Councillors will next week decide whether or not to fund a £100,000 enterprise centre which aims to get north-east entrepreneurs off the ground.
Banff and Buchan area committee will vote on the plans to create the help centre in the new-look Council Chambers in Fraserburgh’s town centre.
The £101,783 bid would create a space for what the local authority has dubbed “entrepreneurial discovery”, providing start-up businesses a place to work out of, including hot desks, training facilities and coaching.
Stephen Archer, Aberdeenshire Council’s director of infrastructure services, has called for councillors to approve the project.
In his report, which will be discussed on Tuesday, he has said there is a high level of potential within Fraserburgh for new businesses.
“Many people cite a low awareness of the support on offer as one of the key barriers to entrepreneurship,” he added.
“Enterprise hubs are spaces where entrepreneurs and start-up or early-stage business can come together, learn and share knowledge and networks.
“Traditionally, hubs are larger spaces, so this project is somewhat experimental in terms of providing a smaller facility. However, it is believed that for a town like Fraserburgh it is of a sufficient scale to meet local demand and, if successful, could be considered as a model for other towns in Aberdeenshire.”
If approved, the scheme could support 50 existing and 10 new businesses in the port, creating 20 new jobs and providing training for 150 more.
Councillors will vote on the proposal at a meeting in Banff.
Wider efforts to redevelop the Council Chambers in Fraserburgh have been running since 2016.
A £1.8million construction effort is currently underway to combine it and the town’s former police station on Kirk Brae into new offices for the council.
