Access to Business Finance, 29th April, Inverness

Business Gateway in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses is hosting an Access to Business Finance event at the Tulloch Caledonian Stadium on the 29th April 2013.

• Do you have a business idea but don't know where or how to raise the finance to get it off the ground?  
   
• Do you want to expand or develop your existing business but haven't got the cash to do it?
   
• Or maybe you are treading water in this tight economy and need help to consolidate and plan for future growth?

Open to all small businesses, the day will bring together representatives from the major banks, alternative providers of business funding, accountants and lawyers and will be based on a series of talks, workshops and one-to-one conversations.

The event should be of interest to professionals who support small businesses and will be an excellent opportunity to network and influence funding bodies.

For the full programme and booking information, follow this link:

Starter for 6 Roadshow - Inverness. 8th November 2012

If you're looking for support for your creative venture, here's a  message from the Cultural Enterprise Office about the 2013 Starter for 6 Programme:

"Starter for 6 is Scotland’s premier start-up and investment programme for creative industry entrepreneurs and is now in its seventh year. 

Originated by Nesta, the programme has been produced and delivered by the Cultural Enterprise Office since 2009. In that time Cultural Enterprise Office has developed the skills and talents of 162 businesses and 187 participants and awarded over £490,000 in investment to 88 new creative industry start-ups. 

This year's Main Programme will run in Glasgow/Edinburgh and Dundee The programme provides successful applicants with: 

• Four enterprise training sessions designed to provide you with the business skills to turn your idea into reality. The sessions cover  costing, pricing and marketing to pitching and presentation skills giving you confidence and providing you with the content to build a robust business plan. 

•  Peer mentoring or coaching. 

• The opportunity to network and share ideas with like minded entrepreneurs in training sessions and events. 

•  The opportunity to become part of the growing Starter for 6 Network. 

• The opportunity to pitch for up to £10,000 of grant funding at the end of the training programme in order to take your business forward. br />"

The Inverness Roadshow will take place at the Ironworks on the 8th November and details can be found here:

Opportunities in WoodFuel Event in Ardgay

Here's an invite from the Scottish Agricultural College for their Woodfuel Demonstration Day:
 
 Date: 12th October 2012 Location: Culrain Farm, Ardgay 
Time: 10:00 - 15:30 
Cost: Free (includes lunch) 

The opportunity to reduce or negate the cost of heating and even potentially create an income from heating your home and/or business should not be overlooked.

With the increase in heating bills and other utilities, the opportunity to reduce or negate the cost of heating and even potentially create an income from heating your home and/or business should not be overlooked. The Renewable Heat Incentive scheme could do just that as essentially the government will pay you to heat your house and business. 

The meeting will give you the opportunity to: 

• Hear about funding opportunities under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) 
• See a domestic log gasification system in action and hear about Mr and Mrs Hendersons practical experience of choosing, installing and operating this system on the farm 
• Find out what to consider when choosing a boiler – do you go for log, chip or pellet? 
• See firewood processing machinery in action 
• Hear about managing farm woodlands for woodfuel 
• See a large scale woodchip boiler in action – what are the costs, pros and cons? 
• ‘Pick the brains’ of other farmers, forestry managers and woodfuel specialists 

he event is free but places are limited so early booking is recommended. To book a place or for further information, please contact us either by email charlotte.holland@sac.co.uk or phone SAC Consulting on 01463 233266.

HCA/NADFAS Grant - Call for Entries

Our good friends at Hi-Arts have brought this to our attention:

"The Heritage Crafts Association (HCA) and the National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies (NADFAS) are delighted to be working in partnership for the first time to offer The HCA NADFAS Grant 2012. 

One of HCA’s key aims is to ensure that heritage crafts skills of the highest standard are passed from one generation to the next. Support of our national heritage has been one of the cornerstones of NADFAS since its inception in 1968. This grant will specifically support traditional crafts that contribute to our living heritage e.g. basketry, weaving, wood working, shoe making, metal working and so on. 

The grant primarily looks to offer help for the training of apprentices. However NADFAS and HCA are well aware that apprenticeships are not the only route to learn a craft skill and other training routes are included..."

For more information, follow the link

Collaboration Prize - deadline for entries 31 July 2012

 Co-operative Development Scotland has launched a £30,000 Collaboration Prize. It aims to encourage businesses to consider collaboration and pitch their idea for a new consortium co-operative.

Up to three winning ideas for collaborative projects will be selected to receive a cash prize of £5,000 and up to 10 days of consultancy support, to scope out the initial concept.

The funding can be used for a variety of different purposes, including:
• Buying products or services together to achieve volume discounts and cost savings
• Facilitating access to new markets - marketing and selling together
• Sharing resources such as premises or capital equipment
• Tendering to bid for higher value contracts
• Providing mutual support and advice among members

To help businesses find out more and complete their application, in partnership with Co-operative Development Scotland, we will be delivering an explanatory workshop.

Venue:   Business Gateway Inverness
Date:     Tuesday 12th July 2012
Time:    0930h for 1000h

Full details here: link

Creative Enterprise Fund

Miniature Dinosaurs - pic Rob McDougall

A fund for budding entrepreneurs has been launched to support creative young people (aged 15-22) to develop their skills and enterprises.

Creative Scotland and Young Scot see the Creative Enterprise Fund as providing a means for Scotland’s young people to develop their artistic talent and unlock opportunities within the creative industries.  The new Fund aims to promote the values of creative enterprise and leadership, creating positive pathways to employment and providing wider benefits to local communities.

The Creative Enterprise Fund can award young people up to £200 on an individual basis and £750 for groups of three or more.  Playing at today’s launch were Stirling’s young, pop-rock band Miniature Dinosaurs, who had received funding through Creative Scotland and Young Scot’s previous grant initiative, the Arts Action Fund.

Alban Dickson, bass guitarist for Miniature Dinosaurs said: "Creative projects are all about passion, but a bit of extra support right at the beginning can allow dreams to materialise.  This is a fund which can apply to any concept a young person might have.  It allowed us to go on our first UK tour!  But the possibilities are huge, be it making a film, producing a theatre piece or even a work of art."

Applications are now open and young people can download an application form from the Young Scot Extra website.  The closing date for the first round of applications is the 14th November 2011.  To find out more about the Fund and for guidance on how to apply, young people should contact the free Young Scot InfoLine on 0808 801 0338, between Monday and Friday 10am-6pm.

Business Gateway Products & Services - Rural Development Grant

Following a review of budgets, there will be significant changes in the funding support available through Business Gateway.

The Business Gateway Rural Development/Start Grant will cease as of 10th February 2011.  This small grant (averaging £1200 in Sutherland) helped to create some 30 businesses in this County in 2010 and will be missed.  It was, however,  always a temporary measure; much appreciated in the rural areas of the Highland Region.

Applications in the pipeline will be honoured.



Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust support remains unchanged but Highland Opportunity loans will be "rationed" according to the availability of funds.


This is the first of several changes to our portfolio which will occur over the next few weeks and reflects the current pressure on local authority budgets.

Youth Music Initiative Demo Fund

Here's a message about money from the very nice people at Creative Scotland.......

Youth Music Initiative Demo Fund

Funding of up to £6 000 for studios to record with young bands...

The Demo Fund is part of the Youth Music Initiative’s Independent Music Making programme.

Applications are welcome from professional studios, or organisations willing to partner with a studio, for up to £6000 to help young musicians record a high quality demo.

The Demo Fund will help emerging young bands record their first demo, allowing them to take the next step in their music careers by presenting themselves professionally to the music industry. The aim is to target young musicians who are making music in an unsupervised capacity.

There is a change to the application process for 2010/11, instead of specific deadlines for the Demo Fund we have moved to Fast Track applications, which means we are accepting applications anytime until 10th January 2011.

Funds available
A total of £70,000 is available to be distributed

Level of grants
£1,000 - £6,000 per application

Who Can Apply
The Demo Fund is primarily for professional recording studios with a proven track record of working with high class professional musicians.

Other organisations are also eligible to apply, for example rehearsal spaces, venues, local authority arts officers, youth or music organisations but must demonstrate a strong partnership with a professional recording studio.

How to Apply
All the guidelines and application forms relevant for the Demo Fund are available on the music funding for organisations webpage. Link

If you need any help or advice,  email Development Officer:  Jennifer McGlone
 or call her on +44 330 333 2000

Business Idea Competition - now with added Social Enterprise

Well, it's that time of year again.  Here's a message from our friends at UHI and Create.

"To encourage enterprise and innovation in the region, UHI is launching the 2010 Business Idea Competition for commercial or social enterprise ideas. Last year this competition was extremely successful, with high quality ideas coming forward. Since the competition we have actually seen a number of entrants commence trading.

We think there are many people in the region with interesting and innovative commercial business or social enterprise ideas and we want to encourage them. This competition is simple and straightforward to enter, with only five questions to answer. All the entrants will be given advice on how to take their ideas forward and can win money at the same time.

The competition is open to everyone living in the Highlands and Islands, Perth-shire or Moray aged 16 or over who has a great idea for a business, this includes Social Enterprise concepts. Ideas should be submitted to our expert panel of judges by Wednesday 27th October 2010 to be eligible to win a share of our £3,800 prize fund."

For more details and to download a copy of the ridiculously simple Application Form, follow this link

Highland Opportunity Business Growth Fund

Please note that the Highland Opportunity Business Growth Fund will be discontinued on the 31 August 2010.  All other HOL schemes will continue as normal.

Trade Fair Grants

Such has been the success of the Gateway Trade Fair Grant, we have (temporarily, we hope) run out of cash.  Applications "in the pipeline" will be honoured, but we can't process any more until we have secured additional funding.

Since we started the grant earlier in the year,  seven clients have been awarded  a total of nearly £5000 in Sutherland alone to help them market their businesses across the UK, with some considerable success.  Hopefully, we will be able to reinstate a similar scheme later in the year.

Music Industry Bursary

Here's a message from Iain Hamilton of HIE  regarding showcase funding for music businesses in Highland:

There is currently a bursary scheme running for musicians or people working in music, based in the Highland Council area, which will look at contributing to the cost of showcasing - either attending a showcase, or potentially bringing in industry for a showcase.  Full details are available here: