A total of 115 creative businesses have now benefited directly from enterprise training run by the Cultural Enterprise Office, with 59 marking the competion of the Starter for 6 main programme today.

The latest businesses include fashion designers, furniture makers, games and apps designers, architects, publishers, and product designers. Of the 59, 27 were also successful in pitching for up to £10,000 of cash investment.

The Cultural Enterprise Office, which took over responsibility for delivery at the end of 2009, is Scotland's specialist development agency for pre-start, start up and growing businesses in the Creative Industries sector.

The Scottish Government invested £1 million over two years in Starter for 6 in late 2009 through Creative Scotland's Innovation Fund.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, today joined entrepreneurs for the announcement of the 2011 Investment awards and the new Starter for 6 Network at Edinburgh's latest cultural venue, Summerhall.

Ms Hyslop said: "Scotland's creative industries make a valuable contribution to our economy, supporting more than 60,000 jobs and generating £5.2 billion turnover each year.

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"We are working closely with the sector as well as relevant public sector agencies, such as the Cultural Enterprise Office, to ensure our creative industries have the support they need to realise their full economic potential and reinforce Scotland's reputation as a place of innovation and creativity.

"By providing access to business skills training and investment, the Starter for 6 programme nurtures talent, creates new entrepreneurs and helps our creative industries to flourish. The commercial success and critical acclaim achieved by so many Starter for 6 start-ups is testament to the wealth of talent and entrepreneurship in Scotland."

Chair of the Cultural Enterprise Office, Oscar-nominated film Producer Bob Last said: "Scotland has a wealth of creative talent but the challenge has always been to turn this talent into sustainable businesses, and specialist, targeted business support is the key to making this happen.

"Through Starter for 6 and its on-going business development work Cultural Enterprise Office supports not only the development of businesses that will grow into Scotland's SMEs, but micro-businesses that are the bedrock of the creative sector.

"The vision of the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland in investing in Starter for 6 is paying tangible dividends with the growing number of creative businesses that are not only contributing to the Scottish economy, but are raising Scotland's profile as a creative nation internationally."

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, said: "Creative Scotland's partnership with the Cultural Enterprise Office has shown the potential that is unlocked through investment in start-up businesses within the creative sector. We will work with Scottish Government and our other partners to ensure that Scotland realises its ambitions for success in the creative industries."

Since Cultural Enterprise Office took over running Starter for 6 a total of 371 businesses have applied to participate in Starter for 6 Main Programme. 112 were accepted on to the programme ( 53 in 2010 and 59 in 2011), 54 of which successfully pitched for investment.

(GK)