The Scottish EDGE is a funding competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s innovative, high growth potential entrepreneurial talent. To date the Highlands and Islands Enterprise region has benefited from awards in excess of £1.6m. In its 18th round, winners included; Organlike, Creag Dhu Whisky and North Uist Distillery. You can read more detail on round 18, here.
Round 19 will open in January and anyone interested in finding out more is invited to attend a webinar on Thursday 13th January 2022. At the session, you’ll learn about the competition categories and the support HIE can provide to help you apply. The competition is open to businesses and social enterprises as well as a wider base of organisations who have been trading for less than five years.
Click here to register for the introductory webinar.
A chance for supply chain businesses to meet with the Dounreay Executive Committee and find out about the upcoming programme of work on site
Caithness Chamber of Commerce is delighted to offer the opportunity to come and meet with the Dounreay Executive Committee on 3rd March 2022.
Dounreay’s executive committee has welcomed some new members over the past few months so the Chamber will be hosting an event for them to meet the supply chain and make important connections. This is a chance to hear about the projects that have taken place on the site over the last year, the upcoming programme and an opportunity for the top team at Dounreay to get to know you and learn about your organisation’s capabilities.
This is not a procurement event, just a get to know you session and networking.
The event will be delivered both in person and online – please select the appropriate ticket type when booking your free place.
To book to attend, please do so online using this link.
Highlands & Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) are taking a new approach to facilities management across their 11 airports. This new approach will provide more stability and consistency to the supply chain and allow them to modernise the provision of facilities management through digitisation.
Dougie Cook, General Manager North at HIAL, would like to invite you to join him on Monday 6 December from 15:00-16:00 to hear more about the approach and the upcoming opportunities for local suppliers to provide services to Wick John O’Groats Airport.
The session will be hosted virtually via Microsoft Teams. For more information and to book your place, contact Dougie Cook on dcook@hial.co.uk
In this webinar Lizi Blackwood, technology development manager for HIE’s Northern Innovation Hub will explain the opportunities available to SMEs to hire a graduate to potentially improve their productivity, competitiveness, and growth potential.
Find out more and register your free place today.
Scotland Food & Drink are working with The Scottish Grocers Federation and The Scottish Government to bring an exciting Meet the Buyer opportunity to producers and wholesalers across Scotland through the Go Local project.
In its second phase, Go Local supports convenience retailers throughout Scotland to provide dedicated, long term display space for locally sourced Scottish products, including fresh and healthy produce.
We are now bringing a further 25-30 retailers into the project. Stores involved are spread widely across Scotland including, the islands. The Scottish Government is providing match funding to help increase the space given to Scottish products and the engagement around them.
This virtual opportunity is open to producers and wholesalers interested in supplying independent convenience retailers across Scotland or in a particular area of Scotland.
Qualification criteria
The participating convenience retailers are looking for products in the following categories:
- Ambient grocery (excluding biscuits, cakes, crisps, savoury snacks and confectionery)
- Sugar-free soft drinks
- Frozen Foods (excluding desserts)
- Dairy (excluding liquid Milk)
- Chilled prepared foods
- Prepacked meat, fish and poultry
- Seasonal, Scottish grown fruit and vegetables (apply now regardless of season)
All participating stores are looking for value and everyday ranges and “food to go” products.
This opportunity is open to producers and wholesalers interested in supplying convenience retailers across Scotland or in a particular area of Scotland.
To find out more and register for the event, click here.
Captain of industry or apprentice leader? Whether you’re a CEO, the founder of an SME or a self-directing sole trader, becoming an effective business leader takes guts, skill and an awful lot of trial and error.
Every business owner understands that effective leadership and management can improve performance, boost the bottom line and make for a happy, productive workforce. An increasing number of leaders also recognise that real leadership extends far beyond just being the boss, but that it is also a role which can encompass relationship-building, empathy, decisiveness, innovative thinking and inclusivity.
But exactly what are the ingredients for outstanding leadership? How do you learn to lead, and lead well? What pitfalls do you need to dodge as you take your own journey in leadership?
December’s Productivity Club aim to end the year on a forward-thinking theme as we explore modern day leadership and management. Attendees will hear from SME organisations how styles and stereotypes of leadership are evolving, and learn how thorny management issues may be tackled to help streamline business performance and workforce productivity.
With COP26 taking place in Glasgow attention is being drawn to net zero emissions commitments by business and sustainability more generally.
To build on this, Highlands & Islands Productivity Club are launching a Productivity Club Net Zero week. This will take place from 22-25 November, with Clubs happening daily. The Highlands & Islands online Talk will take place on Thursday 25th November.
During Net Zero week expect to hear directly from other SME organisations who have started their net zero journeys and learn how becoming more sustainable can boost your competitiveness.
Attendees will hear from experts about the opportunities for support from larger businesses and business support agencies for organisations interested in knowing more about become more sustainable employers.
About this event
Please register to book a 15 minute one-to-one telecon slot with the competition team to discuss any technical questions you have for the catch the ChemBio Scent competition.
Nine slots are available and will be booked on a first come, first serve basis.
Alternatively, please send your question to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk where it will be directed to the competition team.
How to get the best out of your 1-to-1
Do:
- read the Competition Document, including annexes, and the Terms and Conditions thoroughly before you register for a slot
- submit specific questions on your registration which will enable the competition team to give you more comprehensive answers
- ask about any aspects of the Competition Document or Terms and Conditions that you are unsure about
- check with any colleagues that they have not already booked a 1-to-1
Do not:
- use these slots to pitch your idea in detail, 1-to-1s are not an opportunity for a sales pitch
- use the slot to discuss ideas which are not relevant to this competition
- include on your questions any confidential information about your innovation
- assume that this slot will count towards your application. You application, if submitted, will be seen and assessed by individuals who are not present at the 1-1 meeting
Please note
- Registration will close Monday 15 November 2021 at 6pm
- By registering, you are agreeing that DASA can contact you and any colleagues from the same organisation if multiple slots are booked to ensure you are discussing separate proposals.
- Instructions on how to join the call will be sent to the email address you used when registering by midday Tuesday 16 November 2021. If you haven’t received anything by that time, please check your junk folder, or email accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.
About this event
Please register to book a 15 minute one-to-one telecon slot with the competition team to discuss any technical questions you have for the catch the ChemBio Scent competition.
Nine slots are available and will be booked on a first come, first serve basis.
Alternatively, please send your question to accelerator@dstl.gov.uk where it will be directed to the competition team.
How to get the best out of your 1-to-1
Do:
- read the Competition Document, including annexes, and the Terms and Conditions thoroughly before you register for a slot
- submit specific questions on your registration which will enable the competition team to give you more comprehensive answers
- ask about any aspects of the Competition Document or Terms and Conditions that you are unsure about
- check with any colleagues that they have not already booked a 1-to-1
Do not:
- use these slots to pitch your idea in detail, 1-to-1s are not an opportunity for a sales pitch
- use the slot to discuss ideas which are not relevant to this competition
- include on your questions any confidential information about your innovation
- assume that this slot will count towards your application. You application, if submitted, will be seen and assessed by individuals who are not present at the 1-1 meeting
Please note
- Registration will close Monday 15 November 2021 at 6pm
- By registering, you are agreeing that DASA can contact you and any colleagues from the same organisation if multiple slots are booked to ensure you are discussing separate proposals.
- Instructions on how to join the call will be sent to the email address you used when registering by midday Tuesday 16 November 2021. If you haven’t received anything by that time, please check your junk folder, or email accelerator@dstl.gov.uk.