Tag: Business Gateway

DigitalBoost launches £10 million grant scheme to help Scottish businesses rebuild with digital

Businesses across Scotland are set to benefit from vital support, following the launch of a new £10 million DigitalBoost Development Grant by Business Gateway and The Scottish Government.  

The fund, which is available through DigitalBoost, Business Gateway’s national digital training programme for businesses, is funded by The Scottish Government and will help businesses upskill and invest in their digital capabilities as they work to overcome the challenges they face now and build for Scotland’s economic recovery. VAT registered businesses will be able to access up to £25,000 while non-VAT registered business can benefit from up to £5,000 of funding.  

This launch follows a successful pilot grant scheme in the Autumn 2020 for DigitalBoost 1:1 clients. 

The fund is now open and accepting applications.  

Launching the scheme, Cabinet Secretary for Finance Kate Forbes said: “The firms that have coped best during the pandemic are invariably those that have been able to adapt with the help of digital tools. 

“This funding will provide an immediate boost and will support businesses to adopt digital technologies to improve productivity, increase resilience and drive growth. It will also help to improve their digital capability and the skills of their workforce so they can keep pace with future technological progress. 

“Supporting SMEs on their digital journey is key to Scotland’s economic recovery, our future prosperity and our net-zero ambitions and I encourage business owners to take up this valuable opportunity.” 

Business Gateway is delivered by local authorities throughout Scotland and works in collaboration with a wide variety of organisations to help deliver the best advice and support to Scottish businesses.  

Welcoming the scheme, COSLA spokesperson Cllr Steven Heddle said: “The last ten months have shown how critical strong and robust online platforms are for businesses, if they are to successfully adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic.  

“Given the ongoing nature of the crisis, this scheme will be a critical lifeline for those businesses that want to digitally upskill and invest in their platforms so that they can survive, increase their resilience to current and future challenges, and find new opportunities and markets to grow. 

“Alongside this grant fund, the DigitalBoost programme will continue to provide other free support to businesses, helping them take advantage of technology so that they can adapt and thrive.”  

Liz McCutcheon, CEO, Lanarkshire Enterprise Services (LESL), said: “LESL are delighted to be administering the DigitalBoost Development Grant, on behalf of the Scottish Government and Business Gateway’s DigitalBoost Programme.

“LESL has long been an advocate of digital adoption and are committed to supporting SMEs across Scotland leverage the grant to allow them to transform their businesses digitally.”  

DigitalBoost provides webinars, a free healthcheck, 1:1 support from a digital expert, online tutorials, and practical guides on topics including social media, cyber resilience, data analytics, digital marketing strategy and e-commerce.  

For more information on the DigitalBoost Development Grant, please visit https://www.digitalboostdevelopmentgrant.co.uk/ 

Streetwear brand make their mark following Business Gateway support

Two Midlothian based entrepreneurs have successfully launched a new clothing brand following support from Business Gateway.

Launched in April 2020, MC Apparel is a fashion clothing brand created by Midlothian locals Michael Surgeon and Liam Chisholm. The team identified the opportunity and were motivated to launch their second business after their first paused trading due to COVID-19. 

Working closely with Business Gateway, MC Apparel received a variety of start-up support services including support to create a business plan, marketing and networking opportunities, as well as accessing online resources such as webinars and advertising tutorials. 

This guidance from Business Gateway ensured the team were able to adapt their business model to meet the challenges posed by the pandemic and increase margins by shifting from early drop-shipping to stock holding, this enabled  MC Apparel to improve quality control and reduce delivery timescales for customers.

Michael Surgeon, Founder of MC Apparel, said: “We gained a wide range of support from Business Gateway and this meant the process of launching our new business went smoothly.

“ The team at Business Gateway Midlothian have been very supportive during this period and the online workshops we attended were invaluable, helping us to develop a digital marketing strategy that allowed us to reach our target audiences even with the challenges of lockdown.

“I would recommend anyone who is starting out in business to get in touch with Business Gateway. They are always there when you need them and if they don’t have the answer, they can signpost you to the right person or resource.”

When COVID-19 restrictions ease, the team at MC Apparel are looking forward to organising photoshoots to showcase the clothing range and have plans to collaborate with local fashion brands to give away 20 t-shirts to support a local charity.

Annie Watt, Business Gateway Lead Officer, said: “It’s impressive to see how Michael and Liam have adapted to lockdown, identifying an opportunity to launch a new business and taking it forward. 

“They have been incredibly proactive, accessing a range of Business Gateway resources, attending workshops and arranging one-to-one sessions via Zoom to receive guidance and support on development plans.

“Recent research by Business Gateway revealed that despite the challenges, COVID-19 has not hampered peoples’ appetite to start a business, and Michael and Liam’s experience is a testament to this.

“While it is a difficult trading environment, I would encourage anyone with an idea for a new business to get in touch and see how our resources, advice and support can help get it off the ground.”

For further information about how Business Gateway can help you start your business, please visit https://www.bgateway.com/resources/help-for-start-ups-the-support-available-for-your-start-up

Thousands of businesses benefit from support grants

More than £215 million has been awarded to over 18,000 Scottish business ratepayers in just two weeks, the Scottish Government has announced.

The money has been allocated under two new schemes to help firms combat the effects of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

Latest Scottish Government figures show that 59,385 applications were made to 32 local authorities for the business grants by April 14 this year. There have been 18,528 grants awarded so far worth £215,445,000.

Finance Secretary Kate Forbes said: “We are doing everything we can to support business at this very difficult time and will continue to listen to and engage with the sector. Our total support for Scottish business now exceeds the £2.2 billion passed on from the UK Government.

“The fact we have managed to pay out this large amount to so many businesses across Scotland is a substantial achievement and demonstrates the capability of our partners in local government. I am grateful for their continued efforts in helping to deliver these vital grants.

“In addition to our generous backing for businesses we are also committed to helping sectors of the economy that are not being supported in other parts of the UK such as aviation, seafood fishing, fish processing and farming and charities.

“This scheme complements other support available and many businesses applying will also be eligible for the furlough scheme and rates relief. I would encourage only businesses who need support to apply, enabling us to direct as much help as possible to those who need it most.

“We promised to pass every penny received from the UK Government on to businesses in Scotland and we are. Our priority remains to protect lives but we are doing all we can to protect livelihoods too.”

Business Gateway has been working closely with local authorities to support the delivery of grants throughout Scotland.

Councillor Steven Heddle, COSLA’s spokesperson for Environment and Economy, said: “I want to thank council staff and colleagues from Business Gateway for their incredible efforts to implement the grant schemes so quickly.

“Small to medium-sized enterprises have been severely impacted so delivery of support grants as quickly and effectively as possible is a top priority.

“This support will be fundamental in helping businesses put plans in place to recover and grow beyond this crisis, protecting jobs and supporting economic recovery in communities across the country.”

The funding has been allocated between two funds:

· The Small Business Support Grant scheme allows small businesses to apply for grants up to £10,000.

· The Retail, Hospitality and Licenced Premises Support Grant allows firms to apply for up to £25,000.

Compared with a week earlier, grant applications grew by around 10,000, awards by around 11,000 and the value of payouts by around £127 million. On April 6, the totals stood at 49,214 applications received, 7,650 paid out, worth £88,625,000.

Business Gateway delivers advice and support to Scottish businesses on behalf of COSLA.

Supporting our small businesses: Holyrood Committee launches survey

Is enough being done to support Scotland’s local businesses? A new inquiry by the Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee will explore just this.

Continue reading Supporting our small businesses: Holyrood Committee launches survey