Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund: FOI release

Information requested

Regarding the following the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund

a) Of the £20m total funding, how much was allocated to: i) Highlands and Islands Enterprise; ii) South of Scotland Enterprise; and iii) Scottish Enterprise.
b) In total, how many applications were submitted? How many applications were successful in receiving funding?
c) How many applications were submitted by businesses paying domestic rates to Highland Council?
How many of these applications were successful in receiving funding?
d) How much funding in total was given to businesses paying domestic rates to Highland Council?

Response

Question (a)
The original Grant Offer Letter, dated 29 April 2020, provided £20,000,000 to the Enterprise Agencies for the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund (CTHEHF). Initial allocations to each enterprise region were as follows: i) Highlands and Islands Enterprise received £2,246,007; ii) South of Scotland Enterprise received £971,513; and iii) Scottish Enterprise received £16,782,480. A further Grant Offer Letter dated, 21 May 2020 provided for a further £10,000,000 with the following allocations to each enterprise region: i) Highlands and Islands Enterprise received £1,123,004; ii) South of Scotland Enterprise received £485,757; and iii) Scottish Enterprise received £8,391,240. In practice, grants to businesses are disbursed in accordance with successful applications so funding allocations will be adjusted in response to demand.

Question (b)
While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because an exemption under section s.27(1) (intention to publish) of FOISA applies to that information. Our intention is to publish a breakdown of awards for the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Hardship Fund in the coming weeks. This publication will include the information that you have requested, and will be found on www.gov.scot. 

We recognise that there is some public interest in release because of the use of public funds.
However, this is outweighed by the public interest in ensuring we publish accurate figures, once the reconciliation process has complete.

Question (c)
The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. Applications are administered by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. 

Question (d)
The Scottish Government does not hold the information you have requested. Applications are administered by Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise.
This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.