The Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee is doing an inquiry on business support would like to hear your views. The remit of the inquiry is:
“To understand the range of support services available to new and existing small and medium sized businesses at a local level across Scotland, with a particular focus on Business Gateway. The Committee will evaluate current provision and explore ways of ensuring businesses receive the support they need to grow and succeed.”
It is ten years since the Scottish Government decided to give local authorities responsibility for running local Business Gateway services. During that period tens of thousands of people have started businesses, often with the help and support of local and national Business Gateway services such as workshops, one-to-one business advice and online market information.
Business Gateway is also here to help existing businesses. So the Committee is keen to understand how well Business Gateway delivers services for businesses hoping to grow, employ more staff or expand into new markets.
The Committee is also hoping to understand why many new and existing businesses do not use Business Gateway; for example, what alternative sources of advice and information are available.
We would also like to hear from business organisations, both at a local and national level, and also from people who work in the area of business support and economic development.
As such, the Committee wants to hear the views and experiences of as many people, businesses and organisations as possible.
Survey
The Committee has today launched a survey asking about support as well as asking each local authority how much money is spent on Business Gateway services and how they measure the impact of this spend. The survey closes on Friday 10 August.
Next steps
The Committee intends to take evidence in autumn 2018 and report to Parliament thereafter.
How to submit your views
The call for written views will close on FRIDAY 10 AUGUST.
Before making a submission, please read our privacy notice about submitting your views to a Committee Privacy Notice. This tells you about how we process your personal data.
Please use the template provided to format your submission [LINK]. This includes the Data Protection Form. Please complete this form and send it in with your submission.
We welcome written views in English, Gaelic, Scots or any other language. Due to the time required to process and analyse evidence, late submissions will only be accepted with the agreement of the Committee.
Written responses should be sent electronically, in the template format [LINK] to the following address. Ideally they should be no more than four sides of A4:
economyjobsandfairwork@parliament.scot
If you cannot submit electronically you may send in a hard copy written submission. If you are sending in a hard copy submission please print off and include a copy of the Data Protection Form. Please send them to:
Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Committee
Room T3.40
Scottish Parliament
Holyrood
Edinburgh
EH99 1SP