About Highland Opportunity Limited

Highland Opportunity Limited (HOL) is a company limited by guarantee, with no issued share capital. It has one member, the Highland Council. No profit or surplus is distributed to the sole member from the company’s ongoing operations – any such surpluses are retained and re-invested in the company’s business.

The Board of Directors is drawn from the elected Members of the Highland Council. The Directors currently serving are: -

Councillor Helen Carmichael, (Chair)  

Councillor Ian Brown, (Vice Chair)
Councillor Ian Ross
Councillor Jimmy Gray
Councillor David Henderson
Councillor Drew Hendry
Councillor Billy Barclay
Councillor Isobel McCallum
Councillor David Flear

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The Company Manager is David Owen

The business of HOL is that of an Enterprise Trust for the Highlands – a body whose purpose is to stimulate economic activity, promote the start up and growth of business ventures including social enterprises, to help create new jobs, improve access to employment and foster business activity and trade. It has been in existence since 1986.

Business Streams

The company delivers its purpose through four business streams:

1. Financial investment in private and social enterprises, primarily through low cost discretionary loans, but occasionally through equity stakes or commodity contracts and through match funding the loans made by the Prince’s Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT).
2. Business advice and training services, including the Highland agency for PSYBT, under the national banner of Business Gateway.
3. Practical business support activities such as serviced business space, European trade connections, access to public sector contract opportunities, wage subsidies as incentives to employers and employability initiatives, administrative support to Young Enterprise Scotland and business success awards.
4. Social intervention to assist those families who are distant from the workplace to remove barriers to training, education and employment, using the resources of the Fairer Scotland Fund.

HOL also seeks to be a Highland centre of gravity for business support and work creation through engagement with all public sector agencies, the European Commission, the charities of Prince Charles, chambers of commerce, trade associations, social economy sponsors and political initiatives.

 COMPANY INFORMATION

Registered office: 81a Castle Street, Inverness, IV2 3EA

Registered in Scotland Number SC97373

VAT Registration Number 552 1883 40