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

Business Gateway is a nationally branded, publicly funded service that provides free business support and impartial advice for start-up and existing businesses based in Scotland.

Since 2008 the Business Gateway service has been delivered locally – eighteen Lead Local Authorities (LLAs) coordinate the delivery on behalf of all local authorities in their respective Business Gateway regions. In Lanarkshire, the LLA is North Lanarkshire Council, who manage the delivery across North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire.

The service delivery model varies from region to region, with a mix of in-house, contractor and ALEO (Arm’s Length Organisations) delivery models evident across Scotland. In Lanarkshire, the service has been outsourced and delivered by a third-party contractor since October 2007.

Following a robust options appraisal exercise, it was demonstrated that a change in delivery model from outsourced to in-house will reduce the risk to the Council, allow the service to be integrated and flexible, aligned with the Council's wider policies and yield more meaningful outputs.

Business Gateway’s vision is: “To provide free business support for anyone in Scotland We want to help entrepreneurs who need support to develop their businesses by providing one-to-one business advice, and by strengthening the connection between organisations and the business community.”

Business Gateway has the following objectives:

• Support more people with their ambitions to start a business;
• Support more businesses to survive and achieve their growth ambitions;
• Support more people with their aspirations for high business growth; and
• Support more people from underrepresented groups to access mainstream business support.

Underpinning the service objectives there is a commitment to providing support across several themes such as Carbon Reduction, Fair Work, Innovation, Internationalisation, Digital Upskilling, Community Wealth Building, and Job Creation.

If this is a budget saving, how will the saving be achieved?

There may be the potential for future cost savings. It is anticipated that moving to an in-house delivery model will cost less than the outsourced model. However, this will not be fully understood until the TUPE process is complete and the service model has been agreed.

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

Low Income

Business Gateway Lanarkshire will help people to start their own business and earn their own income. The service also supports existing businesses, helping them to grow and increase outputs. The service can thus help to create jobs supporting people to earn or improve their income.

Low Wealth

Business Gateway Lanarkshire supports people to start and grow local businesses which retains wealth in the local area.

Material Deprivation

Business Gateway Lanarkshire corrects material deprivation issues by supporting people to earn their own income and create jobs in the local area.

Area Deprivation

Business Gateway Lanarkshire supports individuals and existing businesses to increase the number of jobs in the local area.

Give details of the impact it has on groups and individuals

Stakeholders include:

• Other Council services, such as the Enterprise Team, Employability, Planning, Non-Domestic Rates, Building Standards, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, and Licensing. This includes ALEOs such as North Lanarkshire Properties and Fusion Assets.
• External partners such as South Lanarkshire Council, Scottish Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Business Loans Scotland and Supplier Development Programme.
• Bodies who represent businesses such as the Federation of Small Businesses and the Lanarkshire Chamber of Commerce
• Consultants and businesses who deliver services on the Lanarkshire Expert Help Framework who provide support to businesses.

Beneficiaries include:

• People who have ambitions to start a business. This could include:
  • People who are currently unemployed or economically inactive.
  • People from under-represented groups.
  • Returners to the workplace.
  • Young people leaving school, college or university including spinouts from universities.
  • People looking to establish a secondary income through self-employment.
  • People looking to move from paid employment to self-employment or to establish a business.
• Existing businesses (including social enterprises) looking to sustain or grow their business, specifically their owners, board members or directors.

• Employees of businesses looking to undertake a management buy-out or to establish an employee-owned business model.

Age (a particular age or range of ages)

Business Gateway will continue to be available to all regardless of age. However, Consideration will be given to how the service can have better linkages with the schools to promote entrepreneurialism amongst school children. Better linkages to other programmes of work including workplace for the future. The impact of the increase in cost of living on those currently retired who may be looking to additional income through self-employment to meet rising costs.

Disabled people and people with long term health conditions

Self-employment may be an attractive option to disabled people due to flexibility and a route to financial security. Therefore, need to ensure the benefits of BG are accessible to disabled people.

Women or men, girls or boys

It is known that there are disproportionately lower numbers of self-employed women. Therefore need to ensure BG is accessible to women. Consider wider caring responsibilities, access to transport, for instance.

People defined by their race, colour and nationality, ethnic or national origins.

It is known that there are disproportionately higher numbers of self-employed people from minority ethnic groups. Therefore, need to ensure BG is accessible to different BAME groups. Consider language and cultural needs.

Married people and civil partners

Business Gateway Lanarkshire support is available to all regardless of marital status.

Pregnant women and new mothers (including breastfeeding women)

Breastfeeding women and new mothers may require additional support to access BG support. Consideration required to be given to childcare and breastfeeding support for instance.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people

Business Gateway support is available to all regardless of sexuality.

People transitioning from one gender to another

Business Gateway support is available to all regardless of trans status. 

People of different religions or beliefs or non-beliefs

Business Gateway support is available to all regardless of religion or belief.

Children and families

Children are less likely to start or grow businesses and thus engage with the service, but the service can support parents of young people. The service will work with schools to promote entrepreneurialism to young people.

Care experienced young people

Children are less likely to start or grow businesses and thus engage with the service. However, information on entrepreneurship can be provided to these young people.

Homeless people

Business Gateway support is available to all people.

Looked after and accommodated people

Business Gateway support is available to all people.

Armed Forces / ex-service personnel

Business Gateway support is available to all people.

Carers – paid / unpaid, family members

Carers may find self-employment an attractive option due to flexibility fitting with caring responsibilities.

Asylum seekers

Business Gateway support is available to all people who are entitled to Government Support.

Employees – full and part-time. Including SES, MAs etc

Business Gateway support is available to all people.

Others

Business Gateway offers support to those who are engaged in the restorative justice service.

Business Gateway Lanarkshire is open to all. The aim of the service is to support new businesses and help existing businesses to grow, thus creating jobs and prosperity in Lanarkshire.

For those with protected characteristics they are encouraged to attend the mainstream support activities, however adaptions have been made to ensure the service is inclusive. For example, ensuing there is adequate access for people who use wheelchairs, providing a sign language expert for those who are Deaf BSL users and providing advisor training on neurodiverse conditions to advisers. This ensures those with protected characteristics have access to the same service as those who do not. It also helps to foster positive relations.

For those from disadvantaged backgrounds who may find it more challenging to obtain well-paid employment opportunities, the service can help them to explore self-employment as a potential career option. Thus, helping to reduce socio-economic disadvantage. 

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

Age (a particular age or range of ages)

Moving the service to an in-house delivery model will allow for better integration with other Council Services including education and employability. The service will work with education to identify ways it can further engage with schools to encourage young people to consider self-employment as a potential future career path. Will greater flexibility support could be developed to help the previously retired who want to return to the workplace and pursue self-employment. The service will continue to be open to all with no upper or lower limit.

Disabled people and people with long term health conditions

Moving the service to an inhouse delivery model will allow more control over support content and staff training. There may be the opportunity to greater tailor support to meet the needs of disabled people or those with long-term health conditions, and to work closely with the supported employment service.

Self-employment may be an attractive option to disabled people due to flexibility and a route to financial security. Location change may have potentially negative impacts on accessibility of the service for disabled people.

Access for disabled people and those with long-term health conditions has been considered as part of the location selection and the premise will be accessible. Greater outreach is also being considered as part of the service design.

Women and men, girls and boys

The service will remain open to all regardless of gender. It is known that there are disproportionately lower numbers of self-employed women. Moving the service to an in-house delivery model will allow for better integration with other Council projects including the Women’s incubator in Airdrie which will be operational from February 2024.

Changes to the service could negatively impact the ability for women to access the service, if consideration is not given to factors such as access to transport and wider caring responsibilities for instance.

Accessibility for women will be considered as part of the new service design. For example, there may be more outreach and more evening workshops to support women who have caring responsibilities. The identified new location has good transport links.

People defined by their race, colour and nationality, ethnic or national origins.

The service will remain open to all regardless of gender. It is known that there are disproportionately higher numbers of self-employed people from minority ethnic groups, however there is historically lower levels of engagement with the service.   Moving the service to an in-house delivery model will allow for better integration with other Council projects including BAME-specific entrepreneurial support which will be in place from January 2024.

There will be greater flexibility to tailor the support specifically and consider cultural and language needs.

Married people and civil partners

The service will remain open to all no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

Pregnant women and new mothers (including breastfeeding women)

Pregnant women, breastfeeding women and new mothers may require additional support to access BG support. Location change could have a detrimental impact.

Changes to maternity support for employees may differ from the current employer.

Consideration required to be given to childcare and breastfeeding support in new premises.

Any proposed changes to maternity support for staff will be discussed as part of the TUPE process.

Lesbian, gay and bisexual people

The service will remain open to all no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

People transitioning from one gender to another

The service will remain open to all no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

People of different religions or beliefs or non-beliefs

The service will remain open to all no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

Children and families

Children are less likely to start or grow businesses and thus engage with the service, but the service can support parents of young people. The better alignment of the service with other area of the Local Authority including education will encourage work with schools to promote entrepreneurialism to young people.

Homeless People

The service will remain open to all, no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

Looked after and accommodated people

The service will remain open to all, no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

Armed Forces / Ex-service personnel

The change in delivery model will although better flexibility. Support specifically aimed at the armed forces may be considered.

Care leavers

The service will remain open to all no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

Carers – paid / unpaid, family members

Carers may find self-employment an attractive option due to flexibility fitting with caring responsibilities.  Support could be tailored in conjunction with other parts of the Local Authority to provide assistance directly to these individuals.

Accessibility may be affected if consideration is not given to carers who may want to start a new business when designing the service. 

Accessibility for carers will be considered as part of the new service design. For example, there may be more outreach and more evening or online workshops to support those who have caring responsibilities.

Asylum Seekers

The change is delivery model will allow better flexibility. Support specifically aimed at asylum seekers may be considered in consultation with other supporting areas of the Council.

Employees – full and part time. Including SES, MAs etc.

The service will remain open to all no identified impact from the change in delivery model.

Others

The change is delivery model will although better flexibility. Support specifically aimed at those engaged in the restorative justice.

A service review is currently being undertaken. The service and outputs set will be cognisant of socio disadvantages in Lanarkshire. The service will be designed to ensure it is accessible to those who need it the most. For example there may be rural outreach, there will be better links with other Council Services such as Routes to Work North and Routes to Work South.

Ongoing monitoring will also provide insights to continually improve service delivery and measure impacts.

What is the result/ recommendations of the EqIA?

Introduce the policy.