North and South Lanarkshire Councils secured £552,500 from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to provide the services.

The service is designed to support businesses in Lanarkshire with the potential to grow, providing new employment opportunities and helping them expand into new markets or develop new products and services.

Businesses who receive one-to-one support from Business Gateway Lanarkshire advisers will also be able to access specialist advice to improve their skills and capabilities and develop an action plan for future growth.

Eligible businesses will be able to access up to 21 hours of free expert consultancy support in areas such as finance, digital development, internationalisation and research and development.

“Business Gateway advisers work closely with business owners and managers to identify ways of improving the operation of each business, offering bespoke advice to match their needs,” said Councillor Allan Graham, Convener of the Enterprise and Growth Committee at North Lanarkshire Council.

“This new service allows them to connect businesses with experts who can provide the detailed advice they need in a particular area. For example, it could be support to expand their trade to new, international markets, or to enhance marketing skills to increase sales and build a brand.

“We believe this bespoke support will allow more Lanarkshire businesses to grow and develop, particularly now as the economy is showing signs of recovery from the covid pandemic.”

South Lanarkshire Council Leader, Councillor John Ross encouraged businesses to get in touch saying, “These support services which are free to access, enable businesses to expand, diversify, innovate and reach new heights. I would encourage all Lanarkshire based businesses to contact Business Gateway and benefit from this excellent range of expert help.”

Business Gateway Lanarkshire provides free business support and impartial advice for start-up and existing businesses. North and South Lanarkshire Councils work with Business Gateway Lanarkshire to help improve the growth and performance of local businesses through increased turnover, jobs created or safeguarded, more efficient operational activities and improved productivity.