Caithness Business Fund welcomes new applicants Published on 30^th January 2014

Caithness Business Fund is now open to a wider business audience and is encouraging new applications.

The Fund, which was launched last September, was initially issuing grants of between £100 to £5,000 to young people starting a new business or already in business and looking to grow. As the Fund will shortly be receiving another annual payment from Baillie Wind Farm Ltd, it wishes to benefit a wider range of existing businesses and business start-ups and has removed the age restriction from its eligibility criteria.

The Fund was created after discussions between Caithness Chamber of Commerce and Baillie Wind Farm Ltd who had a vision to see a wider area of Caithness and North Sutherland benefit from local wind farms. Baillie Wind Farm Ltd is contributing £25,000 per annum to the Fund, which is over and above its community benefit fund.

Trudy Morris, Chief Executive of Caithness Chamber of Commerce said “The Fund has already supported two young businesses since its launch and has other applications currently in progress.  Lifting the age restriction from the eligibility criteria will enable the Fund to benefit a wider range of businesses and business start-ups. Quite often talk has been about people leaving the county but we are now seeing a growing number of individuals returning to Caithness. These individuals have been working away and now want to come home and put their skills into running their own businesses. There is great potential in the area and the Chamber works hard in helping to create a supportive environment for the business community, so it is delighted that the Fund is assisting with this.”

The Fund welcomes applications and details can be found on www.caithnessbusinessfund.co.uk, by calling Caithness Business Fund on 01847 500104 or via email enquiries@caithnessbusinessfund.co.uk