What is the policy/strategy/function trying to achieve/do?    

The project aims to create a women’s business incubator to help encourage and enable more women to start and sustain businesses within North Lanarkshire’s economy. The availability of flexible, low-cost business space, along with free wraparound business support, will help address locally and nationally recognised barriers that disproportionately impact and hold back women from succeeding in business.

If this policy is subject to the FSD what does it suggest about the impact or potential impact on socio-economic disadvantage? 

Low Income

The Incubator offers subsidised, low-cost desk, office and treatment space (beauty and wellbeing) for hire, removing some of the cost barriers associated with starting an enterprise

Low Wealth

The Incubator supports access to funding to remove financial barriers to starting an enterprise.

Material Deprivation

The Incubator will work with women to support start up ambition and to enable self-generated income. This will create greater financial security with wraparound business advice and coaching helping with budgetary planning.

Area Deprivation

Increased focus on self-employment in Airdrie and the surrounding communities creates opportunity to generate new and additional income into family homes. New businesses that go on to employ local people will also multiply those impacts.

Impact on groups and individuals

The HIVE women’s business incubator facility is a well-researched project that recognises local, national and statistical evidence that women face different barriers to men in becoming self-employed and require a different approach to business support to help address and over-come known challenges that slow or restrict the ability to start a business.

This research has informed the decision to create a women’s business incubator in the town of Airdrie in North Lanarkshire as well as the nature of the business support available within the incubator (desk, meeting and treatment room workspace and on-site wraparound business support). 

The project leaders have taken time to consider who their female target market is to ensure the facility is accessible to the widest female demographic possible in North Lanarkshire.  Identified ‘groups’ who share protected characteristics under the Equality Act 2010 have been considered (as outlined below). This has helped shape and inform the project’s marketing and stakeholder engagement approach, facility opening hours and layout and the nature of the 121 business support to be provided.  

• Age
• Disability
• Race, colour and nationality, ethnic or national origin
• Marital / Civil partnership status
• Pregnant women and new mothers (including breastfeeding women)
• Lesbian, gay and bisexual people
• People Transitioning from one gender to another
• Different Religions or Beliefs or non-Beliefs
• Young, school-age people
• Care experienced young people
• Homeless people
• Looked after and accommodated people
• Armed Forces/ex service personnel
• Carers – paid/unpaid family members
• Asylum seekers

Some of the impacts of this approach are anticipated to include:

• Increased awareness of self-employment as a career option amongst school-age females through exposure to positive role models and greater awareness of local and regional/national age-specific business start-up support initiatives
• Creating a safe, supportive and inclusive space will create the right environment and enabling factors to help those who may be doubly disadvantaged on account of their female gender and other barriers experienced / being faced
• Increased participation in female self-employment amongst women from ethnic minority background communities will grow the diversity and volume of female led businesses in NL’s economy    
• Enabling pregnant women and new mothers to remain economically active through presenting options for self-employment and flexible life/work balance  

The incubator will be accessible to women of all socio-economic backgrounds. It will support women from disadvantaged backgrounds, or those who are long term unemployed to become self-employed, generate an income and reduce socio-economic disadvantage.

The project works closely with key stakeholders and, as a pilot, is accountable for defined outputs and outcomes to be achieved within the project’s defined lifespan.

What action/measures will be put in place or are planned to mitigate any adverse impact or promote equality?

Strong and sustained visibility of the Incubator project and its purpose across Council services and staff, local Community, wider stakeholders and local media will ensure awareness and engagement levels with the facility are high.

Case studies of female demographics engaging with the project and resulting success stories will illustrate the benefits of the support offer to the target demographic groups

Subject to project success, replicating the model, in time, to ensure wider coverage across NL communities and help maximise project impact.

What is the result/recommendations of the EqIA?

Introduce the project.