HIE Awards Framework Agreement For Specialist Advice For Businesses

24th March 2021

Regional development agency, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has awarded a new framework agreement for the procurement of specialist advise to support its clients.

Business advisory firm, Anderson Anderson Brown (AAB), will identify, procure and manage specialist advisors who will support HIE clients as they recover from the pandemic and meet the challenges of Brexit.

The advice will be predominantly for small to medium sized organisations across a wide range of sectors. The AAB team will seek to provide quick, easy, and affordable access to expertise normally beyond the reach of most SMEs in the region.

Colin MacBeath, senior business development manager at HIE, said:"The support we provide to our clients through the specialist advice framework is invaluable, so we need to be comfortable we are putting the best possible advice in front of our clients. AAB understand HIE and our region and can bring the fresh thinking needed as our clients emerge from significant changes in the business environment. We are pleased to have them on board and look forward to working with them on the delivery of this important areas of support to businesses and social enterprises across the Highlands and Islands region."

Mark Bell, co-founder and partner of AAB Consulting, added:“The opportunity to help many enterprises across the Highlands and Islands grow that really excites us. The future is exciting for the region, so we are delighted to get the opportunity to collaborate with HIE and play our small part in that future while meeting our own growth ambitions.”

The contract award has been published on the Public Contracts Scotland website.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Today : Advisory / Counseling Services

Scotland Is Attracting the Investment But Where Is Caithness and Sutherland's Share?

There is an encouraging message in the latest investment figures for Scotland.  There is also a question that should matter particularly to Caithness and Sutherland.  

15/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Islands are at the heart of a £100bn pipeline of investment opportunities

Chair of HIE, Angus Campbell, explores how our islands are at the heart of a £100bn pipeline of investment opportunities, helping to drive economic growth, clean energy and community prosperity across the Highlands and Islands.   The Highlands and Islands has long been recognised for outstanding natural assets, entrepreneurial spirit and resilient communities.  

6/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Highland Businesses Offered Free Support to Cut Carbon Costs and Prepare for a Low-Carbon Economy

Highland Businesses Offered Free Support to Cut Carbon Costs and Prepare for a Low-Carbon Economy New Climate Springboard programme aims to help SMEs understand emissions, reduce costs and plan for the future Businesses across the Highlands and Islands are being offered free expert support to help them understand their carbon emissions, reduce costs and prepare for the growing demands of a low-carbon economy.   The new Climate Springboard programme, supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is designed to help small and medium-sized businesses, social enterprises, charities and community organisations take practical steps towards reducing their environmental impact.  

1/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Economic Development or Political Numbers Game? How Should We Judge Organisations Like HIE?

Economic development agencies frequently publish impressive statistics: thousands of jobs created, businesses supported and millions of pounds of investment attracted.  But one question is often much harder to answer: how much of that success actually happened because of their intervention? This is one of the biggest challenges facing organisations such as Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Scottish Enterprise.  

1/8/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Economic Development: How Do We Judge Success When Taking Risks Means Some Projects Will Fail?

Economic development organisations are often asked to perform an almost impossible task: transform regions, create jobs and encourage investment in places where the private sector may be reluctant to take risks.  But when some supported projects fail, criticism quickly follows.  

24/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
£194k support for new satellite control centre in Argyll

The £500k project is being led by Exotopic Ltd at the Machrihanish Airbase Business Park near Campbeltown.   A £500,000 project to establish a satellite management and monitoring service in Argyll has secured up to £194,000 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).  

24/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

 
Oban and north Lorn could play leading role in Scotland’s drones and robotics activity

Oban and north Lorn is poised to become a leading location for developing drone, robotics and autonomous systems activity, attracting high-value jobs and investment.   This is according to a new study, commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), which assesses the market potential in the region for these types of technologies.  

16/7/2026 : Visitor Attractions

John O'Groats Distillery Wins International Success with Scottish Enterprise Support

One of Caithness's newest success stories is proving that location is no barrier to reaching customers around the world.   8 Doors Distillery in John O'Groats, Scotland's most northerly mainland whisky distillery, is expanding into international markets with support from Scottish Enterprise and Team Scotland, demonstrating how businesses from the far north can compete on the global stage.  

8/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

How Rural Job Creation Actually Works

Rural job creation is one of the most misunderstood parts of economic development.  Politicians talk about “hundreds of jobs created”, enterprise agencies publish glossy figures, and press releases celebrate “transformational investment”.  

8/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

Fixing Enterprise Job Reporting: A Blueprint for Honesty, Accuracy, and Rural Reality

Enterprise agencies in Scotland have spent decades publishing glossy numbers about “jobs created” and “jobs retained”.  As the Highlands knows all too well, these figures often bear little resemblance to what actually happens on the ground.