Skye and Lochalsh Enterprise (SALE) has just awarded its first three grants under the HI-Establish scheme - a new initiative that helps organisations meet the cost of implementing e-business solutions - with all three recipients based in the village of Broadford on the Isle of Skye.

A Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) network-wide programme, HI-Establish is administered locally by HIE's 10 Local Enterprise Companies and grants of up to 50 per cent are available to businesses who want to increase and improve their e-business activity. Through HI-Establish, SALE want to raise the level of awareness of e-business techniques and increase the number of businesses trading on-line, as well as supporting local firms with the integration of secure online trading facilities.

One of the first HI-Establish recipients is also a new business start-up by Susan MacInnes. Highlandwedding.com is an interactive wedding organisation service where brides can plan their wedding online, buy wedding related merchandise, gain access to venues and musicians, as well as being able to keep track of the cost involved. Brides-to-be can browse the site and add items to an electronic shopping basket as they go, building their own unique plan for the big day.

Susan has been awarded a HI-Establish grant of £5,100 to help set up the sophisticated website.

Commenting on the scheme, Susan said: "My business would not have got off the ground without financial assistance through the HI-Establish initiative.

More importantly however, the advice and support I have received from SALE staff has been of great value."

A Broadford-based otter rescue centre wants to increase their online presence with help from HI-Establish. A grant of £1,900 for the International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) will allow the organisation to create a new sophisticated website that will include secure online shopping for otter shop merchandise, research donations and booking and payment for wildlife trips. It is hoped the improvements will generate an increase in membership of the IOSF - a global organisation working to conserve all 13 species of otter by helping to support conservation, education, research and rescue and rehabilitation.

Their e-business solution will also help promote their 'adopt an otter' campaign with members of the public being able to access digital video footage of the various otters they may wish to adopt.

People will be able to follow their adopted otter's progress through to their eventual release back into the wild.

Isle of Skye Seafood is the third Broadford-based business to receive a HI-Establish grant.

The business has been awarded £5,900 towards the cost of developing a new website with an integrated e-commerce facility to promote and increase the sales of fresh and smoked produce.

The new website will display the company's entire product range and allow customers to buy products by putting items in an electronic shopping basket. Customers will be offered several secure online payment methods.

John Gilbertson of Isle of Skye Seafood Ltd said: "This financial help comes at a critical time for our business.

Our mail order logistics are well developed and an encouraging growth in demand for our products from the very best of hotels in the UK lends us to believe there will be a similar demand in the domestic market.

The very best of fish, shellfish and smoked products from the Isle of Skye can be delivered direct to your door the next day, and all at the click of a button."

Chief executive at SALE, Robert Muir said: "E-business offers benefits to all types of organisations. Through HI-Establish we can assist local businesses to lead the way with adopting and applying the latest on-line technology to improve their competitiveness."

For more information on HI-Establish contact SALE's e-business advisor, Alaistar Nicolson, on tel: 01478 612841 or a.nicolson@hient.co.uk.