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 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
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 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 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 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
- Aberdeen City Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Aberdeenshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- ACAS, external link which will open in a new window
- Angus Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Argyll and Bute Council, external link which will open in a new window
- British Business Bank, external link which will open in a new window
- Bright Green Business, external link which will open in a new window
- Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), external link which will open in a new window
- Business Energy Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- CENSIS, external link which will open in a new window
- City of Edinburgh Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Clackmannanshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Companies House, external link which will open in a new window
- Corra Foundation, external link which will open in a new window
- Creative Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- CyberScotland, external link which will open in a new window
- Department for Business and Trade, external link which will open in a new window
- Dumfries and Galloway Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Dundee City Council, external link which will open in a new window
- The Data Lab, external link which will open in a new window
- East Ayrshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- East Dunbartonshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- East Lothian Council, external link which will open in a new window
- East Renfrewshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Elevator, external link which will open in a new window
- Energy Saving Trust, external link which will open in a new window
- Enterprise Nation, external link which will open in a new window
- Entrepreneurial Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- Falkirk Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Federation of Small Businesses, external link which will open in a new window
- Fife Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Flexibility Works, external link which will open in a new window
- Foundation Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- Glasgow City Council, external link which will open in a new window
- GrowBiz, external link which will open in a new window
- Highland Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Historic Environment Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- HMRC, external link which will open in a new window
- Home Energy Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- IBioIC, external link which will open in a new window
- Interface, external link which will open in a new window
- Inverclyde Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest Fife, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in Angus, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in Dundee, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in North Lanarkshire, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in Perth, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in Renfrewshire, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in Stirling, external link which will open in a new window
- Invest in West Lothian, external link which will open in a new window
- Just Enterprise, external link which will open in a new window
- Locate in Midlothian, external link which will open in a new window
- Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP), external link which will open in a new window
- Midlothian Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Moray Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Museums and Galleries Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- National Farmers Union Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- National Lottery Community Fund, external link which will open in a new window
- National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), external link which will open in a new window
- NatureScot, external link which will open in a new window
- NetRegs, external link which will open in a new window
- Net Zero Technology Centre, external link which will open in a new window
- North Ayrshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- North Lanarkshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Orkney Islands Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Perth & Kinross Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Prince's Trust, external link which will open in a new window
- Public Contracts Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- Public Health Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- Renfrewshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Robert Gordon University, external link which will open in a new window
- Scotland Food & Drink, external link which will open in a new window
- ScotlandIS, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Borders Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Chambers of Commerce, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Council for Development and Industry, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Development International, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Government, external link which will open in a new window
- Scottish Growth Scheme, external link which will open in a new window
- Screen Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- SCVO, external link which will open in a new window
- Shetland Islands Council, external link which will open in a new window
- South Ayrshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- South Lanarkshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Stirling Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Supplier Development Programme, external link which will open in a new window
- Supplier Journey, external link which will open in a new window
- Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre, external link which will open in a new window
- UK Government, external link which will open in a new window
- UK Research and Innovation, external link which will open in a new window
- VIBES - Scottish Environment Business Awards, external link which will open in a new window
- VisitScotland, external link which will open in a new window
- West Dunbartonshire Council, external link which will open in a new window
- West Lothian Council, external link which will open in a new window
- Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), external link which will open in a new window
- Women's Enterprise Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
- Zero Waste Scotland, external link which will open in a new window
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.