Scottish Government

A £25 million Scottish Government fund to improve ventilation in business premises and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission will open for applications next week. Small and medium-sized businesses such as restaurants, bars and gyms will be able to claim back costs of up to £2,500 to u

Almost a quarter of Scottish businesses are facing immediate financial peril should the Scottish Government extend covid-19 restrictions today, according to the Scottish Chambers of Commerce (SCC). A snap poll of nearly 700 companies has revealed that many firms are struggling with existing measures

Thirteen business representative groups and industry bodies have jointly written to the Scottish Finance Secretary asking her to introduce a business rates discount for all retail premises for the coming financial year. The retail industry in Scotland employs 230,000 people and traditionally account

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed that the Scottish Government will increase its fund for climate justice by a further 50% on top of the previous commitment to double the fund as part of Scotland’s response and contribution to the ongoing negotiations at COP26. Calling on larger cou

Return-to-work experts Women Returners has received Scottish Government funding to provide fully-funded career coaching, skills training and mentoring to tackle the daunting challenges being faced by women struggling to return to fulfilling professional-level work. As the Scottish job market recover

A group of up and coming Scottish-based, female company founders will attend a market building virtual trade mission across Germany and the DACH region next month led by AccelerateHER. The three-day event will include a masterclass session with Austria-based Lisa-Marie Fassl, a dynamic, global figur

A five-year plan backed by more than £100 million of funding to help build Scotland’s hydrogen economy has been published by the Scottish Government. The draft Hydrogen Action Plan sets out the strategic approach the Scottish Government will take with industry to help make Scotland becom

Projects that restore nature and tackle the causes of biodiversity loss will benefit from a share of at least £13.5 million annually through a Scottish Government fund set up following agreement with the Scottish Green Party. The Nature Restoration Fund will fund projects that address the biod

A new strategy to secure a £4 billion share of the global space market for the Scottish economy has been published by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Space Strategy sets out plans to develop a network of satellite launch sites, pursue green technologies and build on existing strengths in

Scottish social enterprise AAI EmployAbility has secured funding to help minority ethnic women in Scotland get back to work after career breaks. ‘Back to Work’, a Scottish Government-funded programme, is aimed at improving employment prospects, updating skills, increasing confidence, whi

People living in Scotland’s island-based communities will benefit from new Scottish Government funding for projects designed to support employment, community resilience and health and wellbeing. Through the £2 million Island Communities Fund, 29 successful community groups and businesses

Argyll and Bute Council is providing an additional £98,000 to support local businesses who applied to and qualified for its Business Hardship Fund. The council set up the Hardship Fund with £500,000+ of Scottish Government funding, to help businesses affected by the Covid pandemic. It al

Yesterday, the UK Government and Scottish Government agreed in principle the scope of the independent report that will inform the subsequent review of the Scottish Government’s Fiscal Framework. During an in-person meeting in Westminster, finance and economy secretary Kate Forbes and the chief

Companies bidding to win Scottish Government contracts will have to pay the real Living Wage. This will ensure public sector contracts tackle in work poverty and promote fair work practices across the public, private and third sector where there is a risk of low pay.

Finance and economy secretary Kate Forbes will stress the need for the forthcoming review of Scotland’s devolved fiscal arrangements to be wide-ranging when she meets the new chief secretary to the treasury Simon Clarke in London today. Ms Forbes said: “We have faced unprecedented econom