Advisory / Counseling Services News
22/7/2016
Business urged to apply to EDGE fund
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands are being encouraged to apply to the next round of Scottish EDGE funding and the chance to win up to £100,000 each in grants and loans. The Scottish Government funded competition supports and encourages business growth in Scotland.15/7/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Week Commencing 11th July 2016 Enabling activities: · The "Ready, Steady, Work" programme developed by CNSRP partners DSRL and North Highland College began this week. The programme takes young people from 4th to 6th year and introduces them to a range of workshops and company visits designed to enhance their ability to move on from school into employment, training or further education.13/7/2016
Next fibre broadband areas for Highlands and Islands
The next areas where fibre broadband is rolling out across Scotland have been announced by Digital Scotland partners today. See the release here http://bit.ly/fibrenext Local area and progress detail for Highlands and Islands areas are as below: Latest independent figures from Think Broadband confirm 75% coverage across the Highlands and Islands region.
5/7/2016
Wave of optimism for Wick seaweed firm
The first batches of seaweed have been harvested and processed by a new food and drink business in Wick. New Wave Foods has invested £240,000 at its newly fitted out premises on the Wick Industrial Estate with support of £60,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
2/7/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Week Commencing 27th June 2016 Energy & Business Services: · A deal to supply and install the cabling for the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project has been won by Siem, who will work for Tier 1 supplier Seaway Heavy Lifting. Last year one of Siem's vessels laid the subsea cabling for the MeyGen project in the Inner Sound of the Pentland Firth.21/6/2016
Seal of approval for Caithness engineering skills
An Aberdeen oil and gas company that located its manufacturing operation to Lybster in Caithness says it is delighted with the results. Torque machine manufacturer Enerquip secured £60,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards the £240,000 initial capital equipment and employment costs at Lybster.
18/6/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Week commencing 13th June 2016 Energy & Business Services: · The CNSRP Delivery Group met this week, and we took the opportunity to have a round table discussion on the likely actions needed to support the delivery of local economic benefit from the £2.6 Bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project. One of the strengths of the Partnership is the ability to bring partners such as HIE, Skills development Scotland, the NDA, Dounreay, Highland Council, North Highland College and Caithness Chamber of Commerce together with Wick Harbour Authority to ensure that a coordinated approach is taken to this process.10/6/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Week Commencing 6th June 2016 Energy & Business Services: · A further element of detail is added to the emerging picture of contract awards associated with the £2.6 Bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project, with the news this week that Tier 1 supply chain company Siemens has awarded the contract to install up to 84 turbines to Swire Blue Ocean. It is expected that installation of the 7MW turbines will begin in 2018.10/6/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership Update
Week Commencing 6th June 2016 Energy & Business Services: · A further element of detail is added to the emerging picture of contract awards associated with the £2.6 Bn Beatrice Offshore Windfarm project, with the news this week that Tier 1 supply chain company Siemens has awarded the contract to install up to 84 turbines to Swire Blue Ocean. It is expected that installation of the 7MW turbines will begin in 2018.8/6/2016
World class leading creative figures at XpoNorth
Influential decision makers and buyers from creative industries around the world will meet Scottish businesses and individuals when they take part in XpoNorth in Inverness this week. Supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the European Regional Development Fund and Creative Scotland, XpoNorth is now firmly established as Scotland's leading creative industries festival.
5/6/2016
New Board Members Appointed To Highlands And Islands Enterprise
Non-Executive Members of the Board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise announced. The Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy and Connectivity, Fergus Ewing MP, today announced the appointment of Amanda Bryan, Ailsa Gray, Dr Robert McIntosh and Belinda Oldfield, as Non-Executive Members of the Board of Highlands and Islands Enterprise.4/6/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership
Week Commencing 30th May 2016 Energy & Business Services: · A further contract announcement this week regarding the Beatrice Offshore Windfarm development off the Caithness coast. Scottish company Sgurr Energy have been awarded a three year construction monitoring contract.2/6/2016
Choice Based Lettings extended throughout Caithness
Anyone who wants to rent a council or housing association house in Thurso now has greater choice. This is because homes are now being allocated through ‘Choice Based Lettings'.27/5/2016
Businesses invited to Doing Business in France event
Businesses in the Highlands and Islands new to exporting or looking to move into new markets are invited to a ‘Doing Business in France' event in Inverness next week. Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the free information and advice event will be held at the Kingsmills Hotel from 9:30am to 1:30pm on Tuesday 7 June.23/5/2016
Development agencies welcome SSEs Beatrice offshore wind announcement
Confirmation that SSE is to go ahead with its investment in the Beatrice Offshore Wind project has been welcomed by both of Scotland's economic development agencies. The project is expected to deliver billions of pounds of investment during construction, installation and longer-term operation and maintenance of the windfarm.21/5/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update
Week Commencing 16th May 2016 Energy & Business Services: One of the main project focal points for partners over the past three years has been the potential to attract the operations and maintenance base for the Beatrice Offshore Wind development to Wick, and news this week that this moves ever closer with a piece in the RE News online feed regarding the Final Investment Decision for the project. http://renews.biz/102675/sse-to-unleash-beatrice/ Following this week's movement of large transformers from Scrabster harbour to the new Thurso South electricity sub-station, this coming weekend will see JGC Engineering moving three very large support modules to Scrabster Harbour.16/5/2016
HIE reports successful year in Caithness and Sutherland
Economic development agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), has reported a successful year of investment and job creation in the region for 2015/16 - its 50th anniversary year. Year-end figures compiled by HIE show an estimated 855 jobs are expected to be created or retained in the region, as a result of HIE's investments last year, 87 of these in Caithness and Sutherland, 17 of which are in fragile areas.
14/5/2016
Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership - Update
Energy & Business Services: As previously covered in this update Atlantis Resources Ltd has now completed the acquisition of tidal energy assets from Scottish Power Renewables. http://renews.biz/102590/atlantis-seals-tidal-expansion/ I was delighted to meet Cameron Smith of ARL this week, and to take him to meet Scrabster Harbour Trust in a week that the port was very busy with large oil & gas industry vessels (see our online blog page for pictures).13/5/2016
Businesses invited to China food and drink event
Food and drink businesses in the Highlands and Islands interested in exporting to China have the opportunity to access specialist information and advice at a free event in Inverness this month. Organised by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), in partnership with the China-Britain Council (CBBC) and the EU SME Centre, the event takes place on Tuesday 24 May at the Kingsmills Hotel in Inverness from 9:30am-4:15pm.6/5/2016
