At present, of the £3.5bn spent by the North East's public sector each year, just £1.6bn is spent with suppliers in the North East. Increasing that by 1% a year for the next decade would add £1.35bn to the North East economy and create 6,000 jobs.

Buy North East is a North East Chamber of Commerce campaign in collaboration with the Northern Echo to improve public procurement in the region.

Through Buy North East, NECC aims to help public sector procurement become broader, simpler and smarter, and help businesses to make the most of the opportunities that arise.

We want to make sure the North East's public sector spend makes the maximum contribution to the region's economic, social and environmental goals.

Click on any of the links to find out more about Buy North East, why it is important and how you can get involved