Support For Highland Businesses From Highland Council Loan Company
8th March 2023
Highland Opportunity (Investments) Limited HO(I)L, The Highland Council's business loan company has launched its first social media campaign to make Highland businesses and community organisations aware of its loan funds. HO(I)L has financially supported more than 1,200 local start-up businesses, community organisations and growth projects within the Highland Business community since it was established in 1986.
This social media campaign is designed to promote HO(I)L's loan fund and should help to support even more businesses and encourage applications from all businesses sectors, including community organisations. Interested businesses will benefit from straightforward loan conditions and a tailored offer to support their project.
Councillor Paul Oldham, Chair of HO(I)L said: "Many Highland enterprises have been able to take their ventures forward with the help of HOIL but we're always looking for new ones to help, be they large or small. Our team are here to help and can guide you through putting an application together."
The social media campaign is due to start in March 2023 and will outline the features of the loan fund and will include case studies of businesses that have recently been supported by HO(I)L.
HOIL prides itself on its flexible and reliable approach as a provider of gap finance to enable businesses to invest and grow. HOIL's funding investment in Highland businesses has contributed to loan clients securing additional business finance from other lending sources. Generally, every £1 invested by HOIL results in the business sourcing an additional £3 towards their total funding package.
HOIL has an asset base of £2.25m and currently has £1.13m invested in loan finance with 75 Highland business. In addition to its own Loan Fund, HOIL also delivers 2 loan schemes on behalf of the Highland Council. A £1 million Community Loan Fund which offers loan support for community companies, enterprises and community bodies within the Highland Council area and a £240,000 Growing Business Growth Fund for existing business looking to grow or diversify.
Highland Opportunity Investments Limited
See also
Business Gateway
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Related Businesses
Related Articles
A project to recycle waste at an aquaculture hatchery in Wester Ross has secured up to £630,290 from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Bakkafrost Scotland limited is leading the project, which has a total investment value of more than £2.5m.
Wick Business Park has welcomed wind energy technology company ENERCON as the first occupant of one of four new units completed last year. ENERCON specialises in designing, producing, installing and servicing onshore wind turbines and has been operating in the Caithness area since 2013.
Additional empty homes officers are being recruited to bring more privately owned houses back into use. The new posts are being supported as part of a £2 million investment through the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership in 2025-26 which will see staff take a more proactive and targeted approach to tackling local housing issues.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has appointed new members to its Caithness and Sutherland team as the agency settles into its new premises and works to expand its client portfolio. Claire Wilson has joined as head of business growth and investment.
The Highland Strategic Local Action Group (LAG) met in June 2025 and considered and agreed funding for 28 projects submitted to the Community-Led Local Development fund (CLLD), which makes up part of The Highland Council Community Regeneration Fund (CRF) programme. CRF is an umbrella term used to cover multiple external funding programmes administered by The Highland Council.
Highland Council has provided 12 ‘Talking Tub' resources for use in primary schools across the Highlands, in partnership with Union Technical who deliver community benefits as part of the Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme programme. Chair of Highland Council's Education Committee, Councillor John Finlayson, said: "This is a fantastic initiative being rolled out across Highland primary schools which brings innovation and inspiration to early years children.
Visitors will find it easier to dispose of their litter at several popular spots across Highland after the rollout of additional bins. The rollout has been planned to support the tourism season as part of the Council's ongoing commitment to improve and support sustainable tourism in the area.
Members of the meeting of The Highland Council (26 June 2025) have considered and agreed the Accounts Commission's Best Value report, which was published in April 2025 and highlights organisational improvements across leadership, performance management and community engagement. In April’s report, the Accounts Commission recognised and welcomed significant progress within the organisation since the 2020 Best Value Assurance Report (BVAR) and commended the embedded culture of transformation.
A new generation of community facilities is being planned for the Highlands. At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June), elected members approved the work to date in progressing the Highland Investment Plan workstreams - masterplan for Thurso and agreed to nominate the current Thurso High School site as the preferred location for the new Thurso Community Point of Delivery (POD).
At a meeting of The Highland Council (Thursday 26 June 2025), Members received a progress report on the partnership approach and important successes since declaring a Highland Housing Challenge in November 2023. Since establishing the ambitious Highland Housing Challenge, important successes included: A call for sites delivered 250 sites, with a potential 25,000 housing units which will support delivery against the target of an additional 12,000 houses over the next 10 years.
