BY Helen Kay | Tuesday 4 November 2025
A Hull-based HR consultancy is set to launch a new digital platform with the help of a £100,000 loan from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Debt and part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).
The HR Guru is creating a digital employee handbook, which will bring together a company’s policies and procedures in one place, make them more accessible to staff and streamline the induction process for new employees. The funding will cover the cost of software development and enable it to expand its existing consultancy business, with the creation of two new jobs.
The HR Guru was founded in 2023 by Alison Lambert, who has over 25 years’ HR experience and has held senior roles at Smith & Nephew, Drax, Centrica and Giacom, and her partner Alan Turner, a former Operations Manager at British Steel. Based in Hessle, it now supports over 60 businesses.
The company creates and maintains employee handbooks as part of its work. Its new tool, Hey Guru, will automatically update policies in line with changing legislation and offer a fresh and more cost-effective approach to onboarding new employees. It will also incorporate an AI-powered chat feature allowing staff to check what rules are relevant in any situation.
Alan Turner, Operations Manager of the HR Guru, said: “An employee handbook enables businesses to set out the policies, procedures and standards of behaviour they expect, to ensure clarity and avoid misunderstandings. However keeping handbooks up to date is costly and time consuming. We spotted a gap in the market for a tool that could streamline the process and make it easier for staff and senior management to find the information they require. We’ve already had strong interest and look forward to the launch early next year.”
Rebecca PIckering of Mercia Debt added: “With the complexity of employment law and the focus on wellbeing and diversity, demand for HR advice has increased. Specialists like the HR Guru play a key role in supporting smaller firms that lack in-house expertise. The funding will enable Alison and Alan to build their consultancy business with two new team members and target a wider market with the launch of this innovative HR tool.”
Lizzy Upton, senior investment manager at British Business Bank, said: “The HR Guru is a great example of a business innovating to modernise traditional processes and drive improved efficiencies for its clients. NPIF II was established to support ambitious Northern businesses like this, helping with job creation and boosting our regional economy. It’s been great to be part of the business’s growth journey, and I look forward to seeing what’s next for them.”
The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIFII) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.
The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.
