British Business Bank

The British Business Bank has announced a new £400 million Investor Pathways Capital initiative which will support diverse and emerging fund managers across the economy and make it easier for new entrants, particularly those from underrepresented groups, to break into venture capital. The init

The British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Scotland has delivered over £25 million in financial support to Scottish businesses since it launched 18 months ago, supporting 58 firms across the country to develop and grow.

A former textiles teacher has launched a new sewing initiative in Shetland after trading the bustle of London for a slower pace on the isles. Helen Barwick, founder of Shetland Stitch Club, moved to the North Mainland with her husband and rescue dog in November 2024. After years as head of textiles

A&M Jenkins, a budding farming business on the island of Sanday in Orkney, has more than quadrupled its flock of sheep and taken on extra land just two years after getting started. Husband-and-wife team Alex and Marie Jenkins moved to Orkney from Aberdeenshire in April 2023, starting their ventu

Smaller firms in Scotland saw increased levels of equity investment in 2024 as London became less dominant and the wider UK saw a collective decline, according to new research from the British Business Bank. The bank’s annual Small Business Equity Tracker, published today, showed that equity d

A 20-year-old award-winning hospitality entrepreneur is gearing up for a busy summer of events in Dumfries and Galloway, following a funding boost from Start Up Loans to support the expansion of his business’s headquarters at the family farm in Sanquhar. Knockenhair Hospitality is run by Harry

Susan Nightingale discusses the positive trends in financial investment and support for smaller businesses in Scotland, highlighting their resilience and vital contribution to the nation's economy. Smaller businesses are the lifeblood of Scotland’s economy. Firms employing fewer than 50 employ

A branding designer and former DJ-turned-beekeeper is creating a buzz with the launch of a small-batch honey business in the northeast Highlands. Dan Price is set to unveil Fableman’s Highland Honey this spring, with the first batch expected to be ready by the end of summer. Based on a three-a

An Edinburgh-based IT professional is making a move into product design, with her debut product set to make shopping easier when it launches this spring, thanks to a recent funding boost to kick-start her business idea. My Trolley Mate is a mobile phone holder designed to help shoppers seamlessly us

Contract research company BDD has opened its new 122m² GMP manufacturing facility at BioCity near Glasgow, following a successful inspection by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) in March 2025. Two years in the making, the development of the state-of-the-art facil

Smaller businesses in Scotland are the most likely to say they struggle to access finance among the UK’s devolved nations, according to new research from the British Business Bank in conjunction with Business Gateway. The Scotland SME Access to Finance Report 2025 found that 42% of respondents

Project Harmless, an Edinburgh-based eco start up, has expanded into new markets with the launch of its cosmetics range, Harmless Apothecary. The business was started with finance from the Start Up Loans programme, run by the British Business Bank.

A new creative space to support emerging and established artists from across Scotland is gearing up to open its doors later this month, with the launch of Osteria BauBau on St John’s Place, Perth. The food and drink venue, events space and gallery aims to support the local contemporary art sce

Equity investment levels in Scotland’s smaller businesses grew in 2024, bouncing back from a challenging 2023, according to new research from the British Business Bank. The Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets 2024/25 report found that during the first three quarters of 2024 the investm

Bee Happy Breaks Scotland Ltd – a Perthshire self-catering accommodation business – has secured a £48,000 funding boost from the British Business Bank’s Investment Fund for Scotland to increase its capacity and cater for more overnight guests. Run by Joyce and Alan Jamieson,