Business Ventilation Fund: evaluation

Conclusions

This report has brought together management information data and survey data to provide an assessment of the outputs and impacts of the Business Ventilation Fund and to learn lessons for future business support schemes.

The evidence reviewed indicates that the BVF was successful in meeting its objective to help businesses to improve ventilation but for a lower number of businesses than was anticipated. It is likely that disruptions due to the Omicron variant may have played a role in the low uptake. However, business feedback suggests issues with the applications and claims process and the design of the fund may also have played a part. The high variation in acceptance rates across local authorities illustrated in the management information data may also indicate inconsistencies in the approach to assessing applications.

The business survey findings suggest that the fund addressed a key business need for applicants and was fundamental to businesses improving their ventilation, with most businesses stating that they would not have made improvements to their ventilation without the funding.

The BVF also appears to have had a positive impact on consumer confidence in the safety of business premises who received funding and on business awareness and monitoring of ventilation in their premises.