News, opportunities and helpful tools
Stay up to date with the latest news affecting rural business owners including, funding opportunities and helpful tips from the GrowBiz team.
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Change Mental Health Rural Connections
Free funded introductory mental health awareness training is available from Change Mental Health for rural organisations and businesses with less than 50 members of staff. Find out more here.
Scottish Government funding to help you pay for your energy efficiency projects
Loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cashback grant of up to £30k. Read more.
Argyll and Bute Council Business Start-up Grant
New businesses in Argyll and Bute can apply for funding of up to £1000 to help with start-up costs. Find out more here.
HIE New Product Development Programme
For established businesses in the Highlands and Islands to bring a new product or service to market. Find out more here.
Argyll and Bute Small Business Development Grant
Up to £5000—for up to 50% of your approved costs—to help you develop your business.
Find out more here.
The Catalyst Fund
Loans of £50,000 or more to social enterprises through a flexible, revenue-based repayment model.
Find out more here.
SMART: SCOTLAND Grant
Grant from Scottish Enterprise to enable small or medium-sized businesses to conduct feasibility studies for technological projects.
Find out more here.
Technology Placement Programme
Enterprises in the Highland Council area can get up to 70% of the salary for a graduate or student placement.
Workforce Innovation Voucher Scheme
This voucher scheme, the value of which is between £1,000 and £7,500, is for small or medium-sized business or social enterprise in Scotland.
Renfrewshire Digital Development Grant
This grant is for between £1000 - £10,000, to support up to 50% of eligible expenditure. Find out more here.
Highland Start Up Grant
If you're a start up based in the Highland Council area you may be eligible for this grant of £1000. Find out more here.
Environmental Placement Programme
Get help to recruit a student or graduate to work on an environmentally focused project.
Geovation Accelerator Programme
This programme has been designed to help founders of start ups grow their business and solve real world challenges using geospatial and property data. The current open call ends Friday 29 August 2025.
Historic Environment Grants
This programme is to support projects that closely relate to and will benefit a Scottish historic environment asset.
Advice and support is available if you're struggling to make ends meet.
Advice and resources from Perth & Kinross Council
Client Survey Results on the cost of living crisis and the vulnerability of rural communities
Our recent survey has revealed that businesses and social enterprises in rural Scotland are experiencing a crisis of confidence in their futures. Business owners are struggling with a ‘perfect storm’ of increased costs and reduced turnovers, further exacerbated by the additional challenges of operating in a rural area.
Let’s Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund
Non-profit community organisations can apply for up to 80% of eligible costs…
Jackie Brierton appointed as an entrepreneur-in-residence at SRUC
The appointment is part of the SRUC’s drive to become an enterprise university at the heart of the sustainable natural economy.
12 Sustainability Tips for 2022
Advice from the GrowBiz team
Did you know that each GrowBiz newsletter contains an easy-to-implement sustainability tip? They could be useful for your work or home life or both.
