Scottish take-up of fund at 9,600

A total of 9,600 people have opened a business in Scotland with the support of the New Enterprise Allowance (NEA), official figures show.

NEA, which was launched in April 2011, is available to jobseekers with a business idea.

Successful applicants get access to a business mentor and financial support for up to six months.

They may also be able to apply for a loan of up to £25,000 to help with start-up costs.

The UK Government’s NEA figures, which cover the period since launch until March 2017, show the Glasgow City council area had the highest number of NEAfuelled start-ups in Scotland (1,650), followed by South Lanarkshire (840) and Fife (760).

Employment Minister Damian Hinds said: “As these latest figures show, thousands of people

“Invaluable in the early days of starting a business”

across Scotland have great business ideas and are taking the steps to turn them into a reality.

“The NEA provides the right mix of expert, tailored advice and support to people of all backgrounds which can be invaluable in the early days of starting a business.”

UK-wide, more than 105,000 businesses have been launched with NEA support.

The figures also show that of those people starting up their own firms with help from the scheme, more than twothirds were aged between 25 and 49, 24% were over 50 and 7% were between 18 and 24.

Two-fifths were women, 22% had a selfdeclared disability and 13% were from a black and minority ethnic background. North-west England had the highest number of NEA-driven start-ups, at 16,090.