STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK BUSINESS FUND REMAINS OPEN FOR APPLICATIONS

The Strategic Framework Business Fund offers grant support every four weeks for businesses that are required to close by law for as long as the restrictions last.

The fund remains open for applications and businesses are being urged to check their eligibility before applying.

New statistics show businesses in Scotland have received £276 million through the Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF), the hospitality, leisure and retail top up payments and the Taxi and Private Hire Driver Support Fund since November 2020.

A total of £244 million was paid by these three funds in January alone, including £4.7 million paid to taxi and private hire drivers in the first ten days of claims. Statistics relating to other live funds will be published in due course.

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£750 Grants for Childminders Now Available 

Grants of £750 are being paid to all registered childminders in Scotland in order to secure the sustainability of their businesses.

Funding of more than £3.2 million has been made available to ensure that all childminders registered with the Care Inspectorate will receive the flat-rate payment.

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A coronavirus (COVID-19) resilience fund for legal aid firms and law centres, worth up to £9 million, has opened for applications.

The Coronavirus Resilience and Recovery Fund for Legal Aid has been created to provide financial support to enable legal aid services to the public to continue - assisting those practitioners that have had a reduction in legal aid business levels because of the restrictions in place.

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Deanestor Delivers Its Largest Ever Education Furniture Contract

Dunfermline-based Deanestor one of the UK’s leading furniture and fit-out specialists, has delivered its largest ever contract in the education sector. The £3 million project was for the manufacture of bespoke furniture and fit-out of the new £55 million Inverurie Community Campus – one of the largest school construction projects in Scotland.

Read the full story now at https://www.fifebusinessmatters.co.uk/

Annual Investment Allowance Limit Extended

The Annual Investment Allowance (AIA) has been extended for a further year, until 1^st January 2022.
 
The AIA allows engineering and manufacturing businesses to obtain 100 per cent tax relief on qualifying capital expenditure such as plant, machinery, vans, and tools, up to £1 million in the year of purchase. The extension is hoped to stimulate investment in UK manufacturing and support business confidence as companies look to weather the pandemic and plan for the future.

Read the full story now at https://www.fifebusinessmatters.co.uk/

Quarantine Hotels for Arrivals to Scotland Confirmed

All arrivals to Scotland from outside the Common Travel Area must book and pay for managed isolation in quarantine hotels to help protect against the importation of Coronavirus (COVID-19) from 15 February.

Six hotels close to Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports with a combined capacity of 1,300 rooms will be used to implement the quarantine at a cost of £1,750 per individual traveller.

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£10 million  Visitor Attractions Support Fund Now Open

The £10 million fund is being delivered by VisitScotland, on behalf of Scottish Government and has been developed with input from the Association of Scottish Visitor Attractions (ASVA).

The COVID-19 lockdown, travel guidance, and current social distancing measures continue to place visitor attractions under considerable financial strain. The purpose of this fund is to help ensure the survival of visitor attractions which play an important role in both the tourism industry and in local communities in Scotland.

Visitor attractions will be able to apply for grants of up to £50,000, dependent on their turnover.

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Covid-19 Recovery Support for Scottish Recycling Businesses

Zero Waste Scotland is offering businesses based in Scotland one-to-one consultancy support to help them deal with the issues created by the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and help maximise their recycling and recovery opportunities.

The free support can be used for a range of issues such as the development of adapted business plans and marketing initiatives, exploring diversification opportunities and building resilience into the business 

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£2.5 Million Emergency Funding for Zoos and Aquariums

Zoos and aquariums impacted financially by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are being invited to apply for a new round of emergency funding.

Applications opened this week for the Zoo and Aquarium Animal Welfare Fund, with up to £2.5 million available to support animal care and key conservation work.

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Additional £17.5 Million Funding Made Available to Creative Freelancers and Events Sector  

A further £17.5 million of emergency coronavirus (COVID-19) funding has been allocated to support creative freelancers and the events sector.

Of that, £8.5 million will go towards the events sector – distributed through the Pivotal Event Businesses Fund and the Events Industry Support Fund 2 as well as targeted support – bringing the total additional COVID-19 support for the events sector to £31.5 million.

The remaining £9 million will be distributed as a top-up to the Creative Freelancers Hardship Fund bringing the total value of support for creative freelancers to £17 million.

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How to Start a Business in Challenging Times 

Whatever your reason for starting up a business, we can help. With local advisers, webinars and useful online support to help you get your business going. Get a head start with this short guide on key considerations.

The COVID-19 crisis has presented many challenges for businesses. But that shouldn’t discourage you from starting your own business. Check out some key considerations to help you get things moving

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Here to Help - Request a Call Back from a Business Adviser

We understand things may be extremely challenging at the moment whether it's dealing with financial issues, supporting your employees, or understanding what needs to be in place to enable you to safely reopen.

If you have any questions or just need someone to talk to, our business advisers are here to help.

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Free Online Workshops and Seminars 

Our exciting events programme is packed with workshops and training seminars which will help you to learn new skills, implement new ideas and improve your operations, as you look to rebuild your business.

Featuring new seminars on key topics such as managing your online reputation and producing your own video content, as well as some of the most popular courses to take control of your website, marketing activities and bookkeeping, we are here to support your business and help upskill your team. 

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SUPPORT PACKAGES AVAILABLE 

Business Rates Support for Fife Businesses

The Creative Sector