Latest news with #ScottishEnterprise
Daily Record
6 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Record
Ticket agency pledges to give every penny of profit to charities - and disrupt the price gougers
Humanitix starts up in Edinburgh with Scottish Enterprise backing. Founders aim to give £100 million a year to charity, within ten years. And they ban themselves from profiteering tactics like "dynamic pricing" A ticketing company claims it can revolutionise the industry by giving every penny of its profits to charitable causes. Humanitix this week sets up a UK base in Edinburgh and pledges that every ticket it sells with help children's charities. And its founders also promise that no-one buying from them will get sucked into any price gouging strategies that have erupted via global companies like Ticketmaster in recent years. Aussie Adam McCurdie, who set up Humanitix with high school friend Josh Ross in 2016, insists there is no downside to selling tickets or buying them visa his charity. Tickets will, he claims, be cheaper - and charity partners will win too. He said: 'The key question for us is this: 'What does ticketing look like when there are no shareholders?' 'And I would suggest that Humanitix is the answer. 'We are set up, by constitution and company structure, as a registered charity and non-profit. We are compelled to give profit away. 'There can be no temptation - now or in the future - to start fleecing people and making a huge profit then selling the business - because there is nothing to sell. 'We've totally taken that off the board and we've already given away more than £8.5 million - and £5 million in the past year alone - to good causes.' McCurdie has been living in Edinburgh to set up the charity's launch there. Since the charity was formed in 2016 in Sydney, Australia, it has opened offices in Denver, and Auckland. The Edinburgh start-up - which creates 30 jobs - is being aided by a £325,000 Scottish Enterprise grant, as well as assistance from the International Social Enterprise Observatory (ISEO). Humanitix is now seeking to handle the ticketing operations for events that might involve tens of people up to tens of thousands, like summer festivals. McCurdie refuses to get drawn into thorny debate about the rise of hated 'dynamic ticketing' on the UK ticket scene. The issue exploded when Oasis were exposed for opting into Ticketmaster's price gouging strategy - that sells the same seat for higher and higher amounts if the demand allows it. The Daily Record has written extensively about Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation - which has huge power via its entertainment venue ownership and talent promotion, as well as its global ticketing operations. And the UK government is currently looking at ways of legally blocking any methods that exploit the fervour of fans, including those who end up paying way more for a ticket than was advertised when they logged on to an online sale. McCurdie said: 'With no profit and with no equity an no shareholders, there is no opportunity for Humanitix to be sold or bought by a big conglomerate or a ticketing company. 'There is no exit strategy for me and the founders. It's all about impact. 'And we can have an impact while reducing the booking fees for punters, significantly. 'No event has ever paid more in booking fees after coming to us - they always go down 'We then avoid what we consider terrible pricing strategies, like drip pricing or dynamic pricing, for example. We look at that very quickly and very simply as a horrible pricing strategy for anyone who's a genuine fan looking to buy tickets and we simply don't do that.' McCurdie is realistic in that big companies like Ticketmaster can often have deals wrapped up through corporate ownership ties. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. But he said: 'We are mainly operating in a space where event hosts have choice of ticketing partner. And when they're given a choice, they take a look at our platform. 'And they can see that, today, we're doing in excess of 650,000 events, so they make the switch. 'There's just so much exciting opportunity and growth here.' 'Ten years from now, if our projections go to plan, we will be in all English speaking countries, as well as across all of Europe. 'And we will be, hopefully, the go-to ticketing platform of all events of all shapes and sizes, and be giving away in excess of £100 million pounds per year to our charity partners. That's the 10 year goal. 'We gave away another five million pounds just last year alone, giving away now in excess of eight and a half million pounds, and growing incredibly quickly. 'We are dealing with everything from a two person cooking class up to 200,000 people at a festival - to anything where the host is allowed to choose its ticketing platform. 'It's just a fantastic way to have every single event, big and small, make a meaningful impact at no cost to anyone except for the incumbent ticketing platform that was previously doing the ticketing. Reuben Aitken, managing director of Scottish Enterprise's international arm, worked with Humanitix to bring the UK headquarters to Scotland. He said: 'At Scottish Enterprise, we are all about backing ambition. 'The boldness and innovation of Humanitix, combined with their ethical approach, is how you really go about disrupting an industry and we're excited to see that happening from their Edinburgh HQ.'
Scotsman
a day ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Readers' Letters: SNP would leave Scots defenceless in face of aggressive Russia
Government policies have shot down chance of a lucrative welding plant being sighted in Scotland, says reader Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish Enterprise has decided to withdraw a £2.5 million grant for a welding centre to support the UK's submarine fleet. This initiative, led by Rolls Royce no less, would have injected £11m into the Scottish economy. The funding was pulled thanks to SNP policy. The SNP opposes the defence of the UK on the pathetic grounds that they dislike nuclear weapons. Well, so do I, especially the ones pointed at us by Russia. As the Ukrainians have pointed out, there would be no Russian forces in their country if they had not unilaterally given up their nuclear stockpile (with Russian guarantees) in the Nineties. The jobs will probably end up in England. Well done, SNP. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad If anyone in the Glasgow area who cares about our independence and democracy wishes to stay free and democratic, they cannot possibly vote for a party like the SNP who would leave us defenceless in the face of an aggressive, imperialist power like Russia. First Minister John Swinney's SNP government has blocked a £2.5 million grant for a specialist welding centre in Glasgow Andrew HN Gray, Edinburgh Who's posturing? On 2 July The Scotsman's leader column commented on the SNP government's refusal to support munitions production in Scotland by stating that 'National security must take precedence over politically driven moral posturing'. This sounded like a familiar phrase until I realised this was almost exactly Benjamin Netanyahu's justification for creating starvation conditions in Gaza. It was also Keir Starmer's excuse for not backing an SNP motion for a ceasefire in Gaza during a Westminster debate last year. Yet 12 months on we have the same Mr Starmer threatening trade sanctions in response to the unjustified bombing of Palestinian woman and children while simultaneously declining to stop selling munitions to Israel. Is that not politically driven moral posturing with bells on? The SNP won an election in Scotland based on adhering to a moral principle now being derided by the UK Defence Secretary John Healey as 'student union politics'. His party lost that election so it would appear that the people agreed with the students. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Finally, given that defence is reserved, can somebody explain why the Scottish Treasury is being asked to fund a defence initiative that was decided in Westminster without any reference to the Scottish Government? Robert Menzies, Falkirk MAD decision Across the length and breadth of the UK the NHS and other public services are in desperate need of additional funding. In England alone the predicted funding gap for local councils in 2025/26 is £3.4 billion, a figure expected to rise to £6.9bn by 2026/27 according to research by UNISON. In the third quarter of 2024/25 there were 106,000 workforce vacancies in NHS England with 27,000 nursing positions needing filled. One of the consequences of persistent understaffing has been widespread staff burnout. This has led to a mental health crisis amongst healthcare workers. Bearing all this in mind it is difficult to comprehend why Sir Keir Starmer is evidently determined to spend billions more on 'defence'. If the UK, US, Russia, China etc keep upping the ante by spending more and more on increasingly sophisticated weapons the only beneficiaries will be arms companies and their shareholders. The inevitable outcome of continued escalation of tensions will be nuclear war and mutually assured destruction! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad It is surely time for our government to focus on welfare not warfare! Alan Woodcock, Dundee Bluff called Nigel Farage has certainly set the cat amongst the pigeons. His brief Scottish visit revealed his desire to run a close eye over government spending. He mentioned the Barnett formula which gives Scots a £1,500 or so 'Union dividend'. This is correct, but the SNP never mentions this positively. If this sum was reduced Scotland would be in deep trouble as our already higher taxes must rise or expenditure must be cut. Talk of our 'wonderful situation' as regards renewable energy and Scotland receiving far less in return for general taxation are dubious to say the least. The SNP has lived in Cloud Cuckoo Land for years over claims 'independence' would fix all. It has repeatedly gone for benefits increases without due consideration as to where the money will come from. The reality, is Holyrood needs Westminster more than Westminster needs Holyrood. Truly the SNP bluff has been called. Gerald Edwards, Glasgow Enough Farage Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Nigel Farage – that perpetually smirking peddler of English nationalism – has once again deigned to visit Scotland, though 'visit' is too charitable a word for what amounts to a fugitive's furtive dash between closed-door meetings and stage-managed photo ops. Here is a man who has built an entire career on brazen falsehoods that would make even Donald Trump blush, yet who now slinks northwards, dodging scrutiny like a man allergic to daylight. His latest wheeze? A proposal to slash £400 billion from public spending – a figure so recklessly draconian that it makes former Tory Chancellor George Osborne's austerity look like a Labour budget. But then, Farage has never been one to let arithmetic – or indeed, reality – interfere with a good populist con. Brexit, his crowning lie, has already left Britain poorer, weaker and more isolated. Yet here he is, undeterred, flogging the same snake oil under a fresh label. And what of his sudden devotion to 'America First' rhetoric? The man who once postured as the great defender of British sovereignty now fawns over the US far-right, as if his principles were anything more than a series of grubby alliances with whoever will give him airtime. One can only imagine his vision for Scotland: the NHS flogged off to the highest bidder, workers' rights gutted and the country picked clean by private equity vultures. No surprise, then, that support for Scottish independence now stands at 59 per cent – a damning verdict not just on the Union, but on the procession of chancers Westminster keeps inflicting upon it. The English nationalists have overplayed their hand, and Scotland, increasingly, has no patience left for their nonsense. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Farage thrives in the shadows, where his lies go unchecked and his bluster passes for conviction. But the act is wearing thin. The question is no longer whether he can be stopped, but how much more damage he'll be allowed to wreak before the country – and Scotland in particular – finally decides it's had enough of the charlatan. Alan Hinnrichs, Dundee Neutral? Yes please Lord Steel of Aikwood (Letters, 2 June) is correct in saying that 'the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament is required to give up party membership and be neutral'. Would that that were so. Alison Johnstone has allowed flagrant breaches of acceptable behaviour by SNP ministers, but it is Conservative Douglas Ross who has been sanctioned for trying to get answers from them. Only a couple of weeks ago, Ms Johnstone was unmoved when John Swinney roared 'the Conservative Party is a disgusting organisation', without requesting that he moderate his language. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad More recently, Ash Regan asked a detailed, courteous and reasonable question of Shirley-Anne Somerville, the social security minister: 'Trans-identifying people deserve dignity and honesty, but women and girls deserve safety. So what support is there for those who faced coercion, risked harm under gender self-ID, whose wellbeing, whose livelihoods have suffered for defending the lawful human rights to sex-based protections for women and girls?' Ms Somerville gave a non-answer: 'We have consistently called for everyone that is engaging in this debate to be respectful and mindful of their tone during this debate...'. Not the slightest attempt to answer the question referring to those who have been vilified for defending women's privacy, dignity and safety, those who have been dismissed or disciplined for refusing to accept the false doctrine based on denial of biological sex. And no reproof from Ms Johnstone. I recall Ken Macintosh, a previous Presiding Officer, insisting repeatedly that Joe Fitzpatrick, SNP MSP, answer a question rather than deliver a prepared speech. There seems to be no chance of Ms Johnstone following that example. Jill Stephenson, Edinburgh Bank clearances Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Further to Katharine Hay's article on the 'new clearances' (2 June), I quote the words of the late Norman Vincent, who said in an interview with STV on the closure of the four Bank of Scotland branches in Sutherland, 'Well this is just like the second Highland Clearance.' The first removed people for sheep. The second is moving people for wind turbines, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and pylon lines. Michael Baird, Bonar Bridge, Highland Crowded house Re: your editorial, 'Tribute band to upstage Oasis? Murrayfield showdown looms' (3 June), it's bad enough being invaded three times in a week during the Festival, when the city is already bursting at its seams, by Oasis fans, without the prospect of several thousand more Oasis tribute band fans in the Ice Rink. Your editorial naively speaks of the crowds mixing in local bars after the shows. There are four local bars! This is a residential area, totally unable to cope with tens of thousands of fans pouring in over a five-day period. It's madness! Brian Bannatyne-Scott, Edinburgh Write to The Scotsman Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
STV News
2 days ago
- Business
- STV News
SNP ‘all over the place' on funding for defence companies, claims Labour
The SNP has been accused of being 'all over the place' on state funding for defence companies, after the Government enterprise agency declined to back a Rolls-Royce welding skills centre. Rolls-Royce has been told the project in the Glasgow area cannot be supported with £2.5m of funding from Scottish Enterprise. A Scottish Government minister said the project could not be funded as it concerns 'munitions' and is part of a programme for building attack submarines. UK Defence Secretary John Healy has described the refusal to back the welding centre as 'student union politics'. SNP business minister Richard Lochhead responded to MSPs' questions on Tuesday. He said the Scottish Government and its agencies have a longstanding policy that public money should not support 'the manufacture of munitions'. PA Media Richard Lochhead said the project would be ineligible for Scottish Enterprise support PA Media Mr Lochhead said as the project concerns an 'attack submarine' it would be ineligible for Scottish Enterprise support, but a formal application had not been received. Scottish Labour deputy leader Dame Jackie Baillie said: 'The Scottish Government's position is frankly incoherent and their policy on state funded aid for defence is all over the place and applied selectively.' She pointed out that the Government-owned shipyard Ferguson Marine is carrying out subcontractor work for the Royal Navy's Type 26 frigate programme – arguing 'there are munitions on the frigate'. Mr Lochhead responded, saying: 'The Scottish Government very much values the role of the defence sector in Scotland and the many jobs it sustains, and indeed the value it adds to the Scottish economy. 'For that reason £45m of support through our enterprise agencies has been allocated to defence companies or companies partially involved in defence activities.' PA Media Labour's Dame Jackie Baillie said the SNP is 'all over the place' PA Media Dame Jackie asked: 'What does the Government believe the Army, the Navy and the air force should defend the country with? 'Pea shooters, bows and arrows, a telling off?' Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr aid the SNP's position is 'not just incoherent, it's totally hypocritical'. Mr Lochhead said funding had focused on the diversification of industry, noting defence is reserved to the UK Government. He also said governments must take into account 'ethical considerations' when it comes to funding companies in the defence sector. Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
7 days ago
- Business
- Scotsman
Grangemouth boost as chemicals maker uses grant to create 38 jobs
'Grangemouth is an important strategic location for Syngenta, and we are keen to further invest into new facilities at the site' – Pete Waddington, head of UK manufacturing Sign up to our Scotsman Money newsletter, covering all you need to know to help manage your money. Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A specialty chemicals maker and agricultural life sciences company based in Grangemouth is to create 38 jobs as it expands production. Syngenta has been awarded £2.2 million from Scottish Enterprise towards the £14.7m growth project, which will also safeguard 14 existing roles. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The firm, which employs more than 370 people at its Grangemouth facility, specialises in crop protection and seed breeding for the agriculture sector. Its site expansion will create a dedicated manufacturing facility for its Seedcare product range, which helps growers safeguard high-value seeds against disease, pests and other environmental stresses. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes visiting chemical manufacturer Syngenta Grangemouth. Picture: Sandy Young/ The project and investment were secured for Scotland following competition with other international locations. The grant was announced during a visit to the company by Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, joined by Scottish Enterprise managing director for innovation and investment, Jane Martin. The news is also a boost for a town that has been hit by plant closures and job losses of late. Syngenta is part of the so-called Grangemouth cluster - a concentration of industry and infrastructure, spanning sectors such as fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, logistics and general manufacturing. Pete Waddington, head of UK manufacturing at Syngenta, said: 'Grangemouth is an important strategic location for Syngenta, and we are keen to further invest into new facilities at the site. The specialty chemical cluster is also an asset for Scotland with a skilled workforce, strong logistics position, and proven track record of delivery.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Forbes said: 'Syngenta's expansion at Grangemouth is great news and I am grateful to the company for its significant contribution to the Grangemouth Future Industry Board. 'I am proud of the investment we are able to make through Scottish Enterprise, as part of the Scottish Government's commitment to shaping a sustainable future for the chemicals sector.' Martin added: 'This latest project from Syngenta is a fantastic example of the type of ambitious, world-leading specialty chemicals innovation we want to see happening here at Grangemouth.
The National
28-05-2025
- Business
- The National
£115m redevelopment of Montrose Port hits key milestone
Early works have started on the sites of three berths to extend the port's capacity by 30%, following a match-funding agreement with Scottish Enterprise. The economic development agency approved £1.7 million towards studies and investigation works which will lead to the creation of 20 hectares of manufacturing land and the three additional quaysides. It is expected this will unlock infrastructure investment in the order of £115m to further develop the port. READ MORE: 3 Palestinians killed, 46 injured 'after Israeli gunfire' at aid hub in Gaza, says UN Scottish Enterprise chief executive Adrian Gillespie said: 'The expansion of Montrose Port is hugely important to providing new infrastructure and space to support the continued growth of the offshore wind sector. 'Montrose Port Authority has exciting plans for the future and we are pleased to back that kind of ambition which will attract further investment into Scotland's economy.' The new berths form part of a wider overall project by the port, including work to turn part of nearby Customs House into a skills academy for the renewables industry. Gillespie added: 'Our ports and harbours are crucial to our future as a trading nation, a green energy powerhouse and as hubs for increased innovation and productivity, and there is no better example than Montrose. 'The innovation and ambition on display there are vital to supporting our just transition to renewables and creating jobs and opportunities for many, many years to come.' Tom Hutchison, chief executive officer of Montrose Port Authority, said: 'The redevelopment of berths nine, 10 and 11 marks a vital step in reinforcing Montrose Port Authority's role in supporting the offshore wind sector and the wider energy industry. 'We're grateful to Scottish Enterprise for acknowledging our vision and ambition, and for match-funding this early works and investigative stage. 'Their support is instrumental in unlocking further investment, enabling us to increase capacity, create more jobs and drive sustainable economic growth for Montrose and the surrounding region. 'As a trust port, delivering long-term value for our community remains at the core of everything we do.'
