Business Gateway
Business Gateway is a publicly funded, free business advisory service operated by Scotland's 32 local authorities via COSLA. It provides 1:1 expert advice, digital skills training through DigitalBoost, webinars, events, and online resources to Scottish start-ups and existing SMEs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2008
- HeadquartersEdinburgh, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Business Gateway does
Business Gateway is a publicly funded, non-commercial business advisory service operated by the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) on behalf of Scotland's 32 local authorities, headquartered in Edinburgh. Founded as a service in 2001 with delivery transferred to local authorities in 2008, it provides free 1:1 expert advice, online resources, webinars, events, and a personalised business support tool to start-ups and existing SMEs across all 32 Scottish council areas. The service does not sell to customers and generates no commercial revenue; it is funded by the Scottish Government and local authorities, with no parent company, subsidiaries, or external investors. Distribution is hybrid: a website self-serve platform, a network of 32 local offices, phone support, live chat, and a calendar of more than 250 free webinars and events annually.
The core product portfolio consists of the main Business Gateway service (advisory and resource library segmented by start-up vs. existing business, and by topic — finance, marketing, HR, sector research), a Personalised Business Support Tool that generates tailored recommendations, and the DigitalBoost sub-brand — Scotland's national digital skills training programme offering CPD-certified webinars, 1:1 digital expert support, and tutorials spanning social media, e-commerce, SEO, cyber resilience, data analytics, and AI awareness. Supplementary services include a research service, funding and grant signposting, and a national newsletter. The underlying technology is not proprietary AI or software — it is a website, CRM (operated by Scottish Enterprise), and content platform delivered through a partnership architecture spanning COSLA, Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, VisitScotland, and (since 2022) Amazon Web Services for the AWS Digital Innovation Program.
Business Gateway is a non-commercial government entity; pricing is entirely freemium with no billing, no tiers, and no monetisation. Its go-to-market is community-led and public-sector-driven, with no sales force, no paid marketing, and no customer acquisition cost in the conventional sense. Reach is significant: 50,000+ businesses advised in 2024, 25,311 webinar/event attendees in the most recent year reported, 6,810 businesses helped to start up in the latest year, 99,004 businesses started and 108,904 jobs created since 2008, an 84% customer satisfaction rate, and 85% recommendation rate. The strategic question for any investor is therefore not commercial return but sustainability of public funding and continued policy prioritisation of free SME advisory services in Scotland.
Business Gateway firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Business Gateway
- Legal name
- COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)
- Website
- https://bgateway.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2008
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Business Gateway is a publicly funded, free business advisory service operated by Scotland's 32 local authorities via COSLA. It provides 1:1 expert advice, digital skills training through DigitalBoost, webinars, events, and online resources to Scottish start-ups and existing SMEs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Business Gateway is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Edinburgh
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Business Gateway business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Public Funding: Business Gateway is entirely publicly funded, operated by Local Government in Scotland including COSLA and the 32 Scottish Local Authorities. The service is provided free of charge to all businesses and entrepreneurs across Scotland. No commercial revenue generation occurs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free services for all businesses and entrepreneurs |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
Business Gateway product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Business Gateway is a publicly funded business advice and support service delivered across Scotland by Local Government, providing free 1:1 expert advice, online resources, webinars, events, and a personalised business support tool to help start-ups and existing businesses at every stage of their journey. The service is operated by COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) on behalf of Scotland's 32 local authorities and delivered in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, and VisitScotland.
Product overview
Business Gateway is a single, unified publicly funded service that provides free business advice and support across Scotland through a combination of digital and in-person channels. The core offering consists of 1:1 expert advice, the Personalised Business Support Tool for tailored recommendations, and an extensive library of online resources organised by business stage (startup/existing business) and topic (finance, marketing, HR, sector research). Supplementary modules include DigitalBoost (digital skills training with CPD-certified webinars, 1:1 digital expert support, and online tutorials), the Research Service for market intelligence, and a calendar of 250+ free webinars and events. The service is delivered by Local Government in Scotland through a network of local offices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- DigitalBoost: Scotland's national digital technology training programme helping SMEs capitalise on digital technology through online tutorials, practical guides, 1:1 support from digital experts, and local workshops on topics including social media, cyber resilience, data analytics, digital marketing strategy and e-commerce.
Products and services
- Business Gateway Core Service A free, publicly funded business advice and support service delivered across Scotland by Local Government, providing 1:1 expert advice, online resources, webinars, events, and a personalised business support tool to help start-ups and existing businesses at every stage of their journey.
- Personalised Business Support Tool
- DigitalBoost Programme Scotland's national digital technology training programme providing CPD-certified webinars, online tutorials, practical guides, digital health checks, and 1:1 support from digital experts covering social media, cyber resilience, data analytics, digital marketing strategy, SEO, and e-commerce.
- Research Service Market and sector research services to help businesses better understand their market, competitors, and growth opportunities.
- Webinars and Events Programme Over 250 free webinars and events across Scotland annually, both online and in-person, covering topics like business planning, financial planning, marketing, SEO, intellectual property, and investor readiness.
- AWS Digital Innovation Program A collaboration between DigitalBoost and Amazon Web Services to help Scottish businesses accelerate digital transformation using cloud technology and Amazon's customer-centric innovation methodology.
Quantifiable outcome
- 6,810 new businesses supported to start up in one year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Business Gateway
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Business Gateway technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability1 record
Business Gateway partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.
- Amazon Web Services (AWS)strategicAWS partnered with DigitalBoost (Business Gateway's digital skills programme) to deliver the AWS Digital Innovation Program, helping Scottish businesses accelerate digital transformation using cloud technology and Amazon's customer-centric innovation methodology.
- COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities)coreCOSLA Verity House, 19 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh EH12 5BH represents Scottish local authorities in delivering the Business Gateway service. COSLA is the governing body overseeing the partnership of 32 local authorities.
- Scottish EnterprisecoreScottish Enterprise is a key delivery partner providing business support services. They operate the CRM database for customer relationship management and work with Business Gateway on the Records Management System Partnership.
- Highlands and Islands EnterprisecoreHIE delivers business support and economic development activities in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland, working in partnership with Business Gateway.
- South of Scotland EnterprisecoreSOSE delivers business support and economic development activities in the South of Scotland region, partnering with Business Gateway for coordinated support.
- Skills Development ScotlandcoreSDS provides skills and career support, working with Business Gateway on workforce development and training aspects of business support.
- VisitScotlandcoreVisitScotland partners with Business Gateway to support tourism businesses across Scotland with integrated economic development activities.
- 32 Scottish Local AuthoritiescoreEach of Scotland's 32 local authorities delivers Business Gateway services in their respective areas through local offices and advisers.
Scale indicators15 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Business Gateway competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Skills Development Scotland (SDS): National skills agency partnering with Business Gateway on workforce development and training. Closely comparable in its publicly funded, Scotland-wide delivery model.
- Scottish Enterprise: Scotland's national economic development agency and a core delivery partner of Business Gateway. Operates the CRM system and provides overlapping business support services to Scottish SMEs, making it the closest functional peer.
- South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE): Regional economic development body for the South of Scotland, delivering business support and skills development alongside Business Gateway in its geography.
- Be the Business: UK-wide SME productivity and growth support charity, funded by government and corporate partners. Highly comparable mission and target audience, though operating at UK scale rather than Scotland only.
- Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE): Regional economic development agency covering the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Partners directly with Business Gateway and provides comparable start-up and growth advisory to businesses in its region.
Regional players
- Enterprise Ireland: Irish government agency supporting Irish-owned enterprises with funding, advice, and export support. Closely comparable model of publicly funded, government-led SME development services in a different geography.
- Invest Northern Ireland: Northern Ireland's regional economic development agency providing business support, skills, and investment services. Functionally analogous to Business Gateway at the regional level.
- Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs, England): Voluntary partnerships between local authorities and private sector in England that coordinate local economic development and SME support. Closest English functional equivalent to Business Gateway's local-authority-led model.
Broad incumbents
- Federation of Small Businesses (FSB): UK-wide membership organisation providing advice, resources, and lobbying for small businesses. Overlaps with Business Gateway's SME support offering but is member-funded rather than publicly funded and operates UK-wide.
- British Chambers of Commerce: National network of accredited Chambers of Commerce offering business support, training, and international trade services. Comparable SME advisory footprint though delivered through a federated private model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Business Gateway social profiles
Digital presenceBusiness Gateway financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Business Gateway leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Business Gateway funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Business Gateway M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Business Gateway
What does Business Gateway do?
Business Gateway is a publicly funded business advice and support service delivered across Scotland by Local Government, providing free 1:1 expert advice, online resources, webinars, events, and a personalised business support tool to help start-ups and existing businesses at every stage of their journey. The service is operated by COSLA (Convention of Scottish Local Authorities) on behalf of Scotland's 32 local authorities and delivered in partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, and VisitScotland.
Is Business Gateway a public or private company?
Business Gateway is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Business Gateway founded?
Business Gateway was founded in 2008. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Business Gateway based?
Business Gateway is headquartered in Edinburgh, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Business Gateway make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Funding.
Who are Business Gateway's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Skills Development Scotland (SDS), Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), Be the Business and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Regional players are Enterprise Ireland, Invest Northern Ireland and Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs, England). Broad incumbents are Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and British Chambers of Commerce.
Does Business Gateway have an API?
No public API is recorded for Business Gateway.