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Support for entrepreneurs

Are you an entrepreneur based in Scotland? We can offer specialised, ongoing support to help you grow as an entrepreneur and take your business or business idea to the next level.

How we can help

If you’re an entrepreneur in Scotland, we can offer specialised, one-on-one advice to help you grow and develop.

We can help you understand what support is available and help you access some of the services we offer, including:

  • Funding and grants
  • Export support
  • Intellectual assets protection
  • Scaling support
  • Innovation support

We can also help you understand your market and competitors. Our free international market research service can give you reports on:

  • Competitor insights
  • Global market intelligence
  • Credit rating checks
  • Industry trends and forecasts
  • Consumer demographics
  • Supplier databases

A focus on inclusive growth

We’re committed to supporting inclusive growth in Scotland. This means helping businesses become more diverse, inclusive and purpose driven. We can help you understand how to use your business for good, to make positive impacts on your customers, community, employees, sector and the wider economy.

Scotland’s entrepreneurial ecosystem

Scotland is home to a wide range of services, facilities, and organisations that can support innovative entrepreneurs.

You can use our comprehensive guide to Scotland's entrepreneurial ecosystem to find support for your start-up, scale-up, or spin-out.

Explore and filter a list of organisations that help Scotland-based entrepreneurs – and search for incubators, accelerators, support programmes, working spaces, or any other type of help your business needs.

Explore Scotland's entrepreneurial ecosystem 

Download the guide

You can also access a downloadable version of the full guide.

Our events and programmes

We also run a variety of programmes and events throughout the year that are aimed at supporting entrepreneurs on an individual level as well as at a business level. These include our Principally Women programme, Unlocking Ambition programme and Impactful Entrepreneurship support programme.

Pathways To Scale

Are you a woman leading a growth business, looking to secure investment to scale up? Our Pathways To Scale programme offers strategic advice, peer support and networking to help you prepare for investment.

Learn more about the programme

Where else you can get support

Business Gateway also offers a range of support for entrepreneurs. Business Gatewayopens in a new window is there to support people just starting out, and can offer advice on things like starting a business, creating a business plan and hiring employees, as well as workshops and events.

For social entrepreneurs, organisations such as Firstportopens in a new window and Social Investment Scotlandopens in a new window provide tailored advice and support for starting, growing and scaling a social enterprise or socially focused business.

Looking for entrepreneurial support?

Get in touch with our team to find out how we can help and what support is available.