HIE Digital and Technology Adoption Capital Grant

What is it?

Our Digital and Technology Adoption Capital Grant provides funding for organisations across the Highlands and Islands to support their digital transformation ambitions.

Adopting digital technology offers many advantages for your business, including reducing costs, speeding up processes, improving customer insights, enabling faster decision making, lowering carbon emissions, and increasing revenue.

We recommend that organisations applying for this fund have a digital action plan or feasibility study in place before making an enquiry. If you need help with this, please see our Digital Specialist Advice Programme fund, which may help cover the costs of one-to-one consultancy on digital technology. 

Digital technology that may be supported with a capital grant include:

• robots/robotics/cobotics
• sensor technologies
• Internet of Things
• data innovation
• artificial intelligence
• cyber security
• software development
• augmented reality/virtual reality/3D visualisations
• additive manufacturing and laser machining
• cyber security solutions

Projects that have an element of ‘deep tech’ will also be considered (e.g. blockchain, photonics, aerospace and space technologies, electronics, cyber threat intelligence and quantum computing).

Who is eligible?

Organisations of any size based within the Highlands and Islands region are eligible to apply.

Applicants must comply with HIE’s fair work conditions for financial support. If you would like to speak to someone about the fair work requirement or need more information, please email enquiries@hient.co.uk

Who is not eligible?

• All projects are assessed on a case by case basis - individual enterprises or those who are part of a group that are large enterprises may be ineligible.
• Businesses and social enterprises operating primarily in the retail,  food and beverage service or personal services sector (e.g. shops, pubs, cafes, restaurants, hairdressers, beauticians, alternative therapist etc.) or business services sector (e.g. lawyers, accountants etc.).
• Accommodation businesses operating from an applicant’s own home (e.g. B&B or AirBnB-type businesses) are not eligible.
• Organisations which are primarily core funded by the public sector are not eligible. Core funding does not include project funding and service level agreements with the public sector).
• Religious and political organisations are not eligible.

How much can I apply for?

Projects will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Applicants will be required to identify up to three eligible quotes to support their project. HIE will not make recommendations on who you should work with.

What can the funding be used for?

The funding can be used for projects focused on the adoption of advanced digital technologies, as outlined above.

The funding cannot be used towards:

• projects previously funded by HIE
• covering salary costs of payroll employees
• placements
• legal costs
• travel and accommodation costs are generally excluded from eligible costs, but they will be considered on a case by case basis depending on the applicant’s location

How do I apply?

To apply, please complete our short enquiry form and we will get in touch.

This programme is anticipated to run from June 2025 until March 2029. However, if all funds are committed earlier, the programme will close. Early applications are encouraged. 

The small print - this is important

• All HIE grant assistance is discretionary.
• Grant awards are subject to due diligence and budget availability. Due diligence includes: making an assessment on the need for public funding; the viability of the business going forward; the ability of the applicant to deliver the project; the impact of the development on the economy, and the strength of the business case presented to HIE.
• Making an application to the fund does not guarantee that your application will be successful. If you are not successful in your application or you are only partially successful e.g. you receive funding of a lesser amount than you applied for, we will arrange a call with you to let you know why you have been unsuccessful and point you in the direction of other possible sources of funding.
• There is NO appeals process. We are unable to consider a complaint purely relating to dissatisfaction as to the outcome of a funding decision. However, if you have identified a specific process failure relating to your application, then you may wish to make a formal complaint. See our formal complaints process for more information.
• Organisations will commission a supplier of their own choosing. When submitting an application organisations will also have to provide a copy of their outline brief for the work proposed and evidence that at least 3 quotes have been received from potential contractors.

Need to speak to us?

If you would like to talk to someone about your enquiry, please email enquiries@hient.co.uk and we will get back to you.