March 2021 - Page 4 of 6

DEADLINE FOR NEW APPLICATIONS: Funding Support Schemes – 22 March 2021

Posted on March 21, 2021March 21, 2021 by Melanie Allen

This is a reminder of the deadline set by the Scottish Government for new applications to the following funds:

– Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF)

– Support for Small Accommodation Providers Paying Council Tax Fund (SAP-CTF)

These funds will close to new applicants on Monday 22nd March 2021

(If you have already applied or are already in receipt of one of these grants you do not need to do anything.)

Please see details of the funds below for more information and how to apply…

Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF)

(Businesses on Non-Domestic Rates)

The Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF) provided grants to businesses that were required to close by law or to significantly change their operations due to COVID-19 restrictions from 2 November 2020.

This fund will close to new applicants on 22 March 2021.

The final four-weekly payment will be made on 22 March 2021. As in previous months, this will consist of:

£2,000 for businesses with a rateable value up to £51,000
£3,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £51,001 or above

On 19 April 2021, all businesses currently in receipt of support through the Strategic Framework Business Fund on Non-Domestic Rates will automatically receive a combined final 2-week supplement and a one-off restart grant to help them reopen:

Retailers in receipt of SFBF will be eligible for grants up to £7,500 based on rateable value:
- for properties with a rateable value below £51,000: £7,000 (£6,000+£1,000)
- for properties with a rateable value above £51,001: £7,500 (£6,000+£1,500)
Hospitality and leisure businesses in receipt of SFBF will be eligible for grants up to £18,000 based on rateable value:
- for properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under: £9,000 (£8,000+£1,000)
- for properties with a rateable value between £15,001 and £51,000: £13,000 (£12,000+£1,000)
- for properties with a rateable value of £51,001 or over: £19,500 (£18,000+£1,500)

Support for Small Accommodation Providers Paying Council Tax Fund

(Businesses paying Council Tax)

The Support for Small Accommodation Providers Paying Council Tax Fund (SAP-CTF) is to support small accommodation providers in Scotland that pay council tax, including B&Bs, guest houses and self-catering properties, and which have been impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions.

Closes 22 March 2021

New entrants to the fund will need to meet the following eligibility criteria.

Confirm that the business meets the definition of a self-catering property as defined in The Council Tax (Dwellings and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Regulations 1992
Confirm that the applicant/business pays council tax
Confirm that your business receipts represent a primary source of income (one third or more of earnings)
Provide auditable data to support one of the following statements:
- a) My property was occupied for more than 140 days in financial year 2019-20, or
- b) Due to a poor trading season my property was not occupied for 140 days in the financial year 2019-20 but was occupied for more than 140 days in either of the 2 financial years preceding
Confirm that you are not currently in receipt of COVID-19 related business grant support through the Strategic Framework Business Fund for the premises
Provide evidence of business insurance
Provide evidence of membership, accreditation, registration or listing with a recognised hospitality or tourism agency, representative body or marketing organisation, either national or local (for example, VisitScotland, Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers, your local destination marketing organisation, AA, Quality in Tourism, etc). Online booking platform listing alone is not accepted as evidence.

“All B&Bs, self-catering businesses and guest houses that were previously supported by either the Bed and Breakfast Hardship Fund or the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Hardship Fund are automatically eligible for support under this scheme. These businesses will be contacted by the local authority and invited to register for payment.” (If you have not heard from your local authority or have not submitted an application, please apply now.)

All business must be re-registered by 22 March 2021 to receive payment.

Payments will be made as soon as possible once a business is registered.

The fund will be open from 15th March for one week, and will close to applications on 22 March.

Check for details on how to apply via your local authority website:

Comment: Easing of Lockdown

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Fiona Campbell

The ASSC welcomes the publication of the Scottish Government’s timetable for the further easing of lockdown restrictions which provides a pathway for our industry to work towards reopening and provides a much needed boost for our sector. Following the publication of the strategic framework update last month, we called for more detail and clarity from the Scottish Government and we therefore commend them on the new timetable.
The ASSC looks forward to receiving the further promised details on the funding that will be available to help us restart our businesses and get back to creating memory-making holidays for our customers. We also require further clarity from the Scottish Government on the impact on business of household restrictions, which will continue until we reach Level Zero, rendering businesses unviable, as well the much-needed financial support as a matter of extreme urgency.
With international travel unlikely to be a viable option for the immediate future, we have a real opportunity to revitalise the domestic tourism market in Scotland and self-catering offers a safe and low-risk environment for families to take a well-deserved break after months of lockdown and help them rediscover our country.
Self-catering operators are eager to take bookings and reopen their business after long periods of closure throughout the past year due to local and national lockdowns, as well as the racheting up of household restrictions. The industry recognised its role at helping to suppress the virus, which came at great personal and financial cost, but we are ready to reopen.
We have robust government-backed cleaning protocols in place that underpin our commitment to the safe and responsible reopening. However, we do have some challenges in convincing some local communities who may have concerns. Both industry and the Scottish Government need to work together to communicate clearly to members of the public that this reopening is safe and evidence-led.

Fiona Campbell

Chief Executive, Association of Scotland’s Self-Caterers

Support for Business

Posted on March 16, 2021March 17, 2021 by Fiona Campbell

Support for business

“Our collective response has required us to take some difficult decisions to deal with the public health risk, which we recognise has been extremely challenging for businesses and the economy as a whole. We also recognise the efforts that businesses have made to ensure that they are operating in a way which minimises the risk from the virus when they have been able to open. As we move slowly and carefully towards reopening parts of the economy, we will continue to work with sector bodies and business organisations to ensure that guidance is developed collaboratively. We recognise that some sectors will still be restricted even at Levels 0 and 1, particularly while physical social distancing and other non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as face coverings, are in place. So, we will continue to talk to business and other sectors about the contents of Levels 0, 1 and 2, for example the size of gatherings allowed at sporting and cultural events and in places of worship. We will also continue to review and consider the need for physical social distancing and other interventions.. We hope to be able to relax the current restrictions further as the data allows.

“We recognise the financial challenges that have faced businesses this last year and hope that these changes will pave the way for thousands of businesses across Scotland starting the journey back to normality. In February we said that we would maintain and build on the Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF) and the £120 million Local Authority Discretionary Fund beyond 31 March and of course our plans for business support have been closely aligned with the wider changes. Recognising the importance of front-loading that support to help businesses prepare to reopen, we will:

on 22 March, make one final four-weekly payment of the SFBF, with no new claims permitted
on 19 April, automatically give all SFBF recipients a combined two-week supplement and a one-off restart grant: up to £7,500 for eligible retail premises; and up to £19,500 for eligible hospitality and leisure The infrastructure for the SFBF will be retained and used as required in future for business support linked to any local outbreaks”

Retailers in receipt of SFBF will be eligible for grants up to £7,500 based on rateable value:
- for properties with a rateable value below £51,000: £7,000 (£6,000+£1,000)
- for properties with a rateable value above £51,001: £7,500 (£6,000+£1,500)
Hospitality and leisure businesses in receipt of SFBF will be eligible for grants up to £18,000 based on rateable value:
- for properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under: £9,000 (£8,000+£1,000)
- for properties with a rateable value between £15,001 and £51,000: £13,000 (£12,000+£1,000)
- for properties with a rateable value of £51,001 or over: £19,500 (£18,000+£1,500)