There are still two weeks left for the public to respond to a consultation by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) on its draft operating plan and associated environmental report. Under the provisions of Regulation 16 of the Environmental Assessment of Plans & Programmes (Scotland) Regulations 2004, HIE has its first strategic environmental assessment to gauge the potential significant effects its draft operating plan may have on the environment.
The following are funds approved up to the last day of the month. Please note that the sums relate to approvals, not payments.
Highlands and Islands Local Food Network (HILFN) is to set up a food apprenticeship to train a new generation of food growers in the area - the first course of its kind in Scotland. More and more consumers in the Highlands and Islands are choosing to eat healthily and shop locally which is leading to a shortage of locally grown fruit and vegetables in many parts of the north.
The search continues to find the Highlands and Islands' answer to Richard Branson as the ICT Hothouse Youth Challenge 2007 enters its final month for entries. The challenge is looking for young entrepreneurs with bright ideas to submit their ideas for information technology and communications of the future.
CONTRACTORS SUPPLIER EVENT 4 pm 29 NOVEMBER 2006 Pentland Hotel Thurso Caithness & Sutherland Enterprise is hosting a supplier event in the Pentland Hotel Thurso on 29 November at 4pm to provide information to local companies on current business opportunities. Presentations will be made by:- Dan Mistry of UKAEA Culham who will provide information on the prospects and opportunities for locally based businesses arising from the construction and commissioning of ITER at Caderache in France.
A project manager is being recruited to take forward proposals for a Nuclear Skills Academy Scotland. The proposed skills academy is being drawn up in partnership between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Caithness and Sutherland Enterprise, North Highland College UHI Millennium Institute and UKAEA Dounreay, which are jointly funding the project manager role.
A PROPOSAL to create a £24million Combined Heat and Power plant at Invergordon has won wholehearted support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) with its board agreeing to a £5.5million contribution to the project. Northern Ireland-based company Balcas Ltd plans to develop its operation on the former Alcan smelter site at the Cromarty Industrial Park.
HIGHLANDS and Islands Enterprise (HIE) today agreed to contribute £2million to the purchase of 92,000acre South Uist Estate by its residents - the biggest community land purchase in Scottish history. The decision secures a £2million contribution to the £4.5million purchase approved by the BIG Lottery Fund's Growing Community Assets Fund last week.
The Highlands and Islands Enterprise network (HIE) is on budget and in line to meet or exceed most of its annual performance targets, according to its half-year results announced on Tuesday 14 November. In light of the considerable headway already made in two key areas of its activities, HIE board members have agreed to increase targets for the number of new business start-ups in the region and of assistance given to strengthening community groups.
ISSUED BY UKAEA, ON BEHALF OF THE DOUNREAY STAKEHOLDER GROUP Options for the Dounreay site end state are the subject of a public consultation announced today. While a final decision on the future use of the land does not need to be made for a number of years community views are being sought now to allow the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its contractor, UKAEA, to finalise their plans for decommissioning the site with greater certainty.
HIGHLANDS and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will be holding its next board meeting in public for the first time on Tuesday, November 14. HIE conducts eight board meetings annually at various venues around the Highlands and Islands.
Entrepreneurs with ambitious business plans are encouraged to enter a competition to win a trip to the world famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boston, USA. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and UHI Millennium Institute (UHI) are offering a unique opportunity to help businesses reach their full potential.
HIGHLANDS and Islands Enterprise (HIE) today announced it is to invest an extra £12million in Caithness and Sutherland. The extra funding, a 50 per cent increase on the current budget allocation for the area, will be used over the next three years to help address the considerable challenges posed to the area's economy by the decommissioning of Dounreay nuclear plant.
SUMMARY The August 2006 unemployment figures were released on 13th September 2006. During the month, July 2006 to August 2006, the number of people claiming unemployment benefit in Great Britain fell by 0.3%, from 932,191 to 929,498 (2,693 claimants).
Those looking to start their own business in the creative industries are being given a unique opportunity to take advantage of contracts available from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). The Indiepreneur programme has two contracts available for new, recent or upcoming businesses involved in the creative industries across the Highlands and Islands.
The issues surrounding the employment of migrant workers are the subject of this month's Hot Topic on LearningWorks, the Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) website dedicated to online training and learning. LearningWorks explores the key issues employers should be aware of when employing migrant workers, with links to new information about work permits and the workers registration team.
ENTERPRISE funding has been secured to enable a range of Seafood Scotland (SFS) market development services to continue to be delivered to the Highlands and Islands seafood sector. The £57,000 financial package from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will provide funding towards the costs incurred by SFS in the Highlands and Islands over the next two years and builds on the success of a previous package of assistance.
Companies in the Highlands and Islands who are interested in exploring new ways of maximising their business opportunities now have the opportunity to take part in an innovative new programme. Supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the Intellectual Assets Management company development programme aims to help businesses to harness untapped value to help unleash their potential.
