Delivered by Orkney Islands Council, this grant is designed to place graduates with Orkney businesses in certain key sectors. The scheme offers 2 strands of grant support:

Graduate placements

To be eligible, a graduate must be qualified to HND level or above and the employment offered must be their first related to their qualification since graduation. The placement should take place within 2 years of graduation. The post should be for a minimum of 1 year and should be included in your business growth plan.

The grant will cover up to 50% of the graduate's total wage and national insurance costs, up to a maximum of £15,000, subject to 50% being the maximum funding made available by all funders. The grant will only cover the first year of the post.

Post-graduate placements

To be eligible, a post-graduate must be aiming to qualify at postgraduate diploma (PgDip) level or above. Applications should clearly demonstrate how the research undertaken will have realistic economic benefits for Orkney.

The grant will cover up to 30% of the post-graduate's total wage and national insurance costs, up to a maximum of £10,000, subject to 50% being the maximum          funding made available by all funders.

You are eligible if your business is located in Orkney and operates in one of these key sectors:

• food and drink production, where the products are primarily intended for export outwith Orkney
• creative industries and manufacturing, where the outputs are primarily intended for export outwith Orkney
• high-end niche products that are only available in Orkney
• tourism accommodation and facilities
• knowledge and technology, where the projects can demonstrate a benefit to the Orkney economy
• renewable energy (but not energy production) and its supply chain
• service sector, if the service is not currently provided in Orkney and you can show there is a viable local demand for that service (and that it's not just a slight variation on an existing service already available locally)
• service sector, if you can show there is a viable demand for that service outwith Orkney

For graduate placements, the graduate must be qualified to HND level or above. The job offered must be:

• the graduate's first employment related to their qualification since graduation
• within 2 years of graduation
• for a minimum of 1 year
• included in your business growth plan

For post-graduate placements, the post-graduate must be aiming to qualify at postgraduate diploma (PgDip) level or above. Applications should clearly demonstrate how the research undertaken will have realistic economic benefits for Orkney.

The grant is free to apply for.

The grant will cover up to 50% of the graduate or post-graduate's total wage and national insurance costs, up to a maximum of £15,000 (for graduates) or £10,000 (for post-graduates). You must be prepared to cover the rest yourself.

Small businesses in the Orkney Islands Council area that operate in eligible key sectors.

The timescale will vary for each application.

You must discuss your proposals with a member of staff in the Orkney Islands Council’s Economic Development Service before you apply.

You should not spend money on any grant-related costs before your grant is approved.

Funding cannot be given retrospectively. You must submit a completed application before you begin the graduate and Post-graduate recruitment process - that is, before you advertise the position.

Please submit an enquiry and an adviser will be in touch to discuss your needs.