Find details on the latest Midlothian funding opportunities to support your business below.
PLEASE NOTE: All grants are subject to the Subsidy Control Act 2022
Shared Prosperity Fund - Green Skills Programme
The Green Skills Programme is aimed at supporting Midlothian-based heating engineers, plumbers and electricians to access fully funded training on renewable and low energy technology.
The programme will allow Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to grow their market share by increasing the number of qualified installers in their company.
Shared Prosperity Fund – Local Business Support
This fund is now closed
This grant fund supports three programmes:
Community Wealth Building
Projects that support the local social economy, including community businesses, cooperatives and social enterprises contributing to Midlothian’s transition to a wellbeing economy.
Funding will strengthen local entrepreneurial ecosystems, supporting businesses at all stages of their development to start, sustain, grow and innovate, including through local enterprise networks.
Exporting
Supporting businesses to develop new and innovative products. Funding will provide financial support for early-stage prototyping, modelling or beta testing, to accelerate the journey to commercialisation, with the potential to create higher value jobs.
Tourism, Culture & Heritage
This fund aims to encourage and support enterprises to develop tourism projects that will improve Midlothian’s tourism offer, making it a more accessible and attractive for visitors.
Midlothian Business Start Up Grant
Midlothian businesses that have started trading in the last 12 months can apply for a grant of up to £2,000 to further develop and grow.
This fund is administered by Midlothian Council’s Economic Development team with Business Gateway Midlothian supporting new businesses to access this fund.
To be eligible for this grant the business must:
- Have started trading within the last 12 months
- Be registered with Business Gateway Midlothian
- Sign up to the Midlothian Business Green Pledge
- Be registered and trade in Midlothian
- Pay your business rates and/or council tax to Midlothian Council
The Midlothian Business Start Up Grant can be used for the following projects:
- Market Development, including website design and build, marketing implementation costs
- Introduction of new business processes including ICT infrastructure
- Capital expenditure that will improve efficiency and capacity
- Support for new products or services being introduced to market
How to apply
To apply please email bg@midlothian.gov.uk and an Adviser will be in touch to discuss eligibility.
Midlothian Council LACER Fund
The Midlothian Council LACER Fund provides grants to social enterprises to support start up and growth and aims to develop a network of local business associations to encourage collaboration.
Social Enterprise Fund
Grants of up to £4,000 are available to support the development of locally based social enterprises, helping them to start up and grow.
Business Association Fund
A £1,500 grant is available to help businesses come together to deliver local projects collaboratively as part of a Business Association.
You will need to contact a business adviser from Business Gateway Midlothian to receive further eligibility details for each grant and an application form.
How to apply
The LACER funds are available for Midlothian based businesses only. To find out more about the funds and to apply, email bg@midlothian.gov.uk
Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF)
The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, delivered in partnership with COSLA and local government, supports locally developed place based regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to tackle inequalities and deliver inclusive growth in deprived, disadvantaged and fragile remote communities across Scotland.
RCGF is for larger capital projects that community groups are seeking to progress, applications are invited on an annual basis.
For more information visit Capital investment for regeneration on gov.scot website.
SME Loan Scheme
Loans up to £100k are available to help you pay for energy and carbon-saving upgrades in your business. You could also receive a cashback grant of up to £30k.
An SME loan can be used to finance the installation of energy efficient systems, equipment or building fabric, including:
- heating, ventilation, and air conditioning upgrades.
- renewable heat technologies such as installing an air source heat pump.
- improving insulation, draught-proofing, double or secondary glazing,
- installing LED lighting.
- installing solar panels, wind turbines and wood-burning stoves.
Find out if your business is eligible and ow to apply on the Business Energy Scotland website.
CARES Funding
The Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) supports communities to engage with, participate in and benefit from the energy transition to net zero emissions. CARES is managed by Local Energy Scotland and offers a range of financial support to local energy projects.
CARES can support a wide range of projects including installing renewable technologies in community buildings, community benefits and shared ownership.
Find out who is eligible for this funding and how to apply on the CARES webpage on Local Energy Scotland.
