FORMER Cosgrove Hall producers Jon Doyle and Steve Maher have been granted £50,000 by Northwest Vision and Media for new venture  Firestep.

Set up 18 months ago to produce an animated Dr Who special for the BBC, it has clinched development deals including one with BBC Worldwide.

A majority shareholding was bought by Impossible Pictures (of Walking With Dinosaurs fame) which helped open the market for the pair based on Newton Street in Manchester.

Mr Maher said: “This grant will enable us to double the staff and employ a production manager and design assistant.”

Other recipients of a total of £360,000 are digital company Stardotstar, comedy and entertainment firm Channel K, production company Nine Lives, and RealtimeUK,  which creates computer-generated 3D imagery and animations.