North East Business & Innovation Centre chosen to run trio of Sunderland sites
Sunderland Council started its search for an operator in November last year and has now chosen BIC to manage Evolve, Sunderland Software Centre, and Washington Business Centre.
Opened in 2006, 2012, and 2014 respectively, the business centres have so-far been operated by the council and have maintained an average occupancy rate of 72% since 2019, even during the Covid pandemic and recent economic headwinds.
The current occupancy rate across all three buildings is 71%, with businesses generally choosing to expand into larger suites as they grow.
BIC already operates four sites and can now add to its portfolio the 32,000 sq ft Evolve Business Centre, alongside Sunderland Software Centre and Washington Business Centre, which together provide a further c. 70,000–90,000 sq ft of workspace.
The company provides business support to around 300 companies in Sunderland, ranging from sole traders to SMEs, and through its support programmes has also helped more than 8,000 people set up businesses.
Peter McIntyre, executive director of economy and place at Sunderland City Council, said: “The majority of the organisations in our business centres are small to medium sized businesses whose impact on the city economy cannot be overstated.
“By bringing in an experienced managing agent to work with us, we are hopeful it will provide the perfect environment for those businesses – and new tenants – to realise their full potential and continue creating opportunities for local people.
“It has all the hallmarks of a fantastic partnership, and we look forward to working with the team to ensure the businesses in our centres have access to the very best support and facilities to enable them to achieve their goals.”
Paul McEldon, chief executive of BIC, said: “Over the past 32 years, we have welcomed hundreds of businesses into the BIC business community, the majority of which have gone on to grow into larger premises at our centres or elsewhere in the city, which really encapsulates what we are all about.
“As a social enterprise, the BIC prides itself on bringing people together to collaborate, improve access to support and funding and, ultimately, provide the best possible workspace to ensure the region’s businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs have all of the tools they need to succeed, and hopefully this is something that will really benefit existing tenants and those who will walk through its doors in the future.”
