What is Find Business Support?

Find Business Support gives customers an overview of all funding and services offered by public sector organisations across Scotland, conveniently in one place. This makes it quicker and easier for businesses to find the information, advice and support they need, when they need it.

Information is available for businesses of all sizes – from start-ups to established companies, from sole traders to large enterprises, from commercial businesses to social enterprises.

How can Find Business Support help me?

For the first time, businesses can browse all of Scotland’s public sector support options in one place.

There are currently support options listed on the website from over 100 public sector partners across Scotland.

This support includes advice, funding, networking opportunities, training, webinars and more. The selection changes regularly as new services are launched and old ones removed.

You can browse all the support options available, or search for services and events by refining the results according to your needs.

For information on available support sign up to the Find Business Support weekly newsletter here, external link which will open in a new window.

Why was this website created?

Find Business Support was created at the request of the Scottish Government to help Scottish businesses find the right information, advice and support, when they need it.

The service fulfils a key recommendation from Phase 2 of the Government’s Enterprise and Skills Review. This called for a more coherent, collaborative and streamlined system of business support to be made available to customers through a single digital access point.

The customer is at the heart of Find Business Support. Through ongoing testing, feedback and engagement with customers, we can make sure the service continues to provide businesses in Scotland with the right information, advice and support to achieve their goals.

Our ambition is to include information on every public sector service available to businesses in Scotland. It will take time to achieve this, but work is already underway.

Who runs Find Business Support?

The Find Business Support project is delivered by the Business Support Partnership (BSP). By helping Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies work together, the BSP aims to build a more streamlined, effective, and easy-to-navigate system of support to help businesses across Scotland achieve their growth ambitions.

Simple is better - and greener

Find Business Support's simple, minimal design makes it quick to load and easy to navigate. This approach is based on user research that suggests people prefer a website to present the information they need in a clear, easily accessible way, without unnecessary distraction.

The design also supports Scotland's efforts to achieve net zero emissions. Every time a website loads, electricity is used - which produces carbon emissions. The larger a website is, with more pages, images, videos and other components to load, the greater its carbon footprint.

According to the Website Carbon Calculator, external link which will open in a new window, Find Business Support is greener than many other websites.

Core partners

Business Gateway

Business Gateway

Business Gateway is a publicly funded service contributing to the economic wellbeing of Scotland by providing access to free business support services. Business Gateway is delivered by local authorities and offers a range of resources, support and tools to help you learn new skills, create new opportunities and develop sustainable strategies for growth.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

Highlands and Islands Enterprise

HIE is the economic and community development agency for the north and west of Scotland. Their purpose is to support regional development and increase the numbers of people who choose to live, work, study and invest there.

Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland's national economic development agency and a non-departmental public body of the Scottish Government. To deliver a significant, lasting effect on the Scottish economy, they work with partners in the public and private sectors to find and exploit the best opportunities.

Skills Development Scotland

Skills Development Scotland

Skills Development Scotland is the national skills body supporting the people and businesses of Scotland to develop and apply their skills. They work in schools, careers centres and partner locations and are passionate about skills development and its contribution to a modern, innovative and prosperous Scottish economy.

South of Scotland Enterprise

South of Scotland Enterprise

South of Scotland Enterprise works with the people and communities across the South of Scotland to grow its economy. By providing investment, expertise and mentoring, they will inspire the region to think bigger, and unlock significant opportunities for all. The vision of South of Scotland Enterprise is to establish the South of Scotland as a centre of opportunity, innovation and growth.

Other partners

What if I can’t find what I’m looking for?

The website is supported by an enquiries and referral service. You can contact us by submitting an enquiry or calling 0300 303 0660. Our lines are open from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Landline calls cost up to 10 pence per minute, mobile costs can vary from 3 pence per minute to 40 pence per minute depending on your operating provider (source: Gov.uk, external link which will open in a new window).

If you are not happy with our service

If you are unhappy with something on the site or with the service you have received, you can make a complaint. Read our complaints policy to find out more.