The economic development agency today announced that £10.7m has been approved for 43 projects involving a total capital investment of £61.6m.

More than 750 green jobs are expected to be created and safeguarded by the projects.

The awards are being made via the agency’s Green Jobs Call, part of the Scottish Government’s £100m Green Jobs Fund. Grants ranging from £50,000 to £500,000 were available through the call.

Businesses applying for funding had to demonstrate they will create or safeguard jobs that relate directly to the transition to net zero or minimise environmental impacts by developing sustainable low-carbon products or services.

Adrian Gillespie, CEO of Scottish Enterprise, said: “This round of funding shows our commitment to supporting Scotland’s transition to a greener and fairer economy, and to creating good green jobs.

“The wide range of projects highlights the increasingly innovative approaches businesses are taking to answering the net zero call, whether that’s creating new products and services, or developing and adapting existing approaches to mitigate their environmental impact.”

Welcoming the announcement, just transition minister Richard Lochhead said: “To secure a truly just transition we must invest in our green industries now – creating and supporting the green jobs that will be vital in helping Scotland to become a net zero nation. In doing so, Scotland’s businesses have the opportunity to be at the forefront of this new green revolution.

“Helping businesses achieve a just transition will be a theme of this week’s Budget and the £100 million Green Jobs Fund is an integral part of that process. Over the next five years, the funding will support businesses to create green jobs and a better transition to a low carbon economy.

“I’m delighted to see this first tranche of funding being announced today. The projects awarded funding to date demonstrate the exciting opportunities being created by the green revolution our economy is undergoing.”

Grant recipients include Dundee-based sustainable cities consultancy Urban Foresight. The company is investing £2.6m in the expansion of its consultancy teams focused on electric vehicle charging, new mobility services, net zero economic development, digital infrastructure, and local government services, supported by a £400,000 grant.

Rachel Beeton, director at Urban Foresight, said: “We are delighted to receive this support from Scottish Enterprise to grow our team in Dundee where we’ve established strong relationships with local authorities and other regional partners.

“There’s an abundance of talent in the city that we want to tap into by creating jobs for graduates and experienced consultants. We’re excited to be scaling up and proud to be strengthening local services and infrastructure across Scotland.”