Update on small business and self-catering grant scheme

The COVID-19 small business and self-catering grant scheme, set up to help companies stay in business during the coronavirus crisis, has now paid out £39.42million to 3450 Highland businesses.

The backlog of applications generated when the grant scheme was first launched, has now been addressed and applications for both the small business and self-catering grants are now being dealt with as they are received.

Highland Council's Head of Development and Regeneration, Allan Maguire, said: "Over the past two weeks the extra staff brought in to administer the grant scheme, have helped us to deal with the backlog.

“While businesses have worked successfully with us to get the evidence required to allow their grant to be paid, we still have over 200 incomplete applications. We have contacted all of the businesses involved and ask that they promptly get the required information back to us, so we can complete the assessment of their application and get the grant paid to them.”

The Council is keenly aware that the COVID-19 crisis has sadly seen an unprecedented rise in scams across the whole of the UK. Highland Council asks that businesses are alert to such scams and only respond to any correspondence in relation to business grants if it is from an official Highland Council email address, which has full contact details at the footer of the email.

Next week, on Tuesday the 5th May, the Council will be opening up the grant scheme to eligible businesses who have multiple premises. The Council is delivering an extension of the small business and self-catering grant scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government.

The Council is currently working on an online form to help the eligible businesses apply and submit the evidence required. Further details will be published next week.