SCOTTISH ENTERPRISE PROUD OF SOLID INVESTMENT DURING PANDEMIC
Scottish Enterprise has announced unprecedented support for businesses after investing over £568 million in Scotland’s economy in 2020/21.
The record level of funding ensured the country’s national economic development agency supported more firms than ever before, resulting in more than £1 billion additional planned private sector investment that secured almost 7,000 planned Real Living Wage jobs.
Working with domestic and international businesses, Scottish Enterprise’s support helped companies become more resilient and grow both at home and target markets overseas.
To help Scotland achieve its net zero aspirations, a high proportion of investment went to projects that will advance the country’s low carbon economic transformation.
Scottish Enterprise Interim Chief Executive, Linda Hanna (pictured), said: “We are incredibly proud of these significant achievements in such an extraordinary year.
“none of it would have been possible without the hard work, determination and strength of Scottish Enterprise colleagues and the many businesses we had the privilege to work with.
“Despite the challenges presented by the pandemic and Brexit, Scotland was able to maintain solid levels of investment which has helped sustain and create employment for many thousands of people.
“Scotland is very much open for business and we look forward to working with our communities to develop further economic opportunities throughout the year ahead.”
This strong performance was evident across all services provided by Scottish Enterprise.
In response to the impact of the pandemic on global travel, the agency completely pivoted its support for exporters in Scotland, maximising digital channels to their full effect and delivering more than 100 trade events to almost 5,000 individuals.
At the outset of the pandemic, Scottish Enterprise rolled out emergency COVID funds resulting in £220 million of grants providing a critical life-line to 4,000 businesses to help safeguard more than 70,000 jobs.
The team also played a key role in providing COVID business advice and guidance via findbusinesssupport.gov.scot and coordinated more than 1,600 offers of industry support to scale up Scottish manufacturing of PPE supplies and laboratory equipment to help meet the immediate PPE challenge.
