The proportion of exporters reporting increased orders rose to 21% in Q3 2026 from 16% in Q2 2026. But the balance of firms reporting increased orders remains negative at -3%, with 23% of businesses reporting a decrease. Services exports have been flatter with just 19% reporting increased orders, against 24% for manufacturers.

The University of Sunderland has once again demonstrated its strength in driving economic growth, research innovation and business collaboration.

Employers across the North are being warned to be fully compliant with new third party harassment laws which come into force later this month or face severe consequences. Changes introduced by the Employment Rights Act 2025 on October 30 require employers to take ‘all reasonable steps’ to prevent employees being harassed by third parties.

Brent crude edges down to around $104 a barrel but remains more than 40% higher than before the conflict with Iran began. Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia heighten concerns over regional stability and energy supplies, despite Trump's deal with Putin on Russian diesel exports. Wall Street looks set for a brisk start as earnings season gets underway, with big banks and mega-cap tech in focus. AI investment continues to support growth, but inflation, borrowing costs and government debt remain key concerns. UK bond markets will be watching closely ahead of Chancellor John Healey's crucial Autumn Budget.

Harrogate-based equipment hire group Vp says it will hit full-year forecasts, with water and electricity projects lifting its second-half prospects. Andrew Palmer reports. Vp, the Harrogate-headquartered specialist equipment rental group, says it is on course to meet City expectations for the full year after a steady first half.

Yorkshire based engineering technology business, Reliance Precision (Reliance), has partnered with LDC, part of Lloyds Banking Group, to support its next phase of growth.

Only 26% of UK small businesses say they are forecasting growth for the final three months of 2026, with 50% forecasting no change in trading outlook - and 23% of enterprises fearing they will either contract or struggle to survive the winter months, according to new research from Novuna Business Finance.

Responding to reports that the publication of the Milburn Review into young people and work is to be delayed, Anna Leach, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors, said: “The reported delay to the publication of the Milburn Review is disappointing, but understandable.

Eversheds Sutherland has welcomed finance partner, Andrew Fordham, reinforcing its strategic intent to further strengthen its international banking and finance practice and expand its capabilities across key UK and global markets.

Aspire Technology Solutions has acquired Warrington-based Sentis Managed Solutions, adding more than 80 customers and an experienced team as it continues to scale its UK operations. Sentis is a long-established Managed Service Provider with a strong record of sustained growth.

Nearly half of firms expect turnover to rise over the next 12 months but investment intentions are stuck at a post-pandemic low. The latest British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) Quarterly Economic Survey also shows that, with the Budget just weeks away, inflation remains firms’ top concern, followed by taxation.

Skipton Business Finance has provided a £3 million funding package to Yorkshire confectionery manufacturer The Serious Sweet Company, giving the business additional working capital to support its plans for organic growth and investment.

EY estimates the Chancellor’s fiscal headroom at £11.3bn ahead of the Autumn Budget, down from £23.6bn in March. A prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz could reduce headroom by a further £18bn, moving the current budget to a deficit of around £7bn and breaching the fiscal rule, while stronger growth would ease pressure. Manifesto pledges protect around 70% of UK tax revenues, leaving wealth-based taxes, capital gains and sector-specific levies among realistic options at the Autumn Budget.

How two best friends from a tiny Dales village went from pop stardom to building a global production company and pulled off the UK's most audacious aerial stunt this year Suspending an artist and his easel on a platform 3,000 ft in the air beneath a hot air balloon to paint three wingsuit athletes leaping from a hovering helicopter, coordinating and filming the entire…

A York Transformational Life Coach who built a senior corporate career while battling imposter syndrome is on a mission to help other women unlock their highest potential. Diane Spence spent decades working in leadership roles at blue-chip companies including Nestlé and Asda. But while her life appeared successful on the outside, inside she was plagued with feelings of self-doubt.

Gateshead's retail giant changes hands as the property group doubles down on big-box shopping destinations, reports Group Editor Andrew Palmer Metrocentre, the Gateshead shopping and leisure complex that draws more than 16 million visitors a year, is to be bought outright by Landsec in a deal worth £516 million.

Manchester-based manufacturer, Duo Packaging, has created a ‘next generation’ graphene-enhanced flexible packaging film in ‘a never seen before’ move that is set to push the boundaries of sustainability in retail and e-commerce.

Kendal College is calling on businesses across Cumbria and Lancashire to think differently about their next recruit, connecting employers with local talent through apprenticeships in engineering, agriculture, property maintenance and marketing.

AI is moving rapidly from an experimental technology to an everyday part of business, reshaping how organisations communicate, make decisions, manage employees and interact with customers. But as businesses race to capture the productivity and efficiency gains, another issue is becoming increasingly important: trust.