The Scottish government has launched a multi million-pound business loan fund in a bid to help companies across the country access the financial support they need.
Finance Secretary John Swinney said the £55m Scottish Loan Fund (SLF) is open to firms with up to 250 staff and an annual turnover of more than £1m.
The Scottish Investment Bank, which provides investment funds to help businesses grow, will offer loans of up to £5m to growing and exporting companies.
Announcing the launch of the SLF, Mr Swinney said: "Scotland's economy is strengthening. We are the only nation in the UK with rising employment and falling unemployment."
"After a shorter and shallower recession than the UK as a whole, the latest GDP figures show growth continuing to take hold."
"News that the Scottish Loan Fund is open for business is a vital part of the ongoing delivery of that plan and great news for Scottish companies and our economy as a whole."
Iain McMillan, director of CBI Scotland, said the Scottish government deserved credit for introducing the fund at a "time of continuing tightness in the credit markets".
The SLF will be managed by independent fund managers, Glasgow-based Maven Capital Partners.




