Small businesses and young companies often find it difficult to raise money to fund growth. The North Highland Regeneration Fund (NHRF) has been established by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to provide loan funding complementing other existing sources of funding for small businesses. This initiative is designed to pump-prime both the start-up of new ventures and the growth of existing businesses as part of the drive to replace the jobs which will be lost in the Caithness & Sutherland area as the Dounreay nuclear plant is decommissioned.