Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Business Gateway have appointed Elevator, a leading business support organisation, to run the first fully funded business accelerator in Moray.

The programme is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Elevator is now looking for start-up, early stage and growth companies who are ready to transform their innovative business, product or service to greater national and international success.

Following an in-depth one-day bootcamp, up to 20 of the most promising participants will secure a place on the programme which will run from a series of locations including Horizon Scotland, Forres.

Participants will have access to support for product development and testing, customer acquisition, financial planning, intellectual property and more. They will also be assisted with Business Gateway services, sector experts, seasoned entrepreneurs and Elevator’s national and international network of mentors.

Applications are open now and will be accepted until 14 August, with the programme running two days per week from 16 September to 15 December 2019.

Donna Chisholm, HIE area manager in Moray, said:

"Everyone who is thinking of setting up a fast-growing business, or running an operation that could go much further, should take the opportunity to apply for a place on the Moray Accelerator powered by Elevator.  With our partners Business Gateway, we want Moray’s entrepreneurs to have access to the best business thinking, so we are delighted to welcome Elevator into the region.”

Andy Campbell, head of accelerators at Elevator, said:

“Staying competitive in the evolving business landscape isn’t easy, however the opportunity to drive prosperity has never been greater. With this exciting new accelerator our aim is to stimulate Moray’s entrepreneurial mindset and demonstrate the potential for local, national and potentially international growth.

“We offer an immersive, dynamic programme aimed at supporting, challenging and driving businesses forward to reach their full potential. This coupled with the accessible nature of the programme will provide a real opportunity to unlock Moray’s entrepreneurial community and breathe new life into the region’s thinking.

“This is the first time Elevator has provided business support to the Highlands and Islands; we are delighted to be expanding our Accelerator offering and look forward to working with a new pipeline of entrepreneurs as we work to support Scotland’s vision in becoming a world-leading entrepreneurial and innovative society.”

People interested in applying for the Moray Accelerator are asked to contact Andy Campbell at Elevator 07973 286432 andy@elevatoruk.com