Discretionary Grant Scheme

How to apply

This fund is now closed to applications.

Read the information provided here and in the application form to ensure you have all the details and evidence you need.

You should also confirm your business is eligible.

The deadline for applications has been set for this grant scheme as 5pm Monday 28 March 2022

Preparing your evidence

To complete your application, you will need to attach a number of supporting documents.

Ensure you have clear to read copies of the required evidence ready before you start completing the form.

Download any relevant files i.e. bank statements, to your computer, tablet or mobile. You can also use your mobile or camera to photograph your evidence. We need good quality and clearly readable evidence.

There is a limit of three files which can be uploaded in support of the application. If you are sending a number of similar documents e.g. if a number of bank statements, you could prepare them as a ZIP or PDF file and attach as one file in chronological order.

Acceptable file types are: .pdf, .jpeg/.jpg, .gif, .png or .zip up to a file limit of 4MB.

Completing your application form

An application form can only be processed once complete and to submit this, you will need to provide all of the following:

Bank account details

This does not need to be a business bank account but must be an account that demonstrates business banking. Even if you have already submitted with a previous Covid business grant application please re-affirm details and provide of an up-to-date statement.

Please ensure that that the bank statement is clearly legible and shows account name, address, sort code and account number and is dated within 3 months of the application date. If the statement does not provide this information or we are unable to read it, this will delay the processing of your application.

Business details

You will be required to provide evidence of one of the following:

Company (incl. Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisations and Community Interest Companies): require Certificate of Incorporation or Companies House/SCIO registration number.
Partnership: require Partnership agreement or HMRC registration.
Sole Trader or Self-employed: require HMRC registration, Self-assessment documents or valid business insurance document.
Trust or other: require Constitution document/s, HMRC or VAT registration document.

Grants/loans received

The Scottish Government have made it a condition of grant that all applicants for Covid related business grants are required to declare financial support from other public bodies. This includes support received over the last 3 years from UK, Scottish, Local Government and/or any other publicly funded body (e.g. Highlands and Islands Enterprise).

This is necessary to ensure the UK is compliant with its international commitments when providing grants to individual businesses.

Reduction in trading

There are a number of ways in which trading could be adversely affected or caused by the public health advice and measures introduced during December 2021 and January 2022. This could include direct restrictions on operations, indirect effects e.g. reduced footfall or visits, reduced opening hours due to increased absence of staff following self-isolation guidelines etc.

It is essential that you provide a written statement within the application form of how you have been impacted. This will help explain how the recent December 2021 / January 2022 COVID-19 restrictions have affected your business, why you have experienced the significant reduction in trade (20% or more), how you have calculated this and why you have been deemed ineligible for support by other organisations.

To simplify your calculation of impact a simple template has been provided for your use in the application form.

Period of Impact

The period involved for the calculation of impact will be from 1 December 2021 to 24 January 2022. This is the period from when public health advice changed and when business restrictions were introduced.

The one exception to this is accommodation providers, whether non-serviced or serviced. Due to the very seasonal nature of this business sector means that it is difficult to measure impact on a very short period during the winter months. To reflect the fact that some accommodation had a good summer season due to limited overseas travel, for this sector that impact will be measured over a 12-month period.