Print Yorkshire is a partnership between the BPIF and Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency for Yorkshire and the Humber.

The announcement was unveiled by the BPIF's regional director north, Mike Hopkins, and comes as the government revealed plans for England's three northern regions to get a multi-million funding pot, aimed at closing the productivity gap.

The government's "Northern Way" initiative will aim to concentrate employment growth in eight areas including Leeds, Hull and Humberside.

The BPIF's vehicle Print Yorkshire will launch in Leeds in November this year, and an initiative in the north east of the region will commence in the new year.

Hopkins said the aim was to improve the prospects for jobs, encourage business start-ups in the region, and promote existing businesses.

"We want to promote the benefits and skills of printing in Yorkshire so that anyone that buys print in the region, will buy it from a Yorkshire printer."

Hopkins said Yorkshire was a print rich area, with some 1,315 print companies.Once the initiative has attained best practice in one region, Hopkins said it would then be rolled out to others.

Story by Andy Scott