A powerful new support package has been launched to help unlock bold ideas and fuel innovation across Orkney, Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.
Heriot-Watt University has unveiled a £1.3 million programme to support young entrepreneurs, community organisations and island businesses with the ambition to turn fresh thinking into meaningful action.
It is all part of the TalEntEd Islands ‘Innovation and Commercialisation’ project, funded through the £100 million Islands Growth Deal by both the Scottish and UK Governments.
The project offers not only targeted grants but direct access to some of the country’s leading academic expertise, all with the aim of building greener, more resilient economies for the future.
At its heart is a simple but powerful idea, to turn island creativity into lasting change.
Whether it is a new product, a smarter process or a sustainable service, this programme is designed to help ideas take root and grow.
Professor Gillian Murray, Deputy Principal of Business and Enterprise at Heriot-Watt, believes Scotland’s islands could become global leaders in the race to Net Zero.
She describes them as “superclusters of innovation” and sees the low carbon transition not just as an environmental imperative, but a major economic opportunity.
From renewable energy and sustainable materials to circular economy practices, the islands are uniquely placed to lead the way.
The support on offer is both practical and generous.
Develop Awards of £5,000 are available for early-stage projects, feasibility studies and initial planning work, typically over three months.
Adopt Awards of £25,000 offer deeper backing for pilots and prototypes that can pave the way to further investment and impact.
In addition to funding, successful applicants will gain support from innovation development managers and collaborate with researchers from Heriot-Watt, the University of the Highlands and Islands and Robert Gordon University.
They will also be plugged into Scotland’s broader innovation network and introduced to additional funding opportunities.
The potential here is both local and national, with community-driven ideas given the tools to grow into sector-leading solutions.
Heather Woodbridge, Leader of Orkney Islands Council, calls it a chance to take “plans that bubble away” and bring them into reality.
Councillor Emma Macdonald in Shetland praised the funding’s potential to help start-ups thrive and diversify, noting that Shetland already has a vibrant small business scene.
For Councillor Paul Steele in the Western Isles, this is a moment to empower the next generation of island innovators and build an economy that reflects their creativity and vision.
Applications are now open, and the process begins with a conversation.
Interested individuals and organisations are invited to email talentedwp3@hw.ac.uk to start the journey.
More details are available on Heriot-Watt’s website.
This initiative is not just about funding.
It is about belief in the people, promise and potential of Scotland’s island communities.
