The Tay Cities SME Skills Fund is encouraging small to medium sized businesses in and around St Andrews, Cupar and the wider north-east Fife area to find out how funded training could help them invest in their people, address skills gaps and support future growth. Delivered in Fife through Fife College, the programme gives eligible small and medium-sized businesses access to up to £5,000 towards training and workforce development. Businesses across Fife are already benefiting. Figures reported in April 2026 showed that 34 Fife businesses had secured £151,029 since the programme launched.
Tay Cities Training Needs Advisor, Ashley Brown now wants to build on that success by reaching more SMEs across north-east Fife which may not previously have considered approaching Tay Cities SME Skills Fund for training support. Ms Brown said: “There is a fantastic range of small and medium-sized businesses operating across north-east Fife, particularly around St Andrews and Cupar, and we want to make sure they know that this support is available to them.
“We have worked with many businesses in the area over previous years and have seen the difference that investment in people and skills can make. Our figures showed that 34 Fife businesses have secured more than £151,000 of training support, helping 630 delegates. “But we know there will be many more businesses we haven’t reached yet. They may not realise they are eligible for funding, they may think the process will be complicated, or they may simply be too busy dealing with the day-to-day demands of running a business to investigate what is available.
“Our message to them is simple: talk to us. Our Training Needs Analysis is free and gives us the chance to understand your business, where you want it to go and what skills your people might need to help you get there. “With up to £5,000 of fully funded training available to eligible SMEs, there is a real opportunity to invest in your workforce without adding to the pressure on your training budget.”
The funding is designed to be flexible, recognising that the skills needs of a small business can vary considerably depending on its size, sector, workforce and ambitions. Businesses can access training across a wide range of areas, from professional and mandatory qualifications to vocational and short courses. Support can also include bespoke training designed around the requirements of an individual business.
As a first step, the Tay Cities Training Needs Advisors offer a free Training Needs Analysis, giving employers the opportunity to sit down with an experienced adviser to discuss their business objectives, workforce challenges and any skills gaps which could be holding back growth. The team can then identify appropriate training, advise on the funding available and help businesses put together a package which meets their needs.
Training can help businesses address immediate skills gaps as well as longer-term priorities such as improving productivity, embracing new technology, developing managers and future leaders, gaining industry qualifications and preparing their workforce for growth. Training can be delivered flexibly, with options including workplace, online and college-based delivery, while bespoke programmes can be developed where existing courses do not meet a business’s particular requirements.
The support is available to eligible SMEs with fewer than 250 employees across the Tay Cities region, including north-east Fife. Businesses in St Andrews, Cupar and across north-east Fife interested in finding out what support could be available are encouraged to contact the Tay Cities SME Skills team at: [email protected] for an informal discussion and free Training Needs Analysis.
