Technology Advice and Mentoring Grant

What is it?

Our Digital and Technology Entrepreneurship Programme (DaTE) is offering a Technology Advice and Mentoring Grant of up to £5,000 to help people in the Highlands and Islands access specialist advice and mentoring to develop a new digital or technology product, process or service.

We are delivering the grant in partnership with BT.

It is designed for entrepreneurs, founders, start-ups and small enterprises who need expert support to test, refine and plan. It can help you strengthen your proposition, understand your market, and build the foundations of a new viable product, process or service.

Who is eligible?

Entrepreneurs, founders, start-ups and small businesses (inc. community and social enterprises) with less than 50 employees based in the Highlands and Islands Enterprise area are eligible to apply.

For this grant, technology should be central to the new product, service or business model. This could include software development, data innovation, AI, robotics, digital platforms, technology-enabled products, or other innovation-led digital business ideas with potential to grow.

Applicants must comply with our fair work conditions for financial support. If you have any questions about the fair work requirement, please email enquiries@hient.co.uk.

Who is not eligible?

• Enterprises that are not developing a new digital or technology-led product, process or service are not eligible.

• On a case by case basis, enterprises operating primarily in retail, hospitality, personal services or general business services are unlikely to be eligible unless they are creating a clearly defined new digital or tech venture with growth potential.

• Established enterprises seeking support for routine business advice, incremental improvement, or general digital adoption activity rather than the creation of a new technology product are not eligible.

• Enterprises primarily core funded by the public sector are not eligible. Core funding does not include project funding or service level agreements with the public sector.

• Religious and political organisations are not eligible.

How much can I apply for?

You can apply for up to £5,000. You will be expected to make a contribution to your project costs, the level of this contribution will be agreed during the application process.

You will need to be able to pay for project costs upfront and submit a claim afterward to receive your grant.

The minimum amount that can be applied for is £2,000.

You will be expected to identify up to three eligible consultants or mentors to support your project. HIE cannot recommend suppliers, so you should choose the support that best fits your needs.

In some circumstances, HIE may signpost to other sources of advice and mentoring outwith this scheme.

What can the funding be used for?

The funding can be used for specialist advice or mentoring that helps you move from idea to launch and make informed decisions.

Support should help you think through the key issues involved in developing a new technology idea, such as understanding the customer problem, testing demand, refining the value proposition, choosing a business model, identifying routes to market, assessing technical feasibility, shaping an early product roadmap, and preparing for launch and growth.

Support can include:

• customer discovery, market research, market testing and competitor analysis

• refining the business idea, value proposition and target market

• business model development, pricing, commercial planning and go-to-market preparation

• technical scoping, product roadmap planning and advice on minimum viable product requirements

• founder mentoring on start-up readiness, including skills gaps, networks, team needs and investment preparedness

• specialist advice to help founders prepare a business plan, action plan or investor-ready proposition

This grant is designed to work alongside support provided through Techscaler, the Scottish Government initiative delivered by CodeBase that helps Scottish tech founders access education, community, investor connectivity, workspace support, and one-to-one guidance from experienced operators.

While Techscaler’s mentorship and founder support are free at the point of access, the HIE Digital and Technology Start-up Advice Grant provides funding toward procuring paid, specialised external consultancy for targeted advisory projects (such as bespoke legal, IP, regulatory, or technical expert advice) that fall outside Techscaler’s remit.

Depending on your stage and needs, we may also signpost you to other organisations or support services if that would be a better fit.

Grants are expected to cover a proportion of eligible project costs, with applicants funding the remaining balance.

The minimum amount that can be applied for is £2,000 and the maximum award amount is £5,000.

What can the funding not be used for?

The funding cannot be used for:

• projects previously funded by HIE

• covering own time or salary costs of payroll employees

• materials

• placements

• legal costs

• travel and accommodation costs are generally excluded from eligible costs, but they will be considered on a case-by-case basis depending on the applicant’s location

What are the timescales?

The scheme will remain open while there are available funds, applications will close in May 2027.

How do I apply?

To apply, please complete our enquiry form and a member of our team will get in touch.

The small print, this is important

• You will be expected to make a financial contribution to your project costs.

• All Highlands and Islands financial assistance is discretionary, and each case is based on its own merits by considering need, affordability, and the expected impact on the applicant organisation. Intervention levels will be discussed at the time of enquiry and form part of our standard due diligence case processing procedures.

• Applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Grant awards are subject to due diligence and budget availability. Due diligence includes making an assessment on the need for public funding; the viability of the business going forward; the ability of the applicant to deliver the project; the impact of the development on the economy, and the strength of the business case presented to HIE.

• Making an application does not guarantee funding. If your application is unsuccessful, or you are offered less than you applied for, we will explain the decision and, where possible, signpost you to other sources of support.

• You will need to commission a supplier of your own choosing. When you apply, you will also need to provide an outline brief for the work proposed, evidence that you have received at least three quotes from potential contractors and justification for your choice.

• All work must be undertaken in advance of claiming the grant, HIE will not pay grant claims ‘in advance of need’. If a business credit card is used to pay a supplier this must be stated at application stage and the credit card must be paid before the claim is made.

• Applicants must comply with our fair work conditions for financial support. If you have any questions about the fair work requirement, please email enquiries@hient.co.uk.

• There is NO appeals process. We are unable to consider a complaint purely relating to dissatisfaction as to the outcome of a funding decision. However, if you have identified a specific process failure relating to your application, then you may wish to make a formal complaint. See our formal complaints process for more information.

Need to speak to us?

If you would like to talk to someone about your enquiry, please email enquiries@hient.co.uk and we will get back to you.