Monthly Newsletter
Invest in West Lothian - January Newsletter
Happy New Year and welcome to the January edition of the Invest in West Lothian newsletter! We hope that you had a fantastic time over the festive period.
In our newsletter, we will be sharing the latest news stories, funding opportunities, and events for businesses in West Lothian.
Here at Invest in West Lothian, we are committed to helping businesses in West Lothian grow by providing confidential and impartial advice, highlighting funding opportunities, and sharing helpful resources. We can help new and established businesses that are currently based in West Lothian, or are looking to relocate to the area. You can learn more about the support we offer by visiting www.investinwestlothian.com .
Celebrating Good News Stories in West Lothian
Nominations Open for the Business Gateway Impact Awards 2026
Nominations are officially open for the Business Gateway Impact Awards 2026!
Organised by the Business Gateway National team, these awards recognise and celebrate team members across Scotland that have provided exemplary business support to their clients.
If a member of the Business Gateway West Lothian team has gone above and beyond to help you start or grow your business and you would like to nominate them for an Impact Award, you can do so here.
The deadline to submit your nominations is Friday, the 27th of February 2026.
Funding for Businesses in West Lothian
The Invest in West Lothian team have extensive experience of preparing funding packages for local businesses of all sizes. Each month, we will highlight a new funding opportunity that is currently available to eligible businesses in the area.
Most Popular Funding Opportunities of 2025
We are proud to provide a wide range of funding opportunities to help eligible West Lothian businesses achieve their growth goals. In 2025, some of our most popular funds included our:
- Intro to Business Grant – this grant has been created to assist eligible West Lothian residents with the costs of starting a new business (such as purchasing essential equipment and tools), and to help them overcome any barriers that are preventing them from getting started
- Digital Development Grant – part funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, this grant is aimed at enhancing the digital capabilities of Scottish businesses. For example, the grant can be used towards purchasing software and IT, enhancing the digital skills of a workforce, improving IT infrastructure, building an e-commerce website, or developing an app
- Project Grant – this grant is aimed at businesses that want to enhance their competitive edge through capacity building and efficiency improvements. This is also part funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund
- Trade Development Grant – we developed this grant to help West Lothian businesses grow their profile out with the local market. Eligible businesses will receive funding towards exhibiting at relevant conferences and exhibitions.
We are still currently accepting applications for all of our grants, however, there is limited time remaining to apply and carry out your projects. The deadline for projects funded by the grants to be completed is the 31st of March. To avoid disappointment, we would recommend applying as quickly as possible.
You can view the full list of funds available and apply here.
Upcoming Events
We are delighted to be hosting the following free events in January:
Social Media and Content Creation
This session will explore social media strategy, platform best practices, and the art of storytelling through visuals and copy. You’ll learn how to plan, design, and deliver content that not only looks great but also aligns with your brand and objectives. Perfect for beginners or anyone looking to refresh their social media presence with purposeful, scroll-stopping content. This is taking place on Wednesday, the 14th of January 2026, from 2:00pm – 3:00pm.
Foundations to Flourish
Join us for our brand-new workshop exclusively for West Lothian-based female entrepreneurs that are within their first 6 months of trading and want to build their business foundations. This exciting one-day workshop will help participants understand their business finances, define their brand, create a clear marketing focus, and set actionable goals for their first year of trading. It will also give them the opportunity to connect with other likeminded local entrepreneurs and form a supportive network. This is taking place on Monday, the 26th of January, from 9:30am – 3:30pm.
1:1 Procurement Surgery Sessions
We are offering eligible West Lothian businesses the opportunity to book a free, 1:1 virtual surgery session with a procurement expert from Intend Business Development Ltd. These sessions have been created to help West Lothian business owners improve their understanding of the procurement process and improve their success rate with tender bids. Sessions last 1-hour and flexible appointments are available.
To learn more and book your free space at any of our events, please click here.
If you have any questions about any of the topics covered, please email invest@westlothian.gov.uk .
Here's to a great 2026!