Regional Partnerships | Northumbria University

Working closely with a range of partners, including regional cultural organisations, local government and the North East Combined Authority (NECA) gives a real-world focus to Northumbria’s teaching and research.

We are committed to developing partnerships and opportunities for collaboration that are greater than the sum of their parts. We connect our partners to the talent, skills and new knowledge that Northumbria has, enhancing our research and education to deliver mutual benefits for all partners and the wider world. We work with an array of companies and organisations - small and medium firms, major multinationals and key parts of the public sector.

We are supporting the move to devolution in the region and to play a leading role collaborating with the North East Mayoral Combined Authority (NECA), supporting it to drive positive impacts on the region and its people. Alongside this we will strengthen our relationships with the constituent local authorities, regional agencies, cultural partners, third sector organisations, businesses, professions and other Higher and Further Education providers.

In particular Northumbria has made a strong commitment to working with regional cultural organisations. We have developed strategic partnerships with Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, New Writing North, Live Theatre, Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums (TWAM) and British Film Institute (BFI) encompassing research, education, outreach and employability. Further information about these cultural partnerships can be found here.

Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement (CNUA)

As part of our civic role, we have a civic university agreement with Newcastle University. The Collaborative Newcastle Universities Agreement (CNUA) sets out how we will work together to make a positive impact for the place and the communities that our universities serve. The partnership aims to deliver impactful projects that are linked to improving the health, wealth and wellbeing of our city and its residents.

Examples of some of the key collaborative projects that come under the CNUA include:

IntoUniversity Centre - a learning centre based in Walker jointly funded by IntoUniversity, Northumbria and Newcastle Universities that aims to encourage local young people to achieve their aspirations, including university, further and higher education, employment and work-based training.
City and regional skills agenda – collaborating to understand our current city offer in key sectors from Level 3–7 to identify where there is complementarity or duplication and to understand if our offer is meeting the needs of the city.
International - working together and with other partners including NGI and NUFC to jointly market Newcastle as a global city for everyone who lives, studies and works here, linked to the city’s new international strategy.

Examples of some of our key place partners include Local and Combined Authorities, North East England Chamber of Commerce, Newcastle Gateshead Initiative (NGI), Confederation of British Industry (CBI) and Newcastle United Foundation. If you would like to know more about any of these partnerships, please contact Alona Welby, Head of Partnerships, Policy and Stakeholder Management.

North East Combined Authority (NECA)

The North East Mayoral Combined Authority came into operation on May 7th 2024 after the mayoral elections.

This brings a new level of regional governance with enhanced devolved powers. There are opportunities for partnership working across the anchor institutions, of which Northumbria is one. The devolution deal also brings £1.4bn funding committed from government over the next thirty years and is the catalyst for new collaboration and partnerships in the North East, particularly where they can demonstrate an impact on people, places and inclusive economic growth.

This development aligns to our strategic commitment to play a leading role in the economic and social transformation of the North East and beyond. It also provides potential for significant devolved funding for projects and activities that fit within the NECA priorities, and which can demonstrate a clear impact on the economy, people and places. As NECA develops its pipeline of investable propositions for the region we will ensure that the University plays a key role in shaping this and that our projects are anchored in the investment plan.

NGI

Newcastle Gateshead Initiative (NGI) is the destination and inward investment agency for Newcastle, Gateshead and the wider region.

Northumbria University is one of a number of NGI’s strategic partners across the region all of whom share the desire and vision to make Newcastle and Gateshead a world-class place in which to live, learn, work and invest.

Our partnership with NGI allows us to act as a driver and enabler of economic growth and innovation across the region as well as provide us with opportunities to source and secure inward investment on a global level.

CBI

The CBI is a membership organisation representing 170,000 businesses of all sizes and sectors across the UK.

They aim to speak on behalf of their members with the UK government and on the world stage to deliver a healthy environment for businesses to succeed, create jobs and ultimately, drive economic growth and prosperity.

Northumbria has been a member of the CBI North East for many years. This gives us an opportunity to feed in views on developing policy and legislation of relevance to the University. We also work to ensure that our academic expertise informs policy positions, consultations and lobbying reports, raising the profile of Northumbria regionally and nationally.

North East England Chamber of Commerce NEECC

The North East Chamber of Commerce is a membership organisation representing more than 2,000 organisations in the region from SMEs to multinational companies across all sectors.

They share knowledge and expertise across their network and support members to develop their organisations, for example in developing an international presence.

Northumbria has been a member of the Chamber for many years. This membership provides access to an important network to build connections and engagement and to understand the needs and concerns of businesses in the region.