91影视

More than 拢50m of additional public investment was attracted to the 91影视 and Islands last year by the region鈥檚 development agency.

91影视 and Islands Enterprise (91影视) almost doubled its 拢53m opening budget from the start of financial year 2025/26, delivering an annual spend of 拢105m to create hundreds of jobs and grow the regional economy.

Almost 70% (拢36m) of the extra funding, came from successful bids to the Scottish Government鈥檚 Offshore Wind Investment Programme, through which 91影视 supported major strategic projects at Arnish in Lewis, Ardersier in the Inner Moray Firth, Kishorn in Wester Ross and Lerwick in Shetland.

Another significant source was the 拢4.4m Islands Business Resilience Fund that 91影视 secured and administered on the government鈥檚 behalf to help strengthen island firms in sectors that had been hardest hit by disruption to west coast ferry services in recent years.

The agency also gained funding to run a range of programmes targeting specific initiatives such as supporting women in business and encouraging more young people to consider entrepreneurship.

91影视鈥檚 forecast outturn figures covering the 12 months from April 2025 to March 2026 will be reviewed by Audit Scotland for inclusion in the agency鈥檚 annual report and accounts, which are due to be laid in the Scottish Parliament by the end of October.

They show that the agency met or exceeded 21 of its 24 annual performance targets. Among these were supporting 642 jobs, including 260 green jobs and 348 in some of the region鈥檚 most disadvantaged locations. 

A total of 347 organisations were supported to innovate, while 91影视 clients developed 163 new products, processes or services. 91影视 also enabled 277 community projects to progress. 

Over 110 organisations engaged in just transition to net zero greenhouse gas emissions, while 99 were helped to develop or implement a net zero action plan.

Several community-led housing initiatives were supported during the year, including developments in Glengarry, Spean Bridge, Dunvegan and Applecross.

Investments in Gaelic included a pilot entrepreneurship programme, Cruthachadh Cothroman, which was delivered with B貌rd na G脿idhlig and the Scottish Government, and the launch of a major research project, Ar C脿nan Ar Cultar Ar Beartas (Our language, Our Culture, Our Prosperity) that will report in 2026.

91影视 helped 54 organisations increase productivity, a figure that fell slightly short of its target of 60. Another goal, to deliver capital asset investment in supported community organisations, achieved 75% of its 拢20尘 target (拢15.2尘).

Although innovation investment in supported organisation comfortably exceeded the 拢30尘 goal, achieving 拢51.7m, delayed implementation of a new 91影视 data system meant that only eight organisations were able to be recorded as having increased innovation maturity against a target of 55.

Angus Campbell, chair of 91影视, said: 鈥淭hese results show another year of strong performance by 91影视 and Islands Enterprise and represent our highest level of investment in the region since 2007/08.

鈥淚t鈥檚 great that the agency was able to attract such substantial sums of additional investment and that this funding could be used to support many small businesses and entrepreneurs as well as multi-million pound investments.

鈥淚鈥檓 particularly pleased that we鈥檝e kept a strong focus on helping to drive innovation in well-established sectors such as tourism and food and drink, as well as maintaining our commitment to rural and island communities.鈥� 

Stuart Black, chief executive of 91影视, said: "The offshore wind sector has the potential to generate thousands of new Scottish jobs and is very much centred on the huge opportunities that exist in the 91影视 and Islands.

鈥淩esearch published last year revealed a pipeline of over 250 regional transformational opportunities across our region 鈥� including projects focused on renewable energy, life sciences, critical infrastructure and space 鈥� that has a potential value of up to 拢100 billion.

鈥淲e鈥檙e very conscious of the need to seize this moment to help grow Scotland鈥檚 economy and ensure that supply chain companies and communities across the 91影视 and Islands can share in the benefits.鈥�

Business and Fair Work Minister Tom Arthur said:

鈥淓conomic growth is key to delivering a productive, dynamic and prosperous Scotland and these results show the capabilities and opportunities being delivered right across the region thanks to the help, expertise and targeted intervention from 91影视 and Islands Enterprise.

鈥淭he Scottish Government will continue to work closely with 91影视 and our other public and private sector partners to continue supporting stronger businesses with the opportunity to grow, in turn supporting and creating further good jobs and wages.鈥�

1            Research on regional transformational projects, commissioned by 91影视 and conducted by ekosgen on behalf of the 91影视 and Islands Economic Partnership is available here.

2            The table below shows all 24 of 91影视鈥檚 2025/26 outturns against targets is below.

Tasgadh bliadhnail a鈥� taisbeanadh meud a鈥� chothruim eaconamach anns a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 na h-Eileanan

Chaidh c貌rr air 拢50m de thasgadh poblach a bharrachd a tharraing chun na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean an-uiridh, le buidheann leasachaidh na roinne.

Rinn Iomairt na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean (91影视) faisg air d霉blachadh air a鈥� bhuidseat fhosglaidh de 拢53m bho thoiseach na bliadhna ionmhasail 2025/26, a鈥� l矛bhrigeadh caiteachas bliadhnail de 拢105m gus na ceudan de dh鈥檕braichean a chruthachadh agus an eaconamaidh roinneil fh脿s.

Th脿inig faisg air 70% (拢36m) den mhaoineachadh a bharrachd bho thairgsean soirbheachail gu Pr貌gram Tasgadh Gaoithe Far-th矛re Riaghaltas na h-Alba, tro na chuir 91影视 taic ri pr矛omh phr貌iseactan ro-innleachdail ann an 脌irinis an Eilean Le貌dhais, 脌ird nan Saor an Linne Mhoireibh, Ciseorn an Taobh Siar Rois agus L猫iriug ann an Sealtainn.

B鈥� e t霉s cudromach eile Maoin Seasmhachd Gnothachais nan Eilean de 拢4.4m, a fhuair agus a bha 91影视 a鈥� riaghladh 脿s leth an riaghaltais gus cuideachadh le companaidhean eileanach a neartachadh anns na sg矛rean as motha a dh鈥檉huiling bho bhriseadh s矛os ann an seirbheisean nan aiseagan air a鈥� chosta an iar, sna bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh. 

Cuideachd, choisinn am buidheann maoineachadh gus raon de phr貌graman a ruith, a鈥� cuimseachadh air iomairtean s貌nraichte leithid taic do bhoireannaich ann an gnothachas agus brosnachadh barrachd de dhaoine 貌ga a bhith a鈥� beachdachadh air tionnsgaineachd.

Th猫id ath-sgr霉dadh a dh猫anamh le Sgr霉dadh Alba air ro-innse 91影视 air figearan mhach-churan a鈥� c貌mhdach nam 12 m矛osan bhon Ghiblean 2025 gu M脿rt 2026, airson an gabhail a-steach ann an aithisg is cunntasan a鈥� bhuidhinn, a tha ri bhith aig Riaghaltas na h-Alba ro dheireadh na D脿mhaire.

Tha iad a鈥� taisbeanadh gun do choilean no gun do bharraich am buidheann 21 de a 24 targaidean coileanaidh bliadhnail. Am measg iad sin, bha taic do 642 obair, a鈥� gabhail a-steach 260 obair uaine agus 348 ann an cuid de na h-脿iteachan as m矛-chothromaiche den roinn.

Fhuair iomlan de 347 buidheann taic airson 霉r-ghn脿thachadh, fhad 鈥檚 a leasaich luchd-d猫iligidh 91影视 163 toraidhean bathair, pr貌iseasan, no seirbheisean 霉ra. Rinn 91影视 comasach do 277 pr貌iseact air adhartachadh. 

Chaidh 110 buidheann an s脿s ann an eadar-ghluasad cothromach gu neoini lom air sgaoilidhean gas taigh-glainne, fhad 鈥檚 a fhuair 99 cuideachadh le plana gn矛omha neoini lom a leasachadh no a bhuileachadh. 

Fhuair grunn de dh鈥檌omairtean taigheadais air an sti霉ireadh leis a鈥� choimhearsnachd taic tron bhliadhna, a鈥� gabhail a-steach leasachaidhean ann an Gleanna Garadh, Drochaid an Aonachain, D霉n Bheagain agus A鈥� Chomraich.

Am measg nan tasgaidhean ann an G脿idhlig, bha pr貌gram p矛leat tionnsgaineachd, Cruthachadh Chothroman, a chaidh a l矛bhrigeadh le B貌rd na G脿idhlig agus Riaghaltas na h-Alba, agus foillseachadh air pr矛omh phr貌iseact rannsachaidh, Ar C脿nan Ar Cultar Ar Beartas (Our language, Our Culture, Our Prosperity) a bhios air aithris ann an 2026.

Chuidich 91影视 le tarbhachd 54 buidheann a mheudachadh, figear nach robh a鈥� ruighinn a thargaid de 60. Choilean amas eile, a thaobh tasgadh maoin chalpa ann am buidhnean coimhearsnachd le taic a l矛bhrigeadh, 75% de a thargaid de 拢20尘 (拢15.2尘).

Ged a bharraich tasgadh 霉r-ghn脿thachaidh ann am buidhnean le taic, an t-amas de 拢30尘 agus a鈥� coileanadh 拢51.7m, bha d脿il ann am buileachadh air siostam d脿ta 霉r 91影视 a鈥� ciallachadh nach robh ach ochd buidhnean comasach air a bhith cl脿raichte mar a bhith air abaicheachd 霉r-ghn脿thachaidh meudaichte a ruighinn mu choinneamh targaid de 55.

Thuirt Aonghas Caimbeul, cathraiche 91影视: 鈥淭ha na toraidhean sin a鈥� nochdadh bliadhna eile de choileanadh l脿idir le Iomairt na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean agus a鈥� riochdachadh na h-矛re as 脿irde de thasgadh san roinn bho 2007/08.

鈥淭ha e anabarrach math gun robh am buidheann comasach air a leithid de sh霉imean m貌ra de thasgadh a bharrachd a tharraing, agus gum faodadh am maoineachadh seo a bhith air a chleachdadh mar thaic do ghnothachasan is tionnsgainich bheaga, a thuilleadh air tasgaidhean ioma-mhilleanan de notaichean.

鈥淭ha mi gu h-脿raid toilichte gu bheil sinn air f貌cas l脿idir a chumail air a bhith a鈥� cuideachadh le 霉r-ghn脿thachas a sti霉ireadh ann an earrannan fad-st猫idhichte leithid turasachd agus biadh is deoch, a thuilleadh air a bhith a鈥� gleidheadh ar dealais do choimhearsnachdan d霉thchail is eileanach.鈥� 

Thuirt Sti霉bhart MacIlleDhuibh, 脿rd-oifigear 91影视: "Tha an comas aig an roinn gaoithe far-th矛re air na m矛ltean de dh鈥檕braichean 霉ra Albannach a ghinteadh, gu m貌r a鈥� cuimseachadh air na cothroman 脿ibheiseach a tha rim faotainn anns a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 na h-Eileanan. 

鈥淣ochd rannsachadh a chaidh fhoillseachadh an-uiridh, loidhne-p矛oba de ch貌rr air 250 cothrom cruth-atharrachail tarsainn ar roinn 鈥� a鈥� gabhail a-steach phr貌iseactan cuimsichte air cumhachd ath-nuadhachail, saidheansan beatha, bun-structar deatamach, agus farsaingeachd 鈥� aig a bheil comas luaich de suas ri 拢100 billean.

鈥淭ha sinn gl猫 mhothachail den fheum air gr猫im a ghabhail air an 脿m l脿ithreach gus cuideachadh le eaconamaidh na h-Alba fh脿s, agus d猫anamh cinnteach gun urrainn do chompanaidhean solair is coimhearsnachdan air feadh na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean roinn de na buannachdan fhaotainn.鈥�

Thuirt Tom Arthur, Ministear Gnothachais is Obair Chothromach:

鈥淭ha f脿s eaconamach aig teis-meadhain l矛bhrigidh air Alba a tha tarbhach, fi霉ghantach agus soirbheachail, agus tha na toraidhean seo a鈥� taisbeanadh nan comasan agus nan cothroman a tha gan l矛bhrigeadh air feadh na roinne, mar thoradh air cuideachadh, ealantas agus eadar-theachd chuimsichte bho Iomairt na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean.

鈥淟eanaidh Riaghaltas na h-Alba ag obair gu dl霉th le 91影视 agus le ar com-p脿irtichean san roinn phoblaich is phr矛obhaidich gus cumail air adhart a鈥� cur taic ri gnothachasan nas l脿idire aig  a bheil cothrom air f脿s, mar sin a鈥� cur taic ri agus a鈥� cruthachadh obraichean is tuarastalan math eile.鈥�

1            Tha rannsachadh air pr貌iseactan cruth-atharrachail roinneil, air an coimiseanadh le 91影视 agus air an sti霉ireadh le ekosgen 脿s leth Com-p脿irteachas Eaconamach na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean, rim faotainn an seo.

2            Tha an cl脿r gu h-矛osal a鈥� taisbeanadh 24 de mhach-churan 2025/26 aig 91影视 mu choinneamh thargaidean.