Bids welcome from Inverness projects for Town Centre Fund investment

Members of The Highland Council’s City of Inverness Area Committee are inviting bids from community projects in Inverness area for Town Centre Fund investment with proposals to be submitted by 9am on 14 December 2020. 

This invitation follows the announcement made on 4 November at the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee that extra funding has been made available from Scottish Government to boost town centres across the region. It was agreed that decisions on spend would be taken at area committee level of which Inverness has been allocated a grant of £252,468 to invest.

Provost of Inverness and Area Cllr Helen Carmichael welcomed the grant allocation for Inverness, she said: “The Scottish Government’s Town Centre Funding will complement the great partnership work that is already being experienced in Inverness on economic recovery and regeneration from the impacts of the global pandemic.”

She added: “It is vital that communities react quickly to make the most of this opportunity and get their bids in promptly. Inverness Councillors very much look forward to seeing the improvements this investment will bring to our communities and the confidence this will provide as we tackle the ongoing recovery from coronavirus in our local areas.”

The grant can be spent on Council, public, community-based or private sector projects in the settlements of Beauly, Drumnadrochit, Inverness (Balloch, Culloden, Smithton, Milton of Leys, Westhill, Inverness), and Ardersier. Social enterprises or community organisations will be eligible if they are companies limited by guarantee/shares.

As decided by the Scottish Government, the grant must be for physical projects which means only certain types of projects can be funded. For example, the spending must be of a “one-off” nature and result in the construction or improvement of an asset such as a building or an area of land.

Prospective project sponsors are encouraged to learn more and can complete a form available on the Council’s website at:

https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/20014/economic_development/844/regeneration

…to return to regeneration@highland.gov.uk as soon as possible but no later than 9am on 14 December. 

Proposals will be considered at a special meeting of the City of Inverness Area Committee which will be held as soon as possible in January 2021.