Development finance for business

No business can expect to grow and succeed without investment. The cost of obtaining investment capital can be high and HIE Caithness and Sutherland services aim to help reduce this cost. At present, financial assistance is targeted on businesses whose activities contribute to the area's income, either through exporting goods or through increasing tourist income to the area.

HIE Caithness and Sutherland policy on investment in the following sectors may alter to reflect changes in the local and national economy.

The consideration of assistance is discretionary with each case taken on its own merits. However the rationale is based on two broad principles which HIE Caithness and Sutherland seeks to apply:

• Financial assistance should be offered to encourage business developments which would not proceed at all, or which would only proceed on a more limited basis, in the absence of such assistance.
  
• Financial assistance should only be offered to projects which will add or retain employment and/or otherwise improve the general level of economic activity in the area. Most of our assistance is aimed at increasing the return on investment in buildings and equipment by the provision of lump sum investment (grants).

HIE Caithness and Sutherland recognise that in an area as diverse as Caithness and Sutherland there may be specific priorities and opportunities for business development and expansion in certain areas which are not common to the area as a whole.

As indicated previously, each case is judged very much on its own merits.

For further information, please contact:

Annemarie Monteforte, head of business development