First Minister John Swinney has unveiled a plan to support Scottish business owners and drive economic growth.

Central to his legislative agenda is enhancing support for entrepreneurs and innovators as Scotland aims to become a leading start-up and scale-up hub.

Key initiatives in the programme include:

• Maximising the £42 million Techscaler programme: The government will extend access for tech entrepreneurs by integrating this initiative with other innovation centres, enabling businesses to secure funding, access new markets, and collaborate with peers.
• Promoting gender equality in entrepreneurship: Following recommendations from Ana Stewart and Mark Logan’s review, the government will launch regional programmes and a competitive Pathways Fund to support underrepresented groups, including women, in starting and scaling businesses.
• Support for 'deep tech' companies: In collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, the National Manufacturing Institute, and the National Robotarium, the government will help deep tech companies with prototyping and manufacturing.
• Development of business clusters: Focus areas will include data, AI, health, and life sciences, positioning Scotland as a leader in these rapidly evolving fields.
• Commitment to research and universities: £315 million will be allocated to universities in the 2024-25 academic year to promote knowledge exchange and economic growth through early-career researchers.
• New Deal for Business: A set of reforms will improve collaboration between businesses and the government, focusing on data sharing, policy development, and business tax issues.

Other important measures include support for rural employers through a rural visa pilot, the launch of a green industrial strategy, and significant investments in green freeports and broadband infrastructure.

The programme also promises cultural sector investments, with £6.6 million allocated to Creative Scotland, and support for local councils to implement a visitor levy to enhance tourism.