Whether you’re here to live, learn, work, invest, visit, shop or play, Middlesbrough has a menu for every taste. A town that’s going through massive regeneration and growth, the borough is now building a CV for itself that’s difficult not to celebrate.

If you’re not convinced, take a look at our top five reasons for why Middlesbrough is the unofficial centre of the Tees Valley.

Europe’s top 10 small cities

One of Middlesbrough’s most recent accolades is its title as one of the ‘top 10 small cities in Europe’, as chosen by the Financial Times - placed amongst a list of towns from Finland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. To have gone from a town that may not have been on anyone’s radar 10 years ago, to being highlighted in a European study for towns that are excelling is certainly no mean feat!

Following the announcement, Middlesbrough Mayor Dave Budd said: “Middlesbrough has a rich history of industry, innovation and pioneering exploration, and we’re building on that in the 21st Century with a booming city centre economy, burgeoning digital and creative sectors and a thriving university.”

Among the projects occurring across the region that helped us clinch the title are the £22m Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park - aimed at high productivity, cutting-edge manufacturing companies -the proposed snow centre, and our very own Centre Square development.

Home of Radio 1’s Big Weekend

Big Weekend is an annual music festival run by BBC Radio 1, and this year it has chosen Middlesbrough to play host to its two-day celebration of British music which will be fully-televised and played out across Radio 1.

Taking place on the 25th and 26th May in Stewart Park, the festival will see some of the biggest names in pop, rock and grime perform in the borough, including Miley Cyrus, The 1975, Little Mix, Stormzy and Mumford & Sons.

Whilst tourism numbers are already growing steadily across the region, they’re set to sky rocket over the Big Weekend - local hoteliers, retailers and independents are in for a treat.

Tees Valley Business Compass

Setting Middlesbrough apart and making it stand out as a region that cares about local businesses is the Tees Valley Business Compass (TVBC) - somewhat of a ‘one-stop-shop’ for business growth support and funding.

The TVBC works in partnership with Middlesbrough Council to provide a dedicated, tailor-made service to help businesses succeed and grow. A key support network that they offer is the TVBC’s Growth Fund – an initiative that allows businesses to access 33% funding for their growth project, which in turn helps create jobs for Tees Valley workers!

Alongside this they also offer capital investment support, broadband vouchers, leadership and management support, energy efficiency funds and more!

It’s hard not to have pride in a region that offers so much support to SMEs.

Educational facilities

To name but a few, Middlesbrough is home to some truly accomplished educational facilities including Teesside University, Middlesbrough College and the Northern School of Art.

Time and time again, Middlesbrough is proving itself as the perfect location to nurture the next generation of business leaders – be that in the professional services, medical or art industries.

Whilst this is great for the students that are receiving a world-class education, it’s equally beneficial for local businesses who are able to utilise this home-grown talent and grow their brands.

As an example, Teesside University works closely with the Tees Valley Combined Authority to support business growth through a number of different initiatives, one of which being their Leadership Development – a major investment which saw the university relaunch its business school with a focus on developing entrepreneurial capability among young leaders and managers.

In Middlesbrough, education and business goes hand in hand. Take a look at our recent blog post to see more examples of how our local schools and universities are helping businesses to grow (link).

A thriving consumer powerhouse

As brilliant as Middlesbrough’s business credentials are, it’s important to note the ever-evolving consumer side of the region.

The UK Consumer Powerhouse report – produced by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) – highlights the consumer sector as a key driver for economic growth, and Middlesbrough found itself at the top of the charts in 2018!

Beaten only by Bristol, Middlesbrough saw a growth of 3.0% YOY, highlighting the thriving town centre and the greater footfall the region is seeing – all thanks to the aforementioned cultural and musical celebrations, growing business infrastructure and increased investment into the borough.

Feeling proud?

Middlesbrough is proof of what a bit of hard work and hometown-pride can do – who knows, in a few years’ time we could be on a list of the best cities in Europe!

If you’re feeling inspired by Middlesbrough or want to discover more about relocating your business to the North East, get in touch with our agents today.

Oh, and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn so you can stay updated with all things Middlesbrough, business and Centre Square.