first annual performance review.

The MSA delivers its mission through a portfolio of programmes and digital platforms rather than a unified software product. Core assets include the North East Growth Hub (business support portal), North East Ambition (careers education across 500+ institutions, including The Buzz Quiz personality assessment licensed internationally to India, USA, Malaysia, and Germany, and the apprenticeReady apprenticeship hub), the LinkUp Portal connecting educators and employers, the Provider Portal for 16–18 technical education, Invest North East England (inward investment agency), Shine (employer accreditation), Net Zero North East (decarbonisation partnership), the Carbon and Nature Marketplace, the North East Evidence Hub, and the Angel Network (integrated bus, Metro, ferry, and rail branding work preceding bus franchising consultation). Notable infrastructure investments include £38m into Crown Works Studios, £100m+ with Lockheed Martin UK for the space sector, £6.3m for the ORE Catapult Technology Development Centre in Blyth, and £2.1m for JDR Cable Systems' offshore wind cable testing rig.

The MSA has no commercial revenue model; it is funded by government devolution deals, local authority contributions, and competitive grants, and provides services free at point of use. Customer relationships are diversified across residents, SMEs, schools, entrepreneurs, and global investors, but underlying fiscal concentration rests on UK Government settlement. The strategic narrative is anchored by the Mayor's £140m Green Jobs Plan (25,000 green jobs targeted by 2035), the North East Fund (£70m venture capital), the new £1bn Lloyds Banking Group finance commitment, and the North East Ports Investment Taskforce, positioning the Authority as a regional convener blending public policy with private capital deployment.

Name

North East Combined Authority

Legal name

North East Mayoral Strategic Authority

Website

https://northeast-ca.gov.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority is a publicly funded devolved governance body for North East England, led by Mayor Kim McGuinness and seven local authorities, delivering regional programmes in transport, green energy, skills, and business support through digital platforms such as the Growth Hub and North East Ambition.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Public Sector Governance and Economic Development

NAICS

Executive Offices (921110), Public Administration (92), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Executive and Legislative Offices, Combined (921140)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700), Investors, Nec (6799)

akta.pro primary industry

Governor/Executive Office & Cabinet Administration (BPAIABAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

State/Provincial Transportation, Roads & Public Works Administration (BPAIABAK), Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

Keywords

• Regional economic development
• Public sector governance
• Devolved government administration
• Transport integration services
• Skills and careers programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

England

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority delivers devolved regional governance and public services across North East England, covering seven local authority areas. Its core offerings include strategic transport integration (Angel Network with bus, Metro, ferry, rail), green energy and ports investment, skills and careers education programmes, business support and inward investment attraction, and employer accreditation. Services are delivered through branded programmes and digital portals rather than a unified commercial product.

Product overview

The North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (formerly North East Combined Authority) operates a portfolio of interconnected programs, platforms, and initiatives rather than a unified software product. The core offering includes the North East Growth Hub for business support, North East Ambition for careers education (encompassing The Buzz Quiz personality assessment and apprenticeReady apprenticeship resources), and the LinkUp Portal connecting educators with employers. Additional services include Invest North East England for inward investment, Shine employer accreditation, Net Zero North East for decarbonization, Go Smarter Go Active for active travel, the Carbon Marketplace for natural capital projects, the North East Evidence Hub for regional data, and the Provider Portal for technical education discovery. These programs function as separate digital properties and initiatives unified by the Authority's mission to drive regional economic growth, skills development, and sustainable transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• North East Growth Hub: Business support service helping businesses of all shapes and sizes to find funding, finance, and access business support in the North East.
• North East Ambition
• Invest North East England
• Shine
• Net Zero North East
• Go Smarter, Go Active
• North East Evidence Hub

Products and services

• North East Growth Hub Business support portal helping businesses of all sizes to find funding, finance, and access business support in the North East region.
• North East Ambition Careers education programme supporting schools in the North East to offer great careers guidance and provide access to meaningful work experience for students.
• Shine Recognition programme for employers who lead with fairness, opportunity and respect, aiming to make work better for everyone.
• Invest North East England Strategic inward investment agency for the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority, serving as the first point of contact for businesses looking to locate and invest in the region.
• Net Zero North East Partnership of leaders in businesses, local authorities, and communities driving forward a greener, fairer and more sustainable region.
• Go Smarter, Go Active Campaign dedicated to getting more people across the North East to walk, wheel or cycle for everyday journeys.
• North East Evidence Hub Platform bringing together key data about the region and providing tools to help people make use of this data in a simple and accessible way.
• LinkUp Portal Digital platform connecting educators and employers seeking support for their careers-related events and activities in the North East.
• Carbon and Nature Marketplace Pioneering marketplace connecting businesses and private investors with innovative natural capital projects to protect the region's natural assets.
• The Buzz Quiz Personality quiz designed to increase awareness of natural strengths, how individuals work in teams, and what courses or jobs might suit them best; used by over 50,000 young people in North East schools since 2005 and licensed internationally to India, USA, Malaysia and Germany.
• Provider Portal Interactive tool showcasing local providers of skills and technical education to 16-18 year olds, featuring a provider map with filtering by provision type, sector, and location.
• apprenticeReady Campaign and resource hub designed to support more young people onto apprenticeships and make it easier for employers to find apprentices, with resources for learners, schools, employers, and parents/carers.
• New Deal for North East Workers Strategy setting out actions to help more people get good jobs over the next five years, part of the Mayor's plan for an economy that works for everyone.

Quantifiable outcome

• £1.87 billion in new unlocked investment
• +5 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• BrandXYZcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Manchester-based agency commissioned to lead branding work for the Angel Network, a new initiative to integrate public transport across bus, Metro, ferry, and local rail in the North East. Agency developing customer principles through research and engagement with public and stakeholders, alongside full brand transition and roll-out plan. First phase to inform summer public consultation on bus franchising under public control.
• Lockheed Martin UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2026Memorandum of Understanding signed with Mayor Kim McGuinness to align investment, skills development, and supply chain growth in North East England. Building on existing investment including partnership in Northumbria University's North East Space Skills and Technology Centre (NESST). Plans could exceed £100m investment with projections to generate £3.7bn in GVA and create around 2,000 jobs. Collaboration includes skills pipeline through school engagement, advanced degrees, PhDs, and vocational training with New College Durham.
• The Crown EstatemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partner in North East Ports Investment Taskforce supporting offshore and clean energy sector development across the region's ports.
• North East PortscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Key partners in North East Ports Investment Taskforce, companies set to invest billions in region's ports and supply chains for offshore and clean energy sector.
• Entrepreneurs' ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 March 2026New partnership announced to strengthen business support for entrepreneurs across the North East region. Partnership establishes direct dialogue channel between public sector decision-makers and entrepreneurs to shape future regional economic strategy based on real-world business needs. £7m approved to improve business support while £70m in venture capital available through North East Fund.
• Newcastle AirportmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Part of North East delegation attending UKREiiF conference to attract investment by showcasing opportunities in green energy, housing, and cultural projects including Crown Works film studios.
• NewcastleGateshead InitiativemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 March 2026Part of North East delegation attending UKREiiF conference to showcase region to property investors, developers and decision makers.
• NorthStandardminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 February 2026Marine insurer hosted roundtable discussion on how maritime sector can navigate transition to greener energy, highlighting region's concentration of green energy businesses as competitive advantage. Concrete commitment of £15m programme for specialist green energy training centres at Blyth and Wallsend.
• Durham UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 November 2025Collaboration agreement signed between Muse, Durham County Council, and Durham University to develop Durham Innovation District at Aykley Heads. Project aims to create thousands of jobs, attract investment, and position the district as a national hub for research and innovation.
• ORE CatapultcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult opened £6.3m Technology Development Centre in Blyth, Northumberland. Facility provides testing, validation, and demonstration services for offshore renewables companies. NECA contributed £2m to the project as part of Energy Central Campus partnership.
• BBCmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2025Joint investment of £600,000 with North East Screen Industries Partnership and North East Combined Authority to launch Digital Accelerator programme supporting up to four regional production companies in creating digital-first video content for 16-24 year olds on YouTube, TikTok and Twitch.
• JDR Cable SystemsmajorTechnology or Integration · 29 October 2025First user of £2.1m high voltage offshore wind cable testing rig developed in Blyth, Northumberland. Investment funded by North East Combined Authority to speed up cable testing and improve reliability.
• Seven Local AuthoritiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint governance with Mayor and leaders of seven councils (County Durham, Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside and Sunderland) means every part of the region is fairly represented in the combined authority.
• Tees Valley Combined AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint investor with BBC and North East Screen Industries Partnership in £600,000 Digital Accelerator programme for regional production companies.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• North of Tyne Combined Authority: Predecessor mayoral devolution arrangement covering Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland; effectively absorbed into the wider North East MSA in 2024. Direct historical predecessor with overlapping programmes.

Direct peers

• Tees Valley Combined Authority: Neighbouring mayoral combined authority covering Teesside and Darlington with overlapping clean energy, port investment and skills initiatives. Closely collaborates with NE MSA (e.g., Digital Accelerator joint investment).
• West Midlands Combined Authority: Mayoral combined authority with similar transport integration, skills and business growth portfolios. Operates a Growth Hub analogous to North East Growth Hub, providing a direct model benchmark.
• South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority: Mayoral combined authority with devolved transport, skills and economic development powers covering four South Yorkshire local authorities. Direct structural peer with similar scale and scope.
• Liverpool City Region Combined Authority: Mayoral combined authority with devolved transport and skills powers across six local authorities. Comparable regional economic development mandate and devolved funding structure.
• West Yorkshire Combined Authority: Mayoral combined authority covering multiple metropolitan districts with similar transport (bus franchising), skills and economic growth functions. Highly comparable in scale and operating model.
• Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority: Mayoral combined authority with devolved transport, skills and housing powers. Similar governance model focused on a single region with an elected mayor leading strategy.
• Greater Manchester Combined Authority: The largest UK combined authority with an elected Mayor and devolved powers over transport, housing, skills and economic development. Closest direct analogue in terms of statutory structure, mayoral model and policy portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Greater London Authority: Established mayoral strategic authority covering London with the most extensive devolved powers in England. Provides a long-run benchmark for mayoral strategic authority capability and scale.
• West of England Combined Authority: Combined authority covering Bristol, Bath and South Gloucestershire with devolved adult skills and transport functions. Useful structural comparator for skills and growth hub delivery models.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NorthEast_CA
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@NorthEast_CA
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthEastCA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-north-east-combined-authority
• Instagraminstagram.com/ne_mayoralstrategicauthority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments3 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about North East Combined Authority