Research, evaluation and insight

The Acorn Project aimed to increase the uptake of learning in ‘harder-to-reach’ sectors and augment managerial knowledge and leadership skills in the Scottish workplace.

The main aim of the Ambassador Programme is to liaise with the business and academic communities, and to encourage and support prominent local individuals, known as ‘ambassadors’, to bring conferences to Aberdeen.

The Business Information Service aims to provide high quality business information to start up and existing companies with the objective of enabling them to identify new opportunities and new markets, improve competitiveness in existing markets and enhance potential for growth.

An evaluation was undertaken of the Business Gateway Fife Start-Up Service, which supports business start-ups in the area.

The Business Growth Initiative (BGI) aimed to support Lanarkshire’s High and Medium Impact companies to improve business performance through the development and implementation of strategic projects.

The Community Land Unit (CLU) aims to: promote community-led land purchase or management initiatives; provide advice and support for the community land initiatives, including the exchange of best practice; contribute to the research and development of policies related to community land initiatives; and deliver the Scottish Land Fund on behalf of the Big Lottery Fund (from February 2001).

The Edinburgh Ambassador programme aimed to use the expertise and contacts of local academics and industrialists to attract additional international association conferences and events.

Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian’s (SEE&L) Biotechnology team’s investment in open-access facilities, at local research institutions and universities, aimed to: enable SMEs to have access to equipment and facilities they would be unable to purchase themselves; and facilitate an awareness of the existence of such facilities to SMEs and other businesses.

The Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Tools Support Scheme for start-up companies began in 2003 with the aim of providing high quality design software to small design companies not normally able to afford such tools in their early stages, to help them grow and attract business.

The Electronics Market Diversification Programme began as an idea put forward by the director of Electronics Scotland, who believed that such a programme would make an important contribution to Scotland’s electronics manufacturing sector.

The Graduate Attraction Scheme was a three year project set up by the UK Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA), the Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Scottish Enterprise (SE) Energy Team to attract high achieving graduates into the UK oil and gas industry, in reaction to the perceived shortage of young people entering technical and engineering courses at university.

The Greenock Waterfront initiatives aimed to enable the regeneration of the wider Inverclyde economy, through improvements to the physical environment and the provision of infrastructure for the development of leisure, educational and retail facilities, by undertaking environmental improvements, developing brownfield land, and creating employment opportunities.

Business Growth services have been delivered through the Business Gateway, principally in the form of a Business Development Review (BDR) through Client Management or a Healthcheck through the Universal service.

Inverclyde Business Store (the Store) was a one-stop shop for businesses in Inverclyde.

Investment Readiness Support (IRS) was set up in 2003 with the aim of improving the ability of client companies to secure investment finance.

The Innovation Relay Centre (IRC) Network Scotland aimed to: improve firms’ competitiveness; assist in the commercialisation of R&D and in technology transfer more generally; and facilitate the take-up of EU research results.

The Innovation Relay Centre Network Scotland (IRC) was part of the European IRC network of 72 Innovation Relay Centres, created to facilitate the transfer of innovative technologies to and from European companies, mainly SMEs, and research departments.

The Leadership and Management Development Programme (LMDP) has, since 1993, operated a range of tailored programmes designed to enhance management and leadership skills within Lanarkshire companies.

The aim of the Management Development Programme for Inventors (MDP) was to provide individuals with a clearer understanding of how to run and grow a successful technology business through a series of workshop sessions.

The Marketing Advance Programme (MAP) aimed to help companies: develop well-researched, workable marketing plans; enhance the strategic marketing skills of their key staff; improve their ability to manage and deliver marketing activity; enhance their understanding of new and existing markets and customers; and develop a network of contacts with other Lothian companies.

The Marketing Advance Programme (MAP), launched as a pilot in Grampian, and developed for the SE Network by Brilliant Red Consulting aimed to ‘provide a way of filling the gap in SMEs’ understanding of strategic marketing’.

The Microcredit programme is a ‘targeted Women into Business product’.

The New Futures Fund (NFF) takes a holistic approach to employability enhancement, aiming to assist the most disadvantaged target client groups, furthest removed from the labour market, to develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and attributes they need to acquire to be more employable.

The New Market Development programme (NMD) was set up to help new and existing exporters develop new overseas markets.

The New Market Development Programme (NMDP) aimed to assist firms to diversify their market base by developing new overseas markets.