South of Scotland Enterprise approved almost £9million of direct grants to businesses and organisations across the region during the last quarter of 2020.
Figures
- A total of £8.84m was approved for 79 businesses and organisations between October and December 2020
- In addition, over £12m issued to around 300 South of Scotland businesses through the Scottish Government’s Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund (PERF) and Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Hardship Fund earlier in the year
- £1.4m approved in direct grants to 14 business and organisations between April and September 2020.
It adds up to over £22m of support being approved for almost 400 business and organisations across the region since SOSE was launched on 1 April 2020, to December 2020.
Scottish Wedding Industry Fund
In addition, SOSE is currently administering the Scottish Government’s Scottish Wedding Industry Fund in the South of Scotland, which aims to support businesses whose main income is from the wedding sector and has been significantly impacted by COVID-19.
Eligible businesses are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to the fund, with full details available.
Breadth of businesses and organisations supported
Grants approved from October to December 2020 ranged from small amounts such as £5,000 to multi-million-pound awards to a wide variety of community groups and businesses right across the South of Scotland.
Grants approved in October to December include:
- Nith Valley Embroidery (£15,000) – to support the Sanquhar-based small business to keep up with local demand
- Bird Gardens Scotland (£25,200) – Funding to help the community interest company based at Oxton in the Scottish Borders to develop a seven-acre site to home and breed over 300 birds from across the world
- Tiny Air (£35,000) – SOSE grant to help innovative technology design company based in Galloway to develop their ideas
- Sinclair Duncan (£100,000) – Galashiels-based cashmere accessories firm’s exciting expansion plans supported with six-figure grant
- Hilltop Leaf Ltd (£690,000) – SOSE has provided capital investment towards the creation of a private medicinal Cannabis cultivation and extraction business in Dumfries and Galloway to assist the local economy and create new jobs
- Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere (£1.9m) – to provide valuable support and assist the organisation to grow faster and strengthen their standing as a key influencer, helping to achieve their sustainability ambitions
Professor Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of SOSE
“Our approval of almost £9m in grants in the last three months of 2020 highlights the breath of businesses and community organisations South of Scotland Enterprise has so far supported.
“Our support has been provided through a variety of different funds, including the recently opened Scottish Wedding Industry Fund, which I would urge any local business whose main income comes from weddings to apply to.
“Our Team South of Scotland partners at Dumfries and Galloway and Scottish Borders councils have also done an excellent job administering vital Coronavirus grants worth tens of millions of pounds to businesses in their areas during the ongoing pandemic.
“We continue to encourage South of Scotland businesses and organisations to get in touch with us should they be seeking advice, support or have an idea they would like to develop.”
Scottish Government Finance Secretary Kate Forbes
“As this announcement demonstrates, our regional agencies play a key role in ensuring businesses can access the support they need as quickly as possible and I want to thank them for their continued efforts helping us get these funds to businesses.
“Since the start of this pandemic the Scottish Government has allocated £3 billion to support businesses, with more than £1.2 billion to economic recovery with further investment set out in our draft Budget.
“We are acutely aware that this support can never compensate for the full impact on business, but we will continue to work within the resources that are available to us to protect jobs and build a stronger recovery for Scotland.”
Deputy Leader of Dumfries and Galloway Council, Councillor Rob Davidson
“We are doing all that we can to help local businesses, as quickly as we can.
“It is vital this help reaches businesses as soon as practicable and through a process which is easy to apply for.
“Emerging from this pandemic will not be a quick process for any of us, but we will continue to help and support our local economy as much as we can.”
Councillor Mark Rowley, Scottish Borders Council’s Executive Member for Economic Regeneration and Finance
“Delivering business support has been a key priority for the Council throughout the pandemic and has been an absolutely crucial lifeline to support and protect thousands of Borders businesses who have suffered financially throughout the pandemic and often really struggled. We are here to help.
“I urge every business, whether you have received support already or not, to keep checking the Find Business Support website for funds becoming available that you may be eligible for and apply when these are available. I also urge Borders residents to shop local and support local businesses whenever you can.”
Who has been funded?
The full list of businesses and community organisations who had grants approved during October to December 2020, as well as April to September 2020, are available.
A detailed breakdown of all PERF and Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Hardship Fund grants awarded across Scotland, broken down by local authority and sector can also be viewed on the Scottish Government’s website.
Businesses in the South of Scotland looking for advice and support should also visit:
- Find Business Support
- Scottish Borders Council business support
- Dumfries and Galloway business support
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