Official ceremony to mark the opening of Hawick Business Centre
A ceremony was held today to officially mark the opening of the Hawick Business Centre, which was developed with £2.6million of funding from the Scottish Government and investment from Scottish Borders Council.
The opening was carried out by the Scottish Government’s Minister for Employment and Investment, Tom Arthur.
As well as touring the facility, Mr Arthur also heard directly from some of the local entrepreneurs and businesses supported by South of Scotland Enterprise’s activities being delivered from the Centre.
The delivery of the facility has been led by Scottish Borders Council (SBC), with South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) currently delivering a 12-month business accelerator programme from the Centre to develop entrepreneurs and provide the support they need to grow.
Minister for Employment and Investment Tom Arthur said:
“This new development will provide space for start-ups and developing businesses to collaborate and expand, bringing jobs to Hawick.
“To drive growth across the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway, we are funding South of Scotland Enterprise with £27.3 million over the financial year. This is helping to deliver the AccleratE business accelerator programme, which is providing businesses and entrepreneurs with opportunities to learn from experts and meet investors at the newly opened business centre.”
Councillor Scott Hamilton, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Community and Business Development, added:
“Since opening to the public in April the Hawick Business Centre has already helped dozens of businesses and entrepreneurs, providing a hub that offers the essential facilities needed for them to function, expand and scale-up.
“Through our partnership with South of Scotland Enterprise and their business accelerator programme we can help nurture the next generation of Borders businesses and inject growth into the local economy.”
The Scottish Government provided £2.6million for the build of the Centre, along with £530,000 from SBC, with the UK Government Shared Prosperity Fund providing £123,000 and SOSE £175,000 to help furnish and fit out the building.
Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise, said:
“We have had really positive usage figures and feedback about the services being offered in Hawick Business Centre since it opened in April 2024.
“We look forward to continuing to work with partners to build on this success and welcome businesses, enterprises and the wider community to this excellent facility over the remainder of this financial year.”
Between opening on 19 April and the end of June, Hawick Business Centre has welcomed 240 visitors, with local businesses and organisations using the centre as a meeting place and work space.
Included in the facility are short-term, drop-in workspaces, small bookable meeting rooms with video conferencing facilities, presentation spaces and a digital lab providing users with advanced facilities such as podcast recording studio, live streaming and virtual reality headsets.
The Business Centre has also hosted several partnership events including Borders Chamber of Commerce and Business Gateway, aimed at supporting businesses in the region.
To date, the centre has held 14 events ranging from 1-2-1 expert support sessions and business adviser drop-in sessions to events on podcasting and artificial intelligence for business.
More information on Hawick Business Centre including how to book is available at www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/hawickbusinesscentre