WORK is continuing on a new business support centre that bosses hope can help to create hundreds of jobs.

The North East Business and Innovation Centre (BIC), is working with Darlington Borough Council to create Business Central an enterprise hub situated on the 30-hectare Central Park Tees Valley Enterprise Zone. It will be next to the government funded National Biologics Manufacturing Centre build by the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI).

Construction for the new premises is well underway and will be completed in spring 2015.

It is envisaged that Business Central will help to create over 350 new jobs as well as becoming home to over 200 businesses during the next 15 years.

The BIC, which recently celebrated its 20th anniversary, will be working in tandem with TEDCO Business Support, which already delivers business support in the area.

David Howell, director of operations at the BIC, said: “As the BIC continues to grow I am delighted that we can share and take our two decades of success and experience to Darlington.

“Business Central will only add to the BIC’s landscape for business success and we pride ourselves that, to date, the BIC has helped to create over 7,000 jobs and its Sunderland site is home to over 140 businesses.

“I look forward to next year when the centre is up and running and the project comes to fruition.”

The £6.6m project has been supported with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).

Bill Dixon, Leader of Darlington Borough Council, said: “Central Park is all about bringing investment and jobs to Darlington and Business Central is an important part of this plan.

“With the National Biologics Manufacturing Centre already on site and the National Horizons Centre on its way, Central Park will become a centre for expertise in industrial biotechnology, subsea engineering and digital manufacturing and design. Business Central provides the perfect place for the SMEs which feed these industries to flourish.”