Emerging businesses in the regional medical sector are set to receive a boost following the announcement of an £816,000 funding pot. Business support body Medilink North West has secured the money, which comprises £416,000 form the Northwest Regional Development Agency and £400,000 from the European Regional Development Fund. The project, which is expected to generate 32 jobs and create 18 new businesses, aims to increase the exploitation of research and development opportunities in health technology.

Four North West companies have been appointed by BAE Systems to work on the largest defence programme in the world, in a contract worth more than £250m over the next ten years. Hyde Aero Products of Dukinfield, RLC Group of Altham, John Huddleston Engineering of Blackpool and Thyssenkrupp of Bamber Bridge are all working through the North West Aerospace Alliance's (NWAA) £8m Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence (ASCE) programme and have been selected by BAE to work on the F-35 Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) project. They will work together through a pilot Supplier Association project, led by the NWAA and BAE Systems. The partnership is the first supplier association to be formed within the ASCE programme.

The finalists of this year's IoD North West Director of the Year awards have been announced, with 32 business leaders battling it out across 11 categories. The shortlist for Manchester Director of the Year includes: Liz Clarke from cycle training organisation BikeRight; Chris Purslow from ATG UV Technology, which produces ultraviolet disinfection systems; and Stephen Little from diagnostics firm DxS. The Young Director category includes: Oliver Cookson from Myprotein.co.uk; Lou Cordwell from magneticNorth; and Simon Showman from Ultimate Products. Other regional finalists include Sarah Dunning from Westmorland, Matthew Moulding from The Hut, food retail specialist Edwin Booth and Euro Garages' Mohsin Issa.

Accountancy firm Grant Thornton has won an award for its work in the healthcare sector. The business was named as HealthInvestor accountant of the year at a recent awards ceremony in London. Neil Sturmey, office managing partner in Liverpool, said: "Healthcare is one of our firm's key specialisms and it is an honour to be acknowledged for our contribution to the industry in such a prestigious way." Grant Thornton beat off competition from Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Moore & Smalley and BDO Stoy Hayward in the category.

Law firm Brabners Chaffe Street has appointed two senior property experts. Joining its Manchester office is Tony Fitzmaurice, who specialises in property development and regeneration schemes and joins after 24 years at Cobbetts, while Stephen Tobin joins the Liverpool branch to work as a consultant from Bell Lamb & Joynson. Fitzmaurice was part of the team that acted for Peel Media on the £1bn Media City scheme at Salford Quays and Salford City Council on the Greengate gateway planned between Salford and Manchester.