At Kingsford Office we’re always on the lookout for tips and tricks that can help our clients grow their businesses. So, we thought we’d share with you details of a Scottish Enterprise grant that could give you upto £5000 worth of funding.

The Scottish Enterprise “By Design” grant is to help SMEs in Scotland design new products, processes or services or to improve the design of existing products, processes or services.

This could be an excellent opportunity if you’re currently looking to diversify your business or revamp your current model with a more design led approach.

Is there a catch?

Well, firstly you have to meet Scottish Enterprise’s criteria.

Namely:

• You must be VAT registered in Scotland
• You must be able to contribute at least 25% of the cost
• You must be able to fund the project up front
• You must be able to demonstrate the benefits of the project

Also you’re not eligible if:

You’ve received, or are receiving, funding from Scottish Enterprise or any other public sector body for the project
You’re a Scottish Enterprise account managed company or Business Gateway Growth Pipeline company.
You have previously received By Design or Make it to Market support within the last 36 months
Still with us?

If so, as long as you have an idea for a design led development or improvement to your business then you’re ready to apply.

From experience, expect the process to take a considerable amount of time. In the past similar grants from Scottish Enterprise have been heavily oversubscribed.

To read more about the grant, visit the Scottish Enterprise site here. On the page you can double check your business is eligible, register your interest and call for any queries you may have.