A young entrepreneur who founded a green wood-burning business has reached the final of a growth scheme by winning the backing of Dragon Deborah Meaden.

Peter Tweddell’s enterprise Bertie’s Wood Fuels, based in Hadlow, had already won the Kent round of the second Local Business Accelerators (LBA) campaign promoted by the Newspaper Society and supported by the multi-media KM Group. Now it will represent the south east in the national final and compete with 14 other winners.

It is the second time that Kent’s winner has reached the national final. Ebox Media, an online house-sign design business based in Cranbrook, won the inaugural regional final last year, only narrowly missing out on the top prize.

The overall winner of the latest competition will claim a prize package which includes mentoring from Ms Meaden, the campaign’s national ambassador, and free local newspaper advertising campaign designed by a top London agency.

The LBA campaign, sponsored by the Government and the private sector’s Great Business campaign, saw thousands of small businesses across the UK apply to their local newspaper to take part in the competition.

Backed by Prime Minister David Cameron, it aims to promote business growth, especially among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by advertising and marketing through local newspapers and their associated online services.

Ms Meaden said: “Very many congratulations to all the businesses on the shortlist. They represent the very best in British business and I’m looking forward to working closely with the overall winner of LBA to help them go on to realise their full potential.

“Local newspaper advertising, whether in print, online or mobile, can provide a dramatic boost to SMEs which is beneficial both for the local communities they serve and the wider national economy.”

Bertie’s supplies kiln dried and seasoned logs, kindling and wood briquettes, for open fires, stoves and log burners. Mr Tweddell said: “I'm astounded and glad we've been recognised and look forward to representing Kent and the KM Group on the national scene."

He added that he looked forward to the forthcoming marketing campaign the KM Group had put together. "It should prove to be a great success for Bertie’s.”

The company also won free mentoring from experts at Reeves, the accounting and business advisory firm with offices in Canterbury and Chatham Maritime.

The national judging panel, headed by Ms Meaden, judge the businesses on criteria including originality of the business idea, their finances, communication skills, contribution to the local community, and their potential to benefit from free local newspaper advertising.

The overall winner will be revealed at a ceremony in London later in the year, netting £10,000 cash from the Business Growth Fund, an iPad from FreeAgent, a year’s free membership of the CBI, £2,000 worth of business advice from the ICAEW, and free business broadband and wifi access for a year from BT.