Service updates

• Release date: 27 March 2023
• Release type: update to Contact us form

We have updated the helpline opening hours from GMT to BST.  

• Release date: 27 July 2022
• Release type: Partner name change

Department for International Trade (DIT) are now known as Department for Business and Trade (DBT)

• Release date: 17 February 2023
• Release type: update to Contact us form

We have added a sign up link for the Find Business Support newsletter to the Contact us form.  

• Release date: 16 February 2023
• Release type: New partner

Scottish Borders Council has been added as a partner to the site. 

• Release date: 16 February 2023
• Release type: update to About us page

We have updated the layout of the About us page and removed out of date information.  

• Release date: 5 January 2023
• Release type: new e-newsletter sign up

We have moved to a new newsletter platform. Our subscribers have been informed and the new sign-up form has been added to the appropriate sections of the site.

• Release date: 11 November 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

The Prince's Trust has been added to the site with 1 new service. 

• Release date: 30 September 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

We have added our 100th partner to the site.  Welcome to Women's Enterprise Scotland.  

Women's Enterprise Scotland creates a voice for women-owned businesses in Scotland, promotes policy and best practice which enables women to successfully start up and grow their own businesses.

• Release date: 28 September 2022
• Release type: New functionality

We have added the Related items function to all service descriptions. This will offer up to a further 3 services that might be of interest to you based on your original search.

• Release date: 22 September 2022
• Release type: New content

The cost of doing business landing page has been updated to include a number of accordian's that signpost to all cost of doing business resources and support currently available on Find Business Support.  

The page previously listed all support and has been updated to be easier to find the information you are looking for. 

• Release date: 14 September 2022
• Release type: landing pages unpublished

The coronavirus and net zero landing pages have been unpublished.  Information, advice and support services listed on these pages is still available on Find Business Support.  

• Release date: 26 August 2022
• Release type: New landing page

We have created a landing page that lists information on reducing the cost of running your business, including useful resources and advice. 

• Release date: 27 July 2022
• Release type: Partner name change

Construction Scotland Innovation Centre are now known as Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST)

• Release date: 27 July 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

East Ayrshire Council has been added to the site with 3 new services. 

• Release date: 14 July 2022
• Release type: New landing page

We have created a landing page that lists information on food security and supply chain issues for businesses in Scotland, including useful resources and guidance, services and events. 

• Release date: 30 June 2022
• Release type: New partners, new services

This week we have published services from 2 new partners:

Stirling Council

Invest in Stirling

• Release date: 27 June 2022
• Release type: service description update

Information disclaimer added to service descriptions on Find Business Support.  

• Release date: 10 June 2022
• Release type: New partner, new service

Dumfries and Galloway Council has been added to the site with 1 new service. 

• Release date: 19 May 2022
• Release type: Events page update

The waiting list button colour has been updated from orange to grey.  This is a better colour choice for accessibility. 

• Release date: 18 May 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

South Lanarkshire Council has been added to the site with 1 new service. 

• Release date: 13 May 2022
• Release type: new e-newsletter sign up

The weekly e-newsletter has been updated to reflect the updated Find Business Support branding.  At the same time as the refresh the database has been cleared to remove any obsolete email addresses.   To comply with GDPR users have been asked to resubscribe. 

• Release date: 12 May 2022
• Release type: New services

East Dunbartonshire Council has been added to the site with 2 new services. 

• Release date: 05 May 2022
• Release type: new logo, new colour

A logo has been designed for the Find Business Support website.  The logo is representative of the purpose of the website, in directing businesses in Scotland to available public sector support.  

In line with the logo colour, a new colour palette has been applied across the desktop and mobile sites. 

An update favicon has been released to reflect the new website logo. 

• Release date: 4 May 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

Business Enterprise Scotland has been added to the site with 1 new service. 

Business Enterprise Scotland provides free impartial support and access to funding to help businesses save energy, money and carbon.

• Release date: 12 April 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

North Ayrshire Council has been added to the site with 3 new services. 

North Ayrshire Council can help your business to start up, to grow, or to invest in the area.

• Release date: 05 April 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

East Lothian Council has been added to the site with 2 new services. 

East Lothian Council is the first point of contact for free and impartial business information advice and support to all sectors of the economy.

• Release date: 01 April 2022
• Release type: New partners, new services 

This week we've published services from 16 new partners:

Aberdeen City Council

Aberdeenshire Council

City of Edinburgh Council

Clackmannanshire Council

Dundee City Council

East Renfrewshire Council

Falkirk Council

Glasgow City Council

Highland Council

Invest in Dundee

Moray Council

Orkney Islands Council

Shetland Islands Council

South Ayrshire Council

West Dunbartonshire Council

West Lothian Council

• Release date: 25 March 2022
• Release type: New partners, new services

This week we've published services from 5 new partners:

Argyll and Bute Council

Invest in North Lanarkshire

Invest in Perth

North Lanarkshire Council

Western Isles Council (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar)

• Release date: 18 March 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

Invest Fife has been added to the site with 4 new services. 

Invest Fife is dedicated to creating good working relationships with key business investors, whether they are a new business or an established company in Fife.

• Release date: 15 March 2021
• Release type: New homepage image

We have changed the homepage image to one from a joint partner marketing campaign directing to the Find Business Support website. 

• Release date: 11 March 2022
• Release type: New partners, new services

This week we've published services from 2 new partners:

• Renfrewshire Council
• Invest in Renfrewshire

• Release date: 9 March 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

Department for International Trade has been added to the site with 3 new services. 

Department for International Trade secures UK and global prosperity by promoting and financing international trade and investment, and championing free trade.

• Release date: 8 March 2022
• Release type: New landing page

We have created a landing page that lists information on the Russia sanctions for businesses in Scotland, including useful resources and guidance, services and events. 

• Release date: 8 February 2022
• Release type: New partner, new services

IBioIC has been added to the site with 4 new services.

IBioIC is a networking and support organisation that connects industry, academia and government to bring biotechnology processes and products to the global market.

• Release date: 28 January 2022
• Release type: New content

The coronavirus landing page has been updated to include an accordion that signposts to sources of funding for various industries and sectors affected by the Omicron COVID restrictions in December 2021 and January 2022.

This top-level summary of COVID funding was previously featured on a service description page, but has been moved here as a more convenient and appropriate location.

• Release date: 20 December 2021
• Release type: New partner, new services

Robert Gordon University (RGU) has been added to the site with one new service.

RGU support industry, government, nonprofits and the wider community of learners directly in applying creativity, ideation, innovation, research, design thinking and entrepreneurship to impact society and business.

• Release date: 13 December 2021
• Release type: New partner, new services

Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) has been added to the site with one new service.

MSIP is a joint venture between Michelin, Dundee City Council, and Scottish Enterprise, created to generate economic growth in Scotland and support a fair and just transition to a net zero economy.

• Release date: 6 December 2021
• Release type: New layout

We have removed the 'Contact us' page from the top navigation and added the 'About us' page. This will make it easier to access information about the website and its partners. The 'Contact us' page is still accessible through the homepage footer.

The 'Sign-up for email updates' banner now sits above the 'Coronavirus advice' banner on the homepage.

• Release date: 29 November 2021
• Release type: New homepage image

We have changed the homepage image to one of a windfarm in Scotland. This reflects Scotland's net zero ambitions.

• Release date: 29 November 2021
• Release type: New search filters

We've made improvements to the site's search functionality. We've added new topic filters and updated the list of sectors.

We've also added a location filter. These improvements will allow customers to get a more focused list of support options when using the search.

• Release date: 11 November 2021
• Release type: New partner, new services

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) has been added to the site with 9 new services.

The SCQF is Scotland’s national qualifications framework. It provides a way to recognise, describe and compare the difficulty and time taken to achieve of a whole range of qualifications and learning programmes, including mainstream qualifications, vocational and skills-based qualifications, and learning programmes developed and delivered in the workplace or community.

• Release date: 20 October 2021
• Release type: New landing page

We have created a landing page that lists the information on net zero business support, including latest updates, services and events. 

• Release date: 2 September 2021
• Release type: New partner, new service

CyberScotland has been added to the site with one new service. CyberScotland is a partnership website which offers a variety of cyber security and resilience resources for businesses, organisations and individuals in Scotland.

• Release date: 21 July 2021
• Release type: New partners, new services

This week, we've published services from 5 new partners:

• Energy Saving Trust
• Home Energy Scotland
• Locate in Midlothian
• Midlothian Council
• NatureScot

• Release date: 30 June 2021
• Release type: New partner, new services

We've published services from our new partner GrowBiz, which supports micro-businesses, enterprises and the self-employed in rural Scotland.

• Release date: 11 May 2021
• Release type: New content

The content on the About us page has been updated to reflect the new key messages around Find Business Support. It now better explains the website's purpose, operation and how it helps businesses in Scotland.

• Release date: 17 March 2021
• Release type: New page

We added a page with links to useful resources and support to help businesses Operate after Brexit

This will help businesses find the information previously located on the Prepare for Brexit website, which has now been retired.

• Release date: 5 February 2021
• Release type: New partner, new service

We've published details of one new service from CENSIS, Scotland's Innovation Centre for sensing, imaging and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

• Release date: 21 January 2021
• Release type: New service

We've published details of 1 new service by the Corra Foundation. 

• Release date: 11 December 2020
• Release type: New partner, new services

The Scottish Growth Scheme is a package of financial support of up to £500 million for Scottish businesses. It's backed by the Scottish Government and aims to help businesses grow.

This funding will be provided through a series of initiatives which businesses can access for investment.

• Release date: 8 December 2020
• Release type: New design and functionality

We have redesigned the home page so you can start your search, or filter by the most important topics, right there.

We've also moved the Coronavirus and Brexit filters to a new Topics section. This should make how they interact with other filters more intuitive. We'll expand the range of topics available over time.

• Release date: 3 December 2020
• Release type: New services

We've published details of 7 services provided by National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS).

• Release date: 11 September 2020
• Release type: New partner

Scottish Development International has been added to the site as a partner. 

Scottish Development International is Scotland’s trade and foreign direct investment agency. Their aim is to encourage and support more overseas businesses to set up a location in Scotland, invest in Scottish businesses or buy high quality Scottish products and services.

• Release date: 26 August 2020
• Release type: New partners, new functionality

We've added services and events for new partners:

• CENSIS
• Elevator UK
• Renfrewshire Council
• Supplier Development Programme
• Zero Waste Scotland

We've also released new functionality to support the expression of interest for the Hotel Support Programme.

• Release date: 5 August
• Release type: New partners

The Supplier Development Programme has now been added to the site, with two new services.

The Supplier Development Programme offers expert training, support and information on all aspects of tendering to help local companies win work and grow their business.

The Data Lab has also been added to the site The Data Lab's mission is to help Scotland maximise value from data and lead the world to a data powered future.

Elevator have now joined the site. Elevator help ambitious entrepreneurs accelerate their businesses through their delivery of Business Gateway services and range of highly effective accelerator programmes.

• Release type: improvements and bug fixes
• Release date: 3 August 2020

We've fixed a bug that meant some Business Gateway events resulted in a page not found error. We have also resolved an issue with event dates.

Our research told us that some users were confused by the date filters for events, so we've made some changes there that should improve things. 

• Release date: 31 July
• Release type: New partners

Zero Waste Scotland (seven services) and the British Occupational Hygiene Society (two services) have been added to the site.

Zero Waste Scotland is a not-for-profit environmental organisation which encourages Scotland to use products and resources responsibly, focusing on where we can have the greatest impact on climate change. 

Using evidence and insight, their goal is to inform policy and motivate individuals and businesses to embrace the environmental, economic, and social benefits of a circular economy.

The British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) is a science-based, charitable body that provides information, expertise and guidance in the recognition, control and management of workplace health risks.

As the Chartered Society for Worker Health Protection, they aim to protect the health of workers by preventing ill health in the workplace and by promoting the science and practice of occupational hygiene.

• Release date: 14 July
• Release type: New filter

We have added a new type of filter for industry/sectors. This is to help quickly and easily find any services that are aimed at a particular sector.

We have also released some small updates to the services and events listings.

• Release date: 6 July 2020
• Release type: Improved functionality

Service enquiry forms were using the wrong introductory content, we have fixed that.

We added a predictive text (autocomplete) feature to search when typing.

In addition:

• We have also deployed keyword search improvements for events to provide a consistent experience
• We made a small change to how the page title is updated when applying date filters for events. This should make life easier for people who use a screenreader

• Release date: 6 July 2020
• Release type: New partners

Services from Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland have been added to the site.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across Scotland. They enable people and organisations to work in and experience these industries by helping others develop great ideas and bring them to life.

Screen Scotland is the dedicated partnership for the screen industry in Scotland and drives the cultural, social and economic development of all aspects of the sector through enhanced funding, services and support.

• Release date: 27 May 2020
• Release type: new functionality, new partners

We've updated our search so it should be a bit more forgiving if what you tap or type wasn't exactly what you intended. If you're looking for events, picking dates should be a bit better too.

We also fixed a problem with our address lookup. So if the information we get back from it is incomplete we might ask you to add a little more detail.

Some other improvements include:

• Email and telephone number validation is better
• We now update our title and headings to feed back when you search or filter services. This should benefit screenreader users
• We've added a load of new partners, and additional services will be published soon

We've also made a few improvements under the hood to make things slicker and more secure. And we have a nice new picture on the home page.

• Release date: 23 April 2020
• Release type: New functionality, new partner

We've removed the map view of events. It didn't seem particularly useful right now. We'll bring it back in happier days.

There are still plenty of business events happening for Scottish businesses. For the time being, they'll come to you. Don't go to them.

We've also introduced a few new features:

• If an event is fully booked but has a waitlist, we'll let you know. You can put your name down too
• On our home page, bullet points are visible
• We've updated a ton of stuff on our coronavirus advice pages. We'll be looking into bringing this content into our services soon.
• Our colleagues at South of Scotland Enterprise are now on board
• We've also fixed some things under the hood that should make our services easier for you to find from your favourite search engine

• Release date: 23 March
• Release type: Changed functionality

We've changed the default sort order when services are first loaded to newest first. This means the coronavirus advice service is the first one listed.

• Release date: 20 March
• Release type: New partner

South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) services have now been added to the site. They often share services with Scottish Enterprise (SE), so you might see a page that has both logos on it. This means it will be run by SE if you live in the central belt. If you live in the south of Scotland, this service will be offered by SOSE. 

• Release date: 19 March
• Release type: New functionality

We have added a new Support type category for coronavirus, and will be adding more services to it in the coming days and weeks.

Other improvements include:

• Colour-coding on map pins confused some people, so they are all now the same colour
• Where there are multiple events at the same venue it is now more obvious and easier to get them
• Improvements to our address lookup
• We've added the ability to reset the events map
• When filtering events in the list view, it is more obvious that your results are updating
• Improved the way we inform screenreader users which organisation provides a service. We also improved the accessibility of the map for these users
• We've also improved the skiplink functionality for keyboard users

• Release date: 18 March 2020
• Release type: New page

We have created a page that gives you the latest information on business support during the coronavirus pandemic.

Keep checking back - we'll update it regularly with the latest announcements and advice. 

• Release date: 18 February 2020
• Release type: New functionality

As of today, you can view events on a map.

Right now, this includes all events run by Business Gateway, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Scottish Enterprise. We plan to include more organisations as time goes on.

Maps aren't for everyone, of course. So there's also a list view of upcoming events.

Whatever you preference, you can filter to get business events in your area, in any date range, about any topic you choose.

• View all events
• Tell us how we can improve this service

• Release date: 31 January 2020
• Release type: Accessibility improvements

Following usability testing with people with a range of accessibility needs, we have released a number of improvements to enhance their experience on this website, including:

• Removed overly verbose text from navigation links
• An improvement on how alternate text is provided on service descriptions
• Improving the way we present link text to screenreaders
• Changing button styles to use sentence case
• Improved behaviour when you go back to your search results
• The tab labelled 'All support' confused some people, so we changed it to 'Services'

• Release date: 13 November 2019
• Release type: New services

We've published details of 3 services provided by VisitScotland.

VisitScotland is Scotland’s National Tourism Organisation

They promote the wealth of incredible features our country has to offer. Their aim is to benefit Scotland by growing its tourism industry and giving it a renowned presence in the global marketplace.

• View all VisitScotland services
• Tell us how we can improve this service

• Release date: 13 November 2019
• Release type: New services

We've published details of 4 services provided by Interface.

Interface works with businesses of all sizes, in all sectors, to match them to Scotland's world-leading academic expertise.

• View all Interface services
• Tell us how we can improve this service