Two recipients of Regional Growth Fund (RGF) grants will create 162 jobs across two projects, it has been announced this week.

Earlier this week, Middleport Pottery – the UK’s last working Victorian pottery – was awarded an RGF grant of £1.7m alongside £5m further funding, which will create more than 100 new jobs in Stoke-on-Trent.

Today, £1.6m of RGF money is supplementing £7.2m of funding from pharmaceutical development consultancy Molecular Profiles to create 62 new jobs at the company.

The first £450m of RGF is due to create around 27,000 direct jobs and another 100,000 supply chain roles across a number of years.

Just under £1bn of RGF money remains, with applications for the second round of grants closing 1 July and currently under ministerial consideration.