Highlands And Islands Enterprise Seeks Help From Local Firms

24th July 2006

Businesses and community organisations in the Highlands and Islands are being asked to help demonstrate that European Union funding has been properly invested.

The Highlands and Islands Enterprise network (HIE) is compiling evidence to show in detail the good use put to funding distributed under the EU's six-year Highlands and Islands Special Transitional Programme (HISTP).

As well as ensuring its own records are up to date, HIE is contacting local businesses and organisations which received HISTP assistance from the enterprise network.

HIE's letter details the assistance which was awarded and asks business and community leaders to provide copies, where needed, of receipts and invoices for goods and services which they then bought with HISTP funding.

These documents will be used as part of a portfolio of evidence which may be presented for inspection by the EU in the future.

By the time it closes at the end of this year, HISTP will have invested around 200 million in a huge range of much needed projects across the Highlands and Islands.

 

Related Businesses

 

Related Articles

Today : 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.  

8/7/2026 : Advisory / Counseling Services

How Enterprise Agencies Inflate Job Numbers

Enterprise agencies in Scotland — Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), and the South of Scotland Enterprise regularly publish impressive sounding figures about “jobs created”, “jobs retained”, and “economic impact”.  These numbers appear in annual reports, ministerial speeches, and press releases.