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Lanarkshire

Business Gateway Lanarkshire works with individuals and businesses across North and South Lanarkshire to support them to achieve their ambitions and goals.

The team at Business Gateway Lanarkshire has a wealth of experience, resources and workshops to teach you everything from starting up to growing your business. At a local level, your Business Adviser can offer free 1:1 support in-person, over the phone, video call or email, providing more in-depth services tailored to you and your business needs. From researching your idea and target market, establishing, and improving your web presence to taking on employees or developing your sales skills - our support can help you achieve your goals.

Thinking of Starting a Business?

There are many ways we can support your start-up journey.

Our Planning To Start tool is a great place to begin. It takes just 10 minutes to complete and provides you with an instant toolkit with key resources & information. We'll then connect you with a member of the team at our local office for further support.

Our website offers a business plan guide and template to download when you’re ready, market reports and research, as well as handy online guides and articles, video tutorials and podcasts. Plus, we have a great range of webinars to hone your start-up skills – from writing a business plan to marketing on a budget.

With our help, you could be in business sooner than you imagined.

Running a Business?

Our 1:1 advice, online resources and webinars can help you plan, adapt and grow.

We know that your time is in short supply, so we offer 1:1 advice at a time and day to suit you. Together, you and your business adviser can create a strategic action plan to suit your ambitions.

Our online resources and webinars can help you learn new skills, create opportunities and gain confidence. From HR to restructuring, innovation and digital marketing - we can help. And if specialist input is required, we can connect you to other sources of support.

Improve your Digital Skills with DigitalBoost

Access 1:1 consultancy, webinars, online guides and a Digital Health Check with our DigitalBoost programme.

From digital marketing strategy to social media, e-Commerce, cyber security and more, we can help boost your digital performance.

Our DigitalBoost Health Check is a great place to start. It will help pinpoint your digital strengths, areas you could improve, and how we can help, and it only takes 5 minutes to complete.

Finance and Funding

Business Gateway Lanarkshire has access to a wide range of funding and finance programmes to support the growth and development of your business.

Our advisers can help to identify appropriate funding and guide you through the eligibility criteria and application process, supporting you with reviewing business plan & cashflow forecasts as part of the application process.

Lanarkshire Business Start Up Grant provides grant funding of £1,000 and £2,500 to help pre-start businesses with a robust and viable business idea fund essential business purchases and commence trading. Planning to start your business in South Lanarkshire? Find out more here. Planning to start your business in North Lanarkshire? Find out more here.

North Lanarkshire Back to Business Fund provides grants of up to £2,500 to support specific projects or investment that will help eligible local businesses address new challenges in direct response to Covid 19. For more information click here.

North Lanarkshire Business Recovery and Growth Fund
provides up to 50% of eligible costs to a maximum of £20,000 to support strategic, longer-term sustainability and growth. For more information click here.

South Lanarkshire Business Recovery and Growth Grant

The Business Recovery and Growth Grant is a discretionary grant fund open to new and existing businesses based in South Lanarkshire to support their long-term sustainability and growth. It will provide 50% of eligible project costs (excluding VAT), up to a maximum grant award of £50,000 to fund specific activities to help recovery and growth. It for businesses with less than 250 employees and who are trading over (or expected to be) the VAT threshold. The project must have not started yet. For more information click here.

South Lanarkshire Small Business Support Grant

The Small Business Support Grant is a discretionary programme that can provide up to 50% match-funded grant support up to £3,000 for businesses with more than one full time employee. For self-employed individuals, with no employees, the maximum grant available is up to 50% and a maximum of £1,000. The grant will be paid after the application has been submitted in full, reviewed and approved for payment – payment up front. The business needs evidence it can cover the other 50% of costs. For more information click here.

Growing your Business

We know that running a business can be both rewarding and challenging, trying to grow sales and profit can be difficult. Our local team can help you face the challenges to achieve your ambitions.

We can support you to develop and implement your growth strategy through 1:1 advice, provide access to a range of business experts, funding programmes and to local and national business support, plus a number of local networking and business skills workshops.

Employing Staff

Taking on staff can be a challenging process. Our advisers can provide you with details of areas of consideration when taking on new members of staff.

From contractual requirements, sick pay, holiday pay, disciplinary and many other areas. If it is your first time taking on an employee then we can provide you with much of this information from one of our HR professionals.

Social Enterprise

Business Gateway Lanarkshire has a dedicated team working with the enterprising third sector.

If you are thinking about starting or already running a social enterprise, we can help you with business advice and access to further support.

Intermediaries

Working together in partnership Business Gateway Lanarkshire, local service providers such as accountants, banks, lawyers, consultants can generate real results with client businesses.

Our team also has strong links with local business groups such as Lanarkshire Chamber, FSB and CEED.

Young Entrepreneurs

If you’re an entrepreneur between the ages of 18 – 30, let our local team support you with starting your new venture or help your existing business reach its next goal.

We have extensive links to national support agencies for young entrepreneurs and can help you with business planning, marketing, access to finance, training and more. Our Young Entrepreneur Starter Pack workshop with support you with many of the considerations relating to identifying and researching an idea to information on starting your business and accessing funding for your business.

Expert Help

Did you know you could access up to 3 days free consultancy support from an industry expert on multiple topics?

The Expert Help service is for Lanarkshire businesses at the stage of development or expansion. Expert Help brings expertise to YOU, giving Lanarkshire businesses access to specific skills and knowledge that you may not have within your business- straight from industry experts.

The Expert Help Service can connect you with specialist consultants who can provide you with tailored advice and support in various areas to develop strategies.

Areas Expert Help can help your business

  • Marketing & Digital Marketing
  • Sustainability
  • Business Innovation
  • Legal support
  • Internationalisation
  • Research, Development & Design
  • Business Financial Management
  • Business Strategy
  • HR
  • Digital Development
  • Procurement

For more information, speak to our team today on 01698 756956.

The Women's Business Centre

The Women's Business Centre is a website designed to support women at the pre-start and start-up through to growth stages of their business journey.

Operated by Women’s Enterprise Scotland, the Women's Business Centre website is free to access and offers dedicated, needs-based content on starting and growing a business, including stories, encouragement and top tips from leading business owners across Scotland.

Supplier Development Programme (SDP)

SDP is a public sector partnership which delivers a variety of free tender training.

Registration for SDP events is free for Scottish SMEs, and will connect your business with your local authority’s SDP Rep who can offer your business additional support.

Redundancy Support

Your local Business Gateway office can offer free support to any business considering making redundancies.

Our advisers can help you look at your business challenges and then help you make the next practical steps. Along with that we can introduce you to PACE – Partnership Action for Continuing Employment.

Other Business Support across Scotland

Information on the free advice and support available from Scotland’s public sector business support organisations is available to find, all in one place, at Find Business Support.

Find your nearest office

North Lanarkshire

1st Floor, Carnbroe House
1 Finch Way
Strathclyde Business Park
Bellshill
ML4 3PE
Get directions
01698 756956

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday

09:00 to 17:00

South Lanarkshire

Suite 2
Prism House
SE Technology Park
East Kilbride
G75 0QF
Get directions
01698 756956

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday

09:00 to 17:00