We also fund initiatives that directly benefit local employers in Dumfries and Galloway, including: business support - through Scottish Enterprise which account manages 51 companies in Dumfries and Galloway and has, since 2015/16, made offers of Regional Selective Assistance of £1.75 million; business support - through our funding of the local authority delivered Business Gateway which supported 344 start ups in Dumfries and Galloway in 2015/6 and received £0.914 million under the 2014-20 ERDF Programme to Dumfries and Galloway Council for a Business Gateway project to target SMEs with growth potential and assist them with their growth ambitions; business support - over 5,000 properties are benefiting from reduced or zero business rates in Dumfries and Galloway under the Small Business Bonus Scheme this year.