Testing the water

Visitors to the Islands often comment that we don’t take to the water very much; for sure, the seas around the Islands’ coast can be challenging, even treacherous, but still there is surprisingly little leisure and adventure use made of this wonderful natural asset.

That is changing, with start-up Falklands Outdoors. The new enterprise from Daniel Biggs opened this season, with backing from the Tourist Board and FIDC helping the young entrepreneur with his fleet of sea kayaks and other nautical adventure equipment. As Dan says, “it was great to find this support ‘at home’ in the Islands. This, plus my CDS assistance gave me the resources to launch”.

Falklands Outdoors are offering a range of tours, trips, and lessons on the water, as well as overland adventure trips, climbing and walking tours.

Both FITB and FIDC are keen to see this activity make headway – as tourists (and locals) take an ever more active and adventurous approach to leisure time.

Dan’s advisor at FIDC, Louise Ellis, is enthusiastic about this business’s potential; “With plenty of hard work going into creating a year-round offering, and building a reputation for safety and reliability, Dan can really be a pioneer in Falkland’s adventure tourism”. Keen to try paddling? Find Falklands Outdoors at https://falklandsoutdoors.com

Moving on, up!

Since April 2018 Sharon Gilbert, has been operating her SG Accounts firm out of FIDC’s Shackleton House having started the business from her home a year earlier. After those first 12-months, with a growing list of clients heading her way, Sharon swiftly realised that she needed more room to work effectively. In stepped FIDC with a small and affordable start-up office within Shackleton House. Then, with the need for an assistant, Sharon rapidly traded up for more room in the Corporation’s HQ.

Now Sharon is located in her new base, Atlantic House.

Sharon had this to say about the move; “I am glad that my business has had this early growth, now supporting the move to a bigger space that better suits our planned future needs.” She also added, “I’m grateful to FIDC for this start-up boost, with space and regular enterprise advice”.

Gordon Ackroyd, FIDC’s Strategic Projects Manager, comments; “this is a good move for Sharon, and we wish her well. There’s been a great rapport between Sharon and the FIDC team. New tenants are on the way for the starter office”.

New businesses needing office space can contact Kelly via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Or by telephone on 27211

Transman CEO visits the Falklands

Keen readers of the FIDC Business Climate Surveys will have noted that Shortage of Labour continues to fetter the growth of Falkland Islands enterprise. Many of our entrepreneurs – and public sector managers - have direct experience of this problem.

FIG now has Dr Balissa Greene dedicated to Labour Force Development, and the large audiences at her discussion meetings towards the end of last year were keen to hear about analysis and policy – plus sharing any practical initiatives to secure quality workers.

The Development Corporation has a number of actions supporting labour growth – funding worker housing, and organising training for example. We’ve been encouraging coordinated efforts on workforce supply too.

With this in mind, FIDC is pleased that Angela Dick, founder and CEO of Transman (Pty) Ltd will be in Stanley 19^th-26^th January 2019 to see how her South Africa based recruitment and HR firm can provide solutions to the Islands. The Transman head brings a wealth of commercial experience and is a highly respected international business leader.

Transman Ltd is a very big player in the African labour market, providing a full range of HR, search and selection and labour services – especially temp and seasonal workforces. This company now supplies our subsidiary FIMCo with the bulk of its skilled production team.

Angela has arranged her own fact-finding visit to the Falkland Islands – but while she’s here, FIDC is keen to see that Falkland Islands businesses get full value from her time.

We are setting up some meetings for her - with Government, private sector employers, and business associations - so Angela can get to grips with our Island’s planned labour needs, discovering what arrangements companies currently make, and offering a service to those who want it.

This is a chance for local business to see what the South African territory can offer, in response to their unique staffing challenges.

FIDC is proud to oversee the Business Development Grant Scheme.  The aim of this scheme is to assist local businesses take advantage of new business opportunities.  FIDC recognises the associated barriers of acquiring higher standards of skills, procedures and processes to take advantage of the increasing number of business opportunities in the Falklands.  FIDC wishes to reduce the financial barrier of meeting these higher standards by helping local businesses acquire internationally recognised training and certification to better position their business to take advantage of new opportunities.

The scheme, approved by the Falkland Islands Development Board in April 2016, provides up to 50% or £5,000 (whichever is lowest) of grant funding for businesses to acquire internationally recognised training or certification.  The scheme is not prescriptive in the types of training and certification that can receive grant funding from this scheme as the kinds of training and certification that can make a business more competitive will vary from application to application.  The remaining 50% of the funding for the training or certification must be provided by the applicant.  Costs eligible for funding from this scheme include anything directly related to acquiring the training or certification, for example course fees, exam fees, assessor fees, travel and accommodation.

The scheme only provides funding for the applicants’ initial training qualification or certification.  The funding will take into account all of the costs to reach that stage, but any maintenance or on-going auditing or assessing post accreditation is not covered by this scheme.  The rationale behind this is to ensure the scheme remains focused and as many businesses can be helped by the scheme.

The application form for this scheme can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.

document Business Development Grant Application (207 KB)

For more information about this scheme, please contact Development Manager (e: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call at +500 27211)