Supporting business

Enterprise Areas

We established four Enterprise Areas to help create supportive business environments for our growing industries – life sciences, manufacturing, and low carbon/renewables (North and East) – at 16 strategic sites across Scotland. See Enterprise Area maps.

By offering incentives and other support for businesses locating at these sites, we hope to create jobs, attract investment and promote growth.

The Scottish Government is moving to extend designation of Scotland’s Enterprise Areas to 2022.

Incentives

Each Enterprise Area site offers a range of incentives tailored to fit the individual characteristics of that site, in addition to either:

• business rates discounts as set by the The Non-Domestic Rates (Enterprise Areas) (Scotland) Regulations 2016 enabling businesses to claim up to 200,000 euros of business rates relief over a three year fiscal period (not available at Nigg, Dundee Port or Dundee Claverhouse)

or

• enhanced capital allowances enabling businesses to claim up to 100% of the cost of certain qualifying investments in plants and machinery against the businesses' taxable profits (only available at Nigg, Irvine, Dundee Port and Dundee Claverhouse)

Additional incentives include:

• a streamlined planning process
• high-speed broadband
• international promotion and marketing provided by Scottish Development International (SDI)
• skills and training support provided by Skills Development Scotland

Find more information on the SDI website.