Published on:
15
February 2021
The Council has paid out over £10 million in grants to businesses across Clackmannanshire to help them deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Council is processing a range of grants, funding by the Scottish and UK Governments, aimed at protecting jobs, preventing business closures and promoting economic recovery.
The applications are being processed by Council staff, seconded from their usual roles, who are working hard to ensure the grants are paid out as quickly as possible.
The latest round of grants have been from the Discretionary Fund, which targeted businesses which have been impacted by Covid-19 restrictions and have not received any financial assistance since October 2020.
Clackmannanshire Council received £155,309 from the Scottish Government for this Fund and an award of £2000 per eligible business was considered an appropriate amount to assist individual businesses, given the overall amount of funding available. This meant that there was funding in place to assist 77 eligible businesses.
The Council opened the Fund to applications on 1st February and a high number of applications were received within the first few days. A decision to temporarily close the fund to new applications was taken on 5th February as it was in danger of becoming oversubscribed. The Scottish Government has now committed to increasing the amount available nationally to £120m and once the Council receives notification of the additional funding it will receive, the fund will re-open.
We are currently assessing the applications received earlier this month and will respond to each applicant within 10 days with a status update. Many applicants will have to submit additional information in support of their applications whilst others have been assessed as being eligible for alternative funds such as the Mobile Close Contact Services Fund or the Newly Self Employed Hardship Fund and we will signpost applicants to these. Payment will be made as soon as possible to applicants who meet the eligibility criteria and have submitted complete applications.
Council Leader Ellen Forson said: “The Council is acutely aware of the hardship being faced by local businesses impacted upon by Covid-19 restrictions and is working hard to assess applications it has received. We look forward to re-opening the Discretionary Fund and being able to help save local jobs and livelihoods once we receive confirmation of additional funding."