Invest in West Lothian - January Newsletter
Happy New Year, we hope you had a great time over the festive period! Welcome to the January 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.
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
Invest in West Lothian’s ‘West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship’ Project Launches
As you may have seen in last month’s newsletter, we were recently awarded funding from the Scottish Government’s Pathways Fund which will allow us to move forward with our West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship project. This will involve:
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The ‘West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship’ Facebook group (you can join this here)
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The ‘West Lothian Women in Entrepreneurship Programme’
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‘Get Ready for Investment’ workshops (learn more and book here)
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In person networking events (learn more and book here)
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Webinars
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Pop-up shop initiative
Our goal with this is to provide female entrepreneurs with the tools, support and networking opportunities needed to grow and succeed in their business endeavours; create a supportive community of likeminded individuals and facilitate peer learning; and empower West Lothian’s female business owners.
To learn more about this project and find out how you can get involved, please watch this short video here.
To request more information, or to register your interest, please email invest@westlothian.gov.uk
Nominations Are Open for the Business Gateway Recognition Awards
The Business Gateway National team recently announced the launch of the ‘Business Gateway Recognition Awards.’ The awards have been created to recognise and celebrate Business Gateway team members across Scotland that have provided valuable support to local businesses.
If you have received support from a Business Gateway West Lothian adviser to start or grow your business and would like to highlight them, you are welcome to nominate them here. Nominations close at midnight on the 24th of January.
Thank you!
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.
Employer Recruitment Incentive – Paid Work Placement Fund
The Employer Recruitment Incentive (ERI) is back, and with some very exciting updates!
The ERI - Paid Work Placement programme allows local businesses to grow their teams, whilst also providing a local resident with valuable, paid work experience. With this, the business will receive 100% funding for a 13-week paid work placement opportunity, with placements paid at the real living wage rate of £12.60 per hour. In addition to the work placements, the programme also provides £500 towards accredited training or equipment to further support the development of participants' skills.
Applications are welcome from businesses and third sector organisations (including social enterprises) that are based in West Lothian and have fewer than 250 employees. Anchor organisations (for example, educational institutions, healthcare institutions, etc) currently operating in West Lothian are also welcome to apply.
To qualify, the placement participants must be:
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A West Lothian resident
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16-24 years old and currently unemployed or underemployed (i.e., on a zero-hour contract), or,
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A parent with a dependent child, or,
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Aged 25+ and unemployed.
You can view the full eligibility criteria and apply here.
Upcoming Events
We are delighted to be hosting the following free events in January:
Finance for the Non-Financial
This workshop is perfect for non-financial business owners and managers that want to increase their understanding of the use of accounting and finance in the business context. By the end of the programme, you will be able to communicate effectively and confidently on financial matters within your organisation. This is taking place on Wednesday, the 15th of January, from 9:30am – 3:30pm, at the Scottish Procurement Alliance Partnership Hub in Livingston.
Get Ready for Investment: Becoming Investor Ready
During this in person workshop we will be sharing a step by step guide on how to get ready for investment. This will include ensuring you have a market ready product, identifying and assessing competition, developing a business plan, and pitching to funders. This is taking place on Thursday, the 23rd of January, from 9:30am – 12:30pm, at The Voluntary Sector Gateway West Lothian office in Bathgate. If you cannot make this, we will be repeating the session as a webinar on Thursday, the 6th of February. Please note, this event is part of our Women in Entrepreneurship project.
1:1 Procurement Surgery Sessions
There is limited availability remaining on Tuesday, the 28th of January for a free, 1:1 virtual surgery session with procurement expert Mandy Millar from Intend Business Development Ltd. These sessions have been created to help West Lothian business owners improve their understanding of the procurement process and improve their success rate with tender bids. Sessions last 1-hour and take place virtually.
Make 2025 the Year You Achieve Your Business Goals! Networking Event
During this exciting networking event on the 29th of January, we will be sharing our top tips on how you can set achievable business goals that will help you stay focussed and motivated. Of course, there will also be dedicated networking time at the beginning and end of the session. This is a great opportunity to form valuable connections and find inspiration! This is taking place from 9:30am – 11:30am at Cafebar 1912 in Bathgate. Please note, this event is part of our Women in Entrepreneurship project.
To learn more and book your free space at any of our events, please click here.