SMALL businesses with the drive to grow can get help to realise their ambitions in a campaign championed by The Journal.

Promising young firms can win the chance to get mentoring from some of the region’s most respected businessmen and free advertising in the Journal in the Local Business Accelerators’ Initiative.

The Journal has joined with newspapers across the UK to boost the economy and, together, they have pledged a total of £15m of free advertising to dynamic businesses.

The initiative – backed by Dragons’ Den judge Deborah Meaden and prime minister David Cameron – is spearheaded by the voice of local media, the Newspaper Society.

And now the Federation of Small Businesses has joined Codeworks and the North East Chamber of Commerce in urging its members to get involved.