A Teesside construction firm has big plans for its future after receiving a grant of nearly £400,000.
Applebridge Construction, part of the Applebridge family of businesses, offers civil engineering and utilities services which provide construction, engineering and multi-utilities expertise across the North East, Yorkshire and Derbyshire.
It has recently received funding worth £388,804 from the Tees Valley Business Growth Fund, thanks to support from Nudl, a Middlesbrough-based business support consultancy that helps local firms access the financial support they need.
The grant will enable Applebridge to take on a contract from Virgin to assist in rolling out high-speed broadband infrastructure nationally, becoming a first-tier supplier as a result.
Chief executive Shak Asghar said: “Accessing funding can be a very difficult, resource intensive and time-consuming process – but that’s exactly what Nudl is here for.
“We have years of expertise in wading through red tape and jargon, allowing business owners to carry on with their day jobs while we make sure they can access the funding they’re entitled to. Funding, in turn, creates more opportunities in the region and, as a proud Teesside-based company, we’re thrilled to play our part.”
Managing director Chris Brown said: “The Virgin Contract is a great win for Applebridge. The Applebridge Family has grown exponentially over the past nine years, and through the success of the grant, we are able to reach the next stage of this continued development.
Having already invested millions into this project, the additional funding provided by the grant allows us to further expand and scale up infrastructure and resources at a speed which is needed for contracts of this magnitude.
This generation of the VirginO2 Framework is estimated to last five years initially and will generate 124 new jobs based locally in our Middlesbrough office, representing a significant investment to the region.
Having Nudl on board to support us with the grant submission has been paramount in our success, making what is a very time-consuming and complicated process, seamless, stress-free, and ultimately successful.”
Shak added: “The project was ripe for a grant investment and just the sort of work we’re keen to support; Applebridge is a brilliant example of a Middlesbrough company working in a key sector, investing its own money and creating significant jobs in our region.”
For more information about Nudl, visit www.nudl.co.uk