Tees Valley Combined Authority says its apprenticeship levy matching service has secured £1.8m from 11 employers, supporting 89 apprenticeships at 26 local businesses.

The authority says £600,000 remains available for further transfers and is seeking more large employers with unspent apprenticeship levy funds.

The service matches those employers with smaller Tees Valley businesses, using the unused levy money to cover apprenticeship training and assessment costs. The employer receiving the transfer can then use it to support a new apprentice or develop an existing member of staff.

The apprenticeship levy is charged at 0.5 per cent of an employer's annual pay bill. A £15,000 annual allowance means it applies to employers with annual pay bills above £3m, subject to separate rules for connected organisations.

Firms normally spend it on training in their own workforce, but unspent funds can be transferred to organisations without a levy fund of their own.

Tees Valley Combined Authority said the BBC, Amazon and bp are among the employers that have signed up as donors. It did not break down the amount pledged by each business.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: “The jobs are here and there are more coming.”

Tees Valley Combined Authority Cabinet Member for Employment and Skills Cllr Lisa Evans said apprenticeships were helping employers “build the skilled workforce they need”.

Businesses seeking to use the remaining funding can apply through the authority's levy matching service.