In this phase of lockdown, since January 2021, Dumfries & Galloway council have paid out £19.4m directly to local businesses through the most recent funding streams.
The range and focus of grants available have changed since the outset of Covid-19 reflecting a shift from immediate assistance during the national lockdown, to more specific support linked to localised and regional restrictions or closures. Information for local businesses on the various funding streams is available under our Support for Local Business page on the Council website.
In addition to the individual sector support available, Local Authorities are now providing Discretionary Grants. The purpose of this is to provide additional support for businesses to mitigate the short-term financial challenges being experienced through restrictions, and where individual local authorities consider this necessary or justified. This relates particularly to small and micro-businesses and self-employed people who have been excluded from other sources of funding through ineligibility. The Scottish Government allocated just over £855k to Dumfries and Galloway initially, but this has now been increased to £3.8m. A total of 805 applications have been received (11 March) and to date over £1.4 million of discretionary funding had been paid to applicants who meet the criteria.
Chair of Dumfries and Galloway’s Economy and Resources Committee, Rob Davidson said: “We know there are businesses across our region which weren’t eligible for the other support schemes and we have acted to help those in need, doing whatever we could to fill gaps in funding. Our region’s economy is very much based on small enterprises and individuals and we recognise this and doing everything we can to help. We are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel; the hope is that all our local industries, businesses, retail outlets, etc will be fully open once it is safe for them to do so. In the meantime, our Council will still be here to offer support to help everyone get through this difficult time.”
Vice-Chair, Archie Dryburgh said: “The range and focus of grants available has changed since our initial lockdown period, reflecting a shift from immediate widespread assistance during the national lockdown, to more specific localised support. This Council is here to support businesses of all sizes. If you need assistance, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.”
To read the full report go to: https://dumfriesgalloway.
