Firstport, in partnership with InspirAlba, is developing Vital Spark, an exciting new social enterprise initiative for Argyll and Bute. The Vital Spark programme will be working in Dunoon, Rothesay and Campbeltown to stimulate and support people from the local areas to turn their social enterprise ideas into reality.

Read our strategy document Start Small, Aim High: Firstport 4 aims in 4 years to find out about our ambitious plans. 

Deputy First Minister John Swinney praised the contribution of social enterprise to the Scottish economy as the entrepreneurs chosen for innovative accelerator programme LaunchMe 2015 were revealed at a recent event in Edinburgh.

By Iain Edwards

Hands up, leadership is one of my favorite topics. It’s vast, it’s polarizing and a subject I’m deeply passionate about. 

Scotland’s social enterprise development agency, Firstport, is celebrating a £200,000 funding boost from Resilient Scotland to continue its social replication programme, Ditto. The funding will enable Firstport to roll out Ditto to 13 local authority areas* and will play a vital role in creating employment by promoting a low-risk route to starting a social enterprise.

Over £80,000 has been awarded to social entrepreneurs today by Firstport, Scotland’s development agency for start-up social enterprise.

A social enterprise has opened for business in Craigmillar in a bid to bring contract manufacturing back to Edinburgh and create much-needed jobs. 

Looking at the growth of the social enterprise model featuring Firstport and socially driven courier company Delivered Next Day Personally (DNDP)

Scotland’s social enterprise development agency Firstport has welcomed a £500,000 investment by the Scottish Government into its programme to find and support social entrepreneurs.

Firstport awarded over £100,000 to new-start social enterprises in the last five months of 2014. From the Scottish Borders to the Highlands, 29 entrepreneurs benefitted from Start It awards distributed from Firstport’s Social Entrepreneur’s Fund.

A project which helped young entrepreneurs start their own social enterprises and revive Glasgow’s high streets has won the latest in a series of prestigious awards.

We won! Our Beyond the Finish Line project which helped young entrepreneurs start their own social enterprises and revive Glasgow's high streets scooped the Inspiring Youth award at the Social Enterprise UK awards in London last Wednesday (26 November).

A leading childcare provider based in the Capital is set to share the secrets of its business success with aspiring entrepreneurs.

Blog by Eddie Wilkinson

This week (17-23 November) sees Global Entrepreneurship Week, the world’s largest campaign to promote entrepreneurship and encourage the next generation of entrepreneurs to consider starting up their own business.

A cafe based in Glasgow’s West End is set to take the city by storm with its emphasis on everything Gaelic.

Dunfermline MSP Cara Hilton joined Fife social enterprise Suit and Pace to watch them perform a ground-breaking comedy with a serious message today. (Wednesday 12 November)

A cafe based in the award-winning Wasps Studios in Dennistoun, Glasgow, has been awarded a place on Firstport’s ‘Ditto’ programme.

A project which helped young entrepreneurs start their own social enterprises and revive Glasgow’s high streets has won three prestigious awards in less than a week.

A project which helped young entrepreneurs start their own social enterprises and revive Glasgow’s high streets has won both the judges and public award at last night’s prestigious Design Impact Awards, held at The Lighthouse in Glasgow. 

Blog by Iain Edwards

I’ve been meeting recently with social entrepreneurs, running all manner of early stage businesses. It’s been great fun and personally inspiring to re-engage in a start up environment. 

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A social enterprise that provides employment and training for adults with learning difficulties is set to support other aspiring social entrepreneurs by sharing the secrets of its business success.