MORE than 600 new businesses started up across Fife last year.

The figures, released by Fife Council Economic Development and Business Gateway Fife, revealed that Fife had the highest number of start-ups across Scotland in 2021/22 with a total of 603.

It was an increase of 84 compared to the previous year when Covid was at its peak and there were 3,125 applications for financial support with £34m provided to businesses in the Kingdom.

This year, a total of 663 businesses attended the council's Supplier Development Programme of events, 219 more than the previous year, with nearly 40 per cent of Fife Council contracts being awarded to local Fife businesses over the course of the year.

Links with business and young people was also encouraged through Culture of Enterprise (COE) activity, which aims to foster vital connections between education and industry.

Through this, there were more than 112,000 instances of pupil engagement and 1,989 instances where businesses supported COE delivery.

Mark Jones, Board chairperson at Business Gateway Fife, said all the figures reflected an optimism in businesses bouncing back from the pandemic.

"I am particularly delighted with the number of new businesses started in Fife and we are proud to be the top performer in Scotland," he said.

"It shows just how hard our teams have worked and continue to work to make this happen and I wish to thank them for their exemplary effort, continued commitment and support.

"We hope to continue to build on this success in the coming year and maintain Business Gateway Fife as the first point of call for new and growing businesses.”

Pamela Stevenson, Fife Council Service Manager for Economic Development, Business and Employability, added: “Across the board, in all sections of our service delivery, there have been key areas of improvement which is really encouraging and testament to the efforts of our teams.

"Our focus ahead this year will be to support business resilience, upskilling of the workforce, continue to develop the Culture of Enterprise programme and to help our local businesses work towards delivering a net zero strategy.

"To meet increasing demand, the economic development team will also continue to develop new business units and serviced employment land throughout Fife.”

Fife Chamber of Commerce's chief executive, Alan Mitchell, this week expressed concern over the lack of help for businesses to weather the cost-of-living crisis.

Following an announcement of financial support for households from the UK Government, he said: “It has obviously escaped the Chancellor’s notice that businesses are facing inflationary pressures and rising costs that are just as big and just as damaging as UK households.

"Their fuel and energy costs are shooting up. They are having to pay much more to attract and retain employees. Employer National Insurance rates have risen by 1.25 per cent. Supply chain inflation is at record levels. Despite all this, there is no help on offer from the Chancellor.

"Having made the decision that households needed help now and borrowing to pay for it was the right thing to do, the Chancellor should have extended support to businesses as well.

"Many face a very difficult few months of trading and if they contract or fail today, we will all lose tomorrow through fewer jobs and less taxes to fund public services.”