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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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.

Firstport Build It Award
Up to £40,000 in grant funding for salary costs for early stage social enterprises. Next deadline is noon Thursday 26th September 2024


Technology Placement Programme
Enterprises in the Highland Council area can get up to 70% of the salary for a graduate or student placement.

Next Generation Practical Training Fund
This fund, managed by Lantra, aims to support new entrants to farming (less than 5 years) by providing up to £500 per course.
Find out more here.

Shetland Islands Council Coastal Communities Fund
A grant of between £5,000 and £100,000 is available to organisations with projects that support the community and economic development of Shetland.
Find out more here.

Parental Employer Recruitment Incentive
This incentive offers businesses in Perth and Kinross funding to recruit parents facing barriers to employment

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.

Fife Start-Up Grant
Individuals intending to start a business in Fife, or who started one in the past 6 months, can apply for up to £500. The deadline to apply is 31 January 2025. Find out more here.

Scotland’s Climate Week
This week is Scotland’s Climate Week, an event that encourages coming together to tackle the climate emergency. Encouraging sustainable living and working is a hugely important to GrowBiz, so we’ve published an article about what action we’re taking, as well as sharing personal progress and ideas from some of our team members.

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.

Skills Passport
Applications to this Perth and Kinross Council fund are now open. Find out more here.

REDS Business Services Showcase
GrowBiz initiative REDS has launched its first Business Services Showcase to support rural micro businesses and self employed who provide business services.

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.

Historic Environment Grants
This programme is to support projects that closely relate to and will benefit a Scottish historic environment asset.