EARLY stage firms will be able to compete for much bigger investments from Scottish Enterprise to kickstart their businesses following changes to the agency's seed funding scheme.
The upper limit for investments from the Scottish Seed Fund has been increased by 150% to £250,000.
As fund investments can be matched by private-sector funders, the maximum amount the kind of start-ups and young businesses targeted by the fund could win will increase by the same proportion, to £500,000, from £200,000.
However, the change in the threshold does not mean there will be an automatic increase in the total funding provided by the fund, which can invest up to £2 million annually.
Meanwhile, London-based private equity investors may step up the hunt for targets in Scotland, research suggests.
In a survey of executives, by Grant Thornton, around 50% of respondents told the accountancy firm they expected to be more active north of the Border in the next 12 months.
Respondents expressed interest in sectors including business support services, infrastructure, logistics, manufacturing, engineering and high technology.
But Neil McInnes, from Grant Thornton Scotland, said most private equity firms would prefer to continue operating from London.
