Scottish Enterprise

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Scottish Enterprise is the main national^[1] economic development agency of Scotland, the other being Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) carries out similar functions of economic development in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. It was established, and its general aims and objectives set out, under the terms of the Enterprise and New Towns (Scotland) Act 1990. That act merged the former Scottish Development Agency (SDA), which was set up in 1975, and the Scottish Training Agency (STA) to form one integrated body.

Scottish Enterprise started operations on April 1, 1991 and is a sponsored Non-Departmental Public Body (or 'quango') of the Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department.

1 Aims and Objectives
2 Structure
3 Finances
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Aims and Objectives

The aims and objectives of Scottish Enterprise as set out [2], are

To help and encourage new business startups in Scotland to get under way;
To support, encourage and develop existing businesses in Scotland;
To equip people, such as students and professionals, to gain the knowledge and skills necessary to compete in the globally competitive marketplace; and,
To assist Scottish businesses build a presence in the global economy.

[edit] Structure

Scottish Enterprise has its headquarters at Atlantic Quay in Glasgow, where the main thrust of strategic direction is decided, but the body's work is augmented by the activities of a network of 12 subsidiary Local Enterprise Companies (LECs), each with their own Board and management, who are tasked with identifying local priorities, and the delivery of economic development, investment, training and business growth strategies in their area. At present the LECs are:

Scottish Enterprise Ayrshire based in Kilmarnock;
Scottish Enterprise Borders based in Galashiels, covering the Borders administrative region;
Scottish Enterprise Dumfries and Galloway based in Dumfries and covering all of south-west Scotland: the Dumfries and Galloway council area;
Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian based in Edinburgh, covering the administrative areas of West Lothian, East Lothian, Midlothian and the City of Edinburgh;
Scottish Enterprise Fife based in Glenrothes, covering all of the Fife council area;
Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley based in Stirling and covering the council areas of Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire;
Scottish Enterprise Glasgow covering the Glasgow metropolitan area;
Scottish Enterprise Grampian based in Aberdeen, covering the Northeast of the country - the council areas of Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire;
Scottish Enterprise Lanarkshire based in Bellshill and covering the council areas of North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire;
Scottish Enterprise Renfrewshire based in Paisley, covering the local authority areas of Renfrewshire, East Renfrewshire and Inverclyde;
Scottish Enterprise Dunbartonshire based in Clydebank, covering the eastern part of Argyll and Bute, East Dunbartonshire and West Dunbartonshire; and,
Scottish Enterprise Tayside based in Dundee, covering the local authority areas of Dundee City, Angus and Perth and Kinross.

[edit] Finances

Scottish Enterprise has a budget of £550 million in 2006-07 [3], an increase on recent years to mitigate against a controversial £33 million overspend in the organisation's resource budget in financial year 2005-06. Although the organisation has been the subject of controversy on many occasions, the overspend was the subject of much critical press coverage, Scottish Parliamentary committee debate [4] and widespread accusations of financial mismanagement [5].