Is it the time to consider a regional entrepreneurs tax policy? Prime minister David Cameron has said the coaliton government wants to consult widely on public spedning cuts, but to rebalance the economy. Insider editor Michael Taylor writes on his In Focus blog: "What about a regional tax policy. Tax breaks for investing in businesses in defined enterprise zones, like Salford Quays, Liverpool, or business parks along the M65." Click here to read and comment.

The Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) revealed for every £1 it put in to the Grants for Business Investment (GBI) scheme more than £6 was generated in private capital investment in England’s North West in the last financial year. The GBI scheme provided assistance to 61 North West companies, with investment of £12.9m. The projects were associated with £81.8m capital investment, and forecast to create 1,999 jobs and safeguard 817 more. In total 125 applications for GBI were received.

The North West experienced one of the biggest turnarounds in manufacturing of any UK region in the past three months on the back of rising demand in the overseas and UK markets, according to the second quarter Manufacturing Outlook report published by EEF and BDO. In the North West, total output turned round from -22 in the first quarter to +30 in second quarter and total orders rose from -22 in the first quarter to +46 in the second. Employment intentions turned round from -3 in the first quarter to +4 in the second, and looking forward to the next three months this figure is at +20.

UK Trade & Investment is calling on the North West’s infrastructure and construction companies to investigate the multi-billion pound opportunities in Saudi Arabia, with six cities being constructed, and more than 4,400 schools, five airports and 3,000 km of rail track to be built, in its Building Saudi Arabia report. The Kingdom is the Middle East’s largest economy, and has the largest construction market in the region. Underpinning this is a $129.7bn programme of mega projects, including the King Abdullah Economic City on the Red Sea.

Woods Squared, the Merseyside accountancy firm, is targeting companies in need of funding with its Access to Finance package. The Wirral-based business is offering its services to access funding through loans, government funding such as the Enterprise Finance Guarantee scheme, private investors, overdrafts and asset finance. Director Alan Woods said: “Investors and lenders are tightening their belts and it takes real expertise and experience to unlock the funding.”

Daresbury Science and Innovation Campus has welcomed eight businesses to the site in Cheshire in the last two months. The companies span the energy, digital and healthcare sectors, and range from local start-ups to business units of multinationals. The leases follow a recent visit from the Duke of York to celebrate the Campus reaching 100 companies. Daresbury general manager John Leake said: “The surge of activity in the first quarter of 2010 is typical of the amount of interest the Campus generates within the high-tech community.”