An innovative new service designed to help Scottish business owners navigate the funding landscape in an increasingly challenging climate has been unveiled at a special event in Edinburgh by specialist providers of business support, finance and funding, UMi. The Get Funding service will offer tailored support through a streamlined one-stop shop approach, helping businesses to access grants, finance, and investments best suited to their needs.
Recent survey results published by The British Business Bank revealed that Scotland had a higher proportion of SMEs facing barriers to finance (38%) than Northern Ireland (21%) and Wales (20%). The aim of this service is to address those barriers, improving accessibility to finance for any business in need of it.
Currently, business owners looking for funding or finance need to navigate multiple funding avenues and advice channels, often not knowing what they are eligible for or what else is available to them. UMi has created Get Funding to provide a more seamless approach to funding. Addressing this gap gives Scottish business owners the opportunity to receive customised expertise on how to access finance and advice on innovation and growth strategies from a dedicated business funding adviser equipped to understand individual business pinch points.
With a human-led, digitally supported approach, UMi’s business funding advisers can help each business understand the full range of options available and secure the best solution for them from more than 400 grant schemes, over 180 finance providers and a UK-wide investment network.
Nicki Clark OBE, CEO at UMi, said:
“Finding and securing the right funding to help sustain or grow your business can be difficult. We are really excited to bring together our own expertise and that of specialist partners to make a material difference in this space. We are doing things a little differently at UMi and importantly, in a way that respects every business as unique and knowing that the difference the right funding can make to a business isn’t measured by the amount of funding secured. We deliver the same care and diligence regardless of how big or how small the funding gap is.”
Adrian Innes, Business Funding Adviser within the Get Funding service said:
“We know that business owners often feel like accessing the financial support they need to grow is a hurdle too large to even try and tackle, but that shouldn’t be the case. Get Funding will provide us with access to the right people which will play a pivotal role in shaping the economic growth we all want to see.
“Tailored financial solutions paired with targeted financial guidance can truly make a difference and I’m excited about the opportunities that Get Funding will bring to Scottish businesses with big ambitions.”
More details about the Get Funding service can be found here.
