Applications open for Scotland’s tech business support programme

Scotland’s Techscaler hubs are now taking applications from tech companies to benefit from the £42 million programme. 

Following the establishment of seven ‘Techscaler’ hubs across Scotland, applications are now open to tech companies looking to grow their operations in the country and receive free mentorship and advice from professionals. 

Delivering on a promise to ‘strengthen the country’s tech sector and encourage entrepreneurship’ within the Scottish government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), the multi-million commitment is being delivered by Edinburgh based company CodeBase. 

Scottish Business Minister Ivan McKee said: ‘As set out in NSET, we are committed to establishing Scotland as a leading destination in Europe for tech companies. The Techscaler network will play an important role in reaching this goal.’ 

Hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness are now taking applications with the south Scotland hub in Dumfries to follow soon.

The project was announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in July when she claimed it would ‘provide one of the most supportive environments in Europe’ for tech start-ups. Partners in the scheme include Google for Start-ups UK, Reforge, and Barclays Eagle Labs. 

A recent report found that ‘strong progress’ had been made in efforts to expand Scotland’s tech sector following the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review two years ago. The report described the state of the sector prior to the review as a ‘somewhat fragmented landscape’ but added that reviewers were ‘encouraged by the progress’ made and ‘the level of collaboration this programme has created across Scotland.’ 

An application to become a member of the scheme involves entrepreneurs inputting data about their business or idea, existing funding, and how they think Techscaler could help with any challenges or opportunities. 

Techscaler’s website describes itself as a programme for creating and scaling start-ups, it says: ‘We connect you with the experts, teach you world-class playbooks, and host spaces for fellow founders and start-up folk to work and hang out.’ 

The northern nation’s role as a leader in technology and digital expansion has also been highlighted recently by projects such as Glasgow City Council’s digital housing strategy.

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