More than 1,400 new business were started in Bradford during the first half of this year.

Figures from Barclays show that Bradford was behind only Leeds and Sheffield in terms of the number of new start-up companies in Yorkshire.

The news comes as the £21.4 million Be Enterprising initiative gets under way to foster a new generation of businesses in Bradford. The region is trying to create as many businesses as possible, needing 2,000 new firms to catch up with the Yorkshire average.

Nick Greenwood, Barclay's local business area manager, said: "The increase in start-ups is great news for the Bradford economy and certainly reflects the activity that we are seeing locally.

"Our message to the market is that we think Bradford is tremendously strong economically and to support local businesses we have recently increased the Bradford team.

"The regeneration of Bradford is crucial to the economic success of the city and, with all the plans to redevelop the city centre, I am sure Bradford will go from strength to strength."

Dave Moss, head of funding and performance at Bradford Council, said: "I am delighted to hear this news and obviously our job is now to get working with these businesses to ensure that they survive and keep going. One of the biggest issues around new companies is survival.

"The LEGI (Local Enterprise Growth Initiative) cash is coming in at the right time and hopefully we can start business really going in the city.

"Hopefully we can really increase upon this number for next year and start to see some real growth in business numbers in Bradford."

This month, a wide range of new initiatives will be rolled out in the area as the Council begins to spend the £21.4 million grant it received from Whitehall to help create and support budding enterprises.

The project includes drop-in centres being opened all over the city, where people can get advice on areas such as balancing the books, employment law, borrowing cash and searching for potential clients.

e-mail: mark.casci@bradford.newsquest.co.uk