Strategic Framework Business Fund

Scottish businesses required to close by law or to “significantly change its operations due to Covid-19 restrictions” may be eligible to apply for grant funding.

The funding for eligible businesses will cover the period of any closures or restrictions from 2nd November 2020. Applications should be made via your local authority website and grants will be paid every 4 weeks in arrears for as long as restrictions last.

If your business is required to close by law, apply for the Temporary Closure grant. The specifications are as follows:

• £2,000 if your business premises has a rateable value of up to and including £51,000
• £3,000 if your business premises has a rateable value of £51,001 or above
• An upper limit of £15,000 in total in any four-week period will apply to any eligible business operating multiple premises.

If your business can remain open but is specifically required to modify its operations by law, for example having to close earlier than normal, apply for the Business Restrictions grant. This does not include where a demand for your products or services has been reduced because of the pandemic:

• £1, 400 if your business premises has a rateable value of up to and including £51,000
• £2,100 if your business premises has a rateable value of £51,001 or above
• An upper limit of £10,500 in total in any four-week period will apply to any eligible business operating multiple premises.

Payments will be paid administered by local authorities, and you will not need to re-apply if restrictions are extended beyond four weeks.

When restrictions end, any final payment in arrears may be adjusted to reflect the duration of the restrictions to the nearest week.

The Strategic Framework Business Fund follows on from the Coronavirus Restrictions Fund, which was put in place to support employees and businesses impacted by Covid-19 restrictions between the dates of 9th October and 1st November.

Please note: You can still appeal decisions about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Restrictions Fund by 5pm on Friday 11 December by contacting your local authority and submitting all relevant documentation detailing how your business was impacted.

Is my business eligible?

Whether your business is eligible will depend on where your premises are located and what level of restrictions are in place. However, you can generally apply if:

• your business has been directly impacted by restrictions
• you have a business bank account – this is the account your grant will be paid into if your application is successful
• your business is registered for non-domestic rates – if you pay rates through a landlord rather than directly to a local authority you can still apply but must provide evidence through a copy of the lease agreement
• Limited companies (including Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations), sole traders, trust and partnerships can apply provided they meet the above criteria.

If your business operates multiple premises you can apply for grants for each premise. All premises should be included in one application which should be sent to and processed by the local authority area in which your business is headquartered. The maximum any one business can receive will be restricted, regardless of the number of premises.

To apply for this fund, you need to go through your local council: 

• Aberdeen
• Aberdeenshire
• Angus
• Argyll and Bute
• Clackmannanshire
• Dumfries and Galloway
• Dundee
• East Ayrshire 
• East Dunbartonshire 
• East Lothian
• East Renfrewshire 
• Edinburgh
• Falkirk
• Fife
• Glasgow 
• Highland 
• Inverclyde
• Midlothian
• Moray (listed under ‘Money, Businesses and Council Housing’)
• Na h-Eileanan Siar
• North Ayrshire
• North Lanarkshire 
• Orkney
• Perth and Kinross
• Renfrewshire 
• Scottish Borders
• Shetland Islands 
• South Ayrshire 
• South Lanarkshire 
• Stirling 
• West Dunbartonshire 
• West Lothian