£1.150 million is available to help businesses to start up and grow over the next year.

The Business Start Up Fund can provide funding of up to £3000 to businesses about to start or those that have been operating for less than 12 months.

The Business Growth Fund offers funding of up to £20,000 towards capital expenditure and/or infrastructure costs. Up to £5000 is available for workforce or skills development and up to £4000 funding is available towards the cost of attendance at trade shows or exhibitions.

The grant funds are open to businesses based in North Lanarkshire operating in the following key sectors: advancing manufacturing, construction, creative industries, food and drink (manufacturing and processing), health and social care, life sciences, renewable energy, social enterprise, tourism, and transport and logistics.

Projects that help boost productivity, improve operating efficiencies, enhance trading capabilities and help local businesses to digitise and embrace net zero ambitions are encouraged.

Councillor Alex McVey, Convener of Enterprise and Fair Work Committee at North Lanarkshire Council, said: “Businesses are vital to growing the local economy. We know from our previous grant funding schemes how beneficial they are to help local businesses to innovate, invest and grow, and in turn employ more people.

“We, therefore, encourage businesses looking to expand or those looking to start a business, to get in touch to discuss how this funding could help.”

The previous funding programme helped 198 businesses to start up or grow with over £1.3 million of funding through North Lanarkshire Council and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

Restrictions apply to businesses that have received grant funding from the council in the last 24 months.

To discuss your project and potential funding, please contact Business Gateway Lanarkshire on 01698 520775 or lanarkshire@bgateway.com.

This project is part-funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.