DRAGONS’ Den businesswoman Deborah Meaden is backing a campaign involving more than 500 local newspapers, including the Star, which aims to boost promising young businesses.

Local Business Accelerators, being staged for the second time this year by the Newspaper Society, the industry body for the local and regional media, aims to highlight how local newspapers can assist businesses in achieving their growth objectives.

Also backing the campaign are figures including Prime Minister David Cameron and Bank of England governor Sir Mervyn King.

Local Business Accelerators (LBA) offers businesses between one and five years old the chance to win a free advertising campaign in their local newspaper plus mentoring support from local business experts.

The most promising businesses will go forward to a national round to compete for a year’s mentoring from Deborah Meaden and a local advertising campaign devised by a top London creative ad agency.

Deborah Meaden, pictured, said: “With last year’s LBA having demonstrated the unique power of local and regional press to provide a meaningful boost to promising young businesses, I am delighted to be supporting the initiative once again.

“The campaign provided tangible examples of the real contribution that local newspapers can provide to young businesses, accelerating their development.”

Businesses aged between one and five years can enter the Local Business Accelerators competition in their local newspaper via a dedicated LBA hub at www.accelerateme.co.uk. The closing date for entries is November 16.

Adrian Jeakings, president of the Newspaper Society and chief executive of media group Archant, whose titles include the Star, said: “The inaugural Local Business Accelerators campaign was a resounding success and this year it is going to be even bigger and better. LBA demonstrated that local newspapers have a unique ability to deliver a real boost to local businesses.”