Developing Business Start-up Support Programmes: Evidence from Scotland

Abstract

Developing start-up business support programmes may become attractive again, particularly to the new Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), following the promotion of new venture entrepreneurship in recent Government policy statements. This paper examines the results from two start-up business support programmes in the West of Scotland; a region where new venture entrepreneurship has been a feature of policy. Both programmes provided support for an 18 month period to selected clients. Although, there were differences in the programmes in terms of design; in terms of impacts there were more similarities. The paper examines some policy implications of developing business start-up support programmes.