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Business confidence in Scotland has dropped below both the UK average and the historical norm for the country, but remains in positive territory, according to a new survey of chartered accountants. Sentiment tracked by ICAEW’s Business Confidence Monitor (BCM) for Q4 2023 put confidence at 2.0

A new independent report on the state of Aberdeen’s economy outlines the continuing need for a long-term strategic approach to secure a successful transition to renewable energy. The 2023 Economic Policy Panel Report highlights that the key to achieving long-term success is diversification, at

Scotland's economy is "stuck in a low growth cycle", according to the latest Scottish Chambers of Commerce Economic Indicator.

The Scottish Government has been faced with a £1.5 billion shortfall in funding for next year due to increased spending pressures and new announcements, according to the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde. This represents one of the most challenging fiscal backdrops

The Scottish private sector has experienced a continued decline in activity in November, as highlighted by the latest Royal Bank of Scotland PMI. At 47.1, up from 46.5 in October, the Scotland Business Activity Index posted below the crucial 50.0 mark for the third month running. The decline in priv

Craig Herd, a product analyst at Sainsbury’s Bank based in Cumbernauld, has been named the UK Young Banker of the Year 2023. The prestigious award ceremony took place on 7 December 2023 at London's Mansion House. Initiated in 1987 by the Chartered Banker Institute, the awards honour individual

Businesses operating in the UK energy sector should consider how they can use their gender pay gap (GPG) data as a catalyst for change in their organisation, writes Susannah Donaldson. Analysis by Pinsent Masons has found that many businesses in the sector are already taking positive action to

A Lanarkshire-based photography business, is going from strength from strength following support from Business Gateway. Branding by Zaria helps business owners enhance their brand and tell their story through the power of photography. Dubbing herself a ‘visual storyteller’, Zaria Young o

Heriot-Watt University has spearheaded a transformative initiative with the launch of the DeepTech LaunchPad pilot programme.

Unity Trust Bank has appointed Dawn Morris to the new role of deposits relationship manager for the North & Scotland to help develop the bank’s growing customer portfolio. Bringing over three decades of banking experience to the role, Ms Morris will work with new and existing day-to-day ba

The Property Finance team at responsible investment manager Downing LLP has started to offer sustainability-linked facilities to property developers. Sustainability-linked loans (SLLs) are loans where the interest rate is linked to the borrower's ability to meet pre-defined sustainability targets. U

Two-thirds (66%) of media and technology businesses have claimed it has been difficult to access the necessary funding in the UK during the last six months, according to a survey conducted on behalf of RSM UK. Only a third (33%) of businesses surveyed were able to easily access funds in the UK.

Scotland's financial sector has unveiled an ambitious strategy aiming to add £7 billion to the Scottish economy over the next five years. The strategy has been developed in collaboration with City of London Corporation, TheCityUK, FinTech Scotland and the Global Ethical Finance Initiative, and

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has fined Equifax Ltd more than £11 million for failing to manage and monitor the security of UK consumer data it had outsourced to its parent company based in the US.

Grant Thornton UK has marked a record high in its apprenticeship programme this year, welcoming 213 school leavers, representing a 13% increase from the previous year’s 188 participants. This is the largest intake by the firm in its history.