If rural Scotland matters to the economy, business support must catch up

Scotland frequently celebrates the potential of its rural economy, but the way we support entrepreneurship tells a different story writes Jane Grant, Depute Director of External Engagement and Partnerships at The Open University in Scotland.

Business support systems continue to assume a particular kind of entrepreneur in a particular kind of place – usually an urban one. If we genuinely believe rural Scotland is part of the nation’s economic future, then our approach to fostering business growth must reflect that. 

At The Open University in Scotland, we work with employers, learners and entrepreneurs in every part of the country – including some of the most remote communities. What we see time and again is that small and micro businesses are not an optional extra. They are economic essentials, providing employment, services and stability in areas that need it most. 

Accelerator programmes, networking events and early-stage investment tend to cluster in cities. That makes sense for some, but it actively disadvantages rural entrepreneurs, particularly those balancing work or those with caring responsibilities. 

If we genuinely believe rural Scotland is part of the nation’s economic future, then our approach to fostering business growth must reflect that.”

Around 75% of our learners are already in work, and many are building businesses on the side – not from incubators, but from home offices, farms or community spaces. 

But this only works if the system around them makes space for that kind of entrepreneurship. 

Over the past 18 months, we’ve seen a significant reduction in the availability of upskilling and reskilling support – including the loss of individual training accounts and flexible workforce funding and upskilling funds. These cuts hit rural areas harder. 

There is some change here; South of Scotland Enterprise recognise the importance of early small pots of start up money, and we work with Converge to distribute small amounts of micro finance, but it’s not enough. 

The result? Fewer people are getting the chance to try, test and grow their business ideas, especially in the very communities where we need economic resilience most. 

Many successful businesses – including those we’ve supported through the Open Business Creator programme – began with a small grant or skills course that helped turn an idea into action. These aren’t anomalies; they’re proof that rural entrepreneurship thrives when given the tools. 

We’ve also partnered with institutions like Scotland’s Rural University College to co-deliver entrepreneurship initiatives in places like Dumfries. This strengthens not just the programmes but the region’s infrastructure, bringing local access, tailored learning and connections to wider networks. That’s why we have developed an Open Enterprise Network of start-ups and aspiring start-ups to create a Scotland wide community of learning and support. 

Laura Ripley, from Aberdeenshire, won the Female Entrepreneurship Award at the nationwide Converge Challenge for aspiring academic innovators. Laura is a perfect example of what the Open University is trying to do – she was working, studying for a degree and starting a business all at the same time. We have also signed up to the Scottish Government's Pathways programme to encourage more women into entrepreneurship. 

But we need consistency. Stop-start funding and a patchwork of support mean rural businesses are too often left behind. Instead, we should embed ‘place-aware’ thinking across every element of the entrepreneurship ecosystem, from how we fund to how we connect and train. 

That means empowering regional partnerships to make decisions based on local need. It means ensuring support is not only theoretically available Scotland-wide, but practically accessible. 

It also means thinking long-term: investing not just in one-off pilots, but in sustained programmes that build trust and capability over time. 

If rural Scotland matters to our economy then it’s time for the way we support entrepreneurs to match the ambition we so often speak of, because we don’t just need businesses to grow in Scotland’s cities. We need them to grow in its islands, coastlines and rural communities too.

17 February 2026