Deadline: 26-Feb-2026
The Graduate Placement Grants provide funding for small and medium-sized enterprises in the Caithness and North Sutherland area to create graduate-level roles that enhance business growth, strengthen skills, and foster sustainable development.
Focus areas include starting a new business without significantly displacing existing businesses, developing an existing business through training, growth plans, or employing an apprentice or graduate, demonstrating financial viability including owner investment, and ensuring applications demonstrate additionality rather than funding basic capital equipment.
Graduate placements should be 24 months in duration and must be at a graduate-level role, with a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, and graduates must have qualified within the last five years. The supported salary range is between £25,000 and £32,000 per annum, with additional support of up to £1,250 per year for Continuing Professional Development, such as completing CPD modules at UHI North, West and Hebrides, with a preference for local training providers.
Applicants must provide their latest accounts, insurance certificates, relevant health and safety documentation, and any other supporting materials that strengthen the application. Eligible applicants must be small to medium enterprises, including sole traders, partnerships, or limited companies, and should not be very small lifestyle or hobby businesses with no scalability. The business must be based within the Dounreay Travel to Work Area.
Applications for capital equipment such as computers or printers will only be considered if they demonstrate growth or additionality. The grants aim to support business expansion, create meaningful opportunities for graduates, and build local capacity while ensuring investments directly contribute to business development objectives.
For more information, visit Caithness Business Fund.
