Invest in West Lothian - February Newsletter
Hello and welcome to the first edition of the Invest in West Lothian newsletter! In our newsletter, we will be sharing the latest news stories, funding opportunities, and events for businesses in West Lothian.
As this is our first edition, we wanted to start by introducing ourselves. Here at Invest in West Lothian, we are committed to helping businesses in West Lothian grow by providing confidential and impartial advice, highlighting funding opportunities, and sharing helpful resources. We can help new and established businesses that are currently based in West Lothian, or are looking to relocate to the area. You can learn more about the support we offer by visiting www.investinwestlothian.com .
Celebrating Good News Stories in West Lothian
Construction Firms Looking to Build on Successful School Scheme
Last week, the West Lothian Construction Forum successfully launched its ‘Build Your Future’ programme at Armadale Academy. This exciting programme has been designed to give young people an insight into the wide variety of roles available within the construction industry. Local businesses Taylor Roofs, McIntyre Masonry, Newtown Renovations Ltd, and Land Technology Limited all took part in the first session, with around 50 pupils in attendance.
The West Lothian Construction Forum is committed to promoting the growth of West Lothian’s construction industry and helping local businesses overcome industry-wide challenges, including difficulty recruiting and rising costs.
You can read the full story and learn more about the West Lothian Construction Forum here.
Funding for Businesses in West Lothian
The Invest in West Lothian team have extensive experience of preparing funding packages for local businesses of all sizes. Each month, we will highlight a new funding opportunity that is currently available to eligible businesses in the area.
The Employer Recruitment Incentive
Here at Invest in West Lothian, we are committed to helping local businesses grow by creating sustainable employment opportunities. With the Employer Recruitment Incentive (ERI), your business could be eligible for funding towards the salary of a new employee. Your business must be based in West Lothian and have less than 250 employees. Successful applicants will receive funding to cover 50% of the employee’s salary (based on the employee receiving at least the Real Living Wage), for a maximum of 40 hours per week, up to 26 weeks. To qualify, the new employee must be:
- A West Lothian resident
- Employed for 16-40 hours per week
- Paid at least the Real Living Wage
- Currently unemployed or underemployed (e,g, on a zero-hours contract)
To view the full eligibility criteria and to submit an Expression of Interest Form, please click here.
Upcoming Events
We are delighted to be hosting the following free events in February:
Learn the Basics of Canva for Creating Engaging Content
During this webinar on Tuesday, the 27th of February, we will dive into the fundamentals of Canva, guiding you step-by-step on how to create and organise design projects. This will be followed by our ‘Next Steps’ webinar on the 5th of March which will explore the more advanced features of Canva.
Simplifying the Business Start Up Process
Are you thinking of starting, or have you recently started, a business in West Lothian? If so, you don’t want to miss this exciting in person event on Thursday, the 29th of February! The Business Gateway West Lothian team will be sharing the support that is available for new businesses in West Lothian.
To learn more about the events and to book your free space, please click here.