The Project Development Unit eBusiness team, together with our project partners, have successfully used European Social Fund and European Regional Development Fund financing to provide consultancy and project management support to local small and medium-sized enterprises. Our experienced business and technology managers provide iImpartial advice and support on how to use technology to improve business processes and business performance. Since 2001, we have implemented solutions in nearly 400 companies and delivered training and one-to-one support to well over 1,000 small businesses.
Other projects include the ICONS project, consisting of five innovative pilot projects which aim to open up the business creation process to disadvantaged groups in Scotland. These focus particularly on business start-up for refugees, migrants and the BME community, the Creative Industries and successful business networks within rural communities. We have successfully exchanged and developed new approaches to business start-up support for disadvantaged groups with partners in Germany and Spain. See the Start Up Support website for details. Following on from the success of this project, Edinburgh Napier University's Project Development Unit and Employment Research Institute have won a Scottish Enterprise National tender to carry out research into business start-up support services for under-represented groups in Scotland.
For further information on Innovation and Enterprise Projects, please contact Ed Craig on 0131 455 6357.