Scottish Government’s Covid Business Support Funds: FOI release

Information requested

Whether Loon Fung or Sichuan House on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow applied for any of the Scottish Government’s Covid Business Support Funds. For example any funding received from the Business Support Fund Grants (Small Business Grant Scheme and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Scheme), Hospitality, Retail and Leisure Top-up Fund, Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund or any other Covid business support fund. If necessary, break down this information for the financial years of 2020-21 and 2021-22 and by which fund they applied for. 

Whether Loon Fung or Sichuan House on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow received money from any of the Scottish Government’s Covid Business Support Funds. Please break down this information for the financial years of 2020-21 and 2021-22 and by how much money they received and which fund they received money from. 

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested. 

The following table shows the Scottish Government coronavirus (COVID-19) business support funding awarded to the named businesses, where award information at the individual business level is available. 

			Amount paid (£)
COVID-19 business support fund	Administered by	Payment month	Loon Fung (417-419  Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3LG)	Sichuan House (345-  349 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3HW)
Strategic Framework  Business Fund (SFBF)	Local authority	Dec 2020	13,875	13,875
Hospitality, Retail and  Leisure Top-up Fund	Local authority	Jan 2021	25,000	25,000
Restart Grants	Local authority	Apr 2021	19,500	19,500
LA Discretional Fund - City  Centre Top Up	Local authority	Apr 2021	10,000	10,000
Localised Restrictions Fund  - Glasgow Level 3	Local authority	May 2021	1,575	1,575
LA Discretional Fund - Local Restrictions Fund  Discretionary Top Up	Local authority	Jun 2021	525	525
Localised Restrictions Fund	Local authority	Jun 2021	1,575	1,575
Routemap extension fund	Local authority	Jun 2021	1,575	1,575
Hospitality: December and January Business Support  Top Up	Local authority	Jan 2022	6,800	6,800
Hospitality and leisure: January Business Support  Top Up	Local authority	Jan 2022	2,100	2,100

The Scottish Government provided business support during the pandemic to help mitigate the economic impacts of the virus and worked with delivery partners to deliver and administer the business support funds. 

Local authorities administered business support funds on behalf of the Scottish Government and awards were granted based on the primary function of the business. It was for councils to determine eligibility - including whether a business was in an eligible sector - using the information they had, and using the eligibility criteria provided by the Scottish Government for each of the funds. Local authorities undertook eligibility and fraud checks, and further information could be requested by the local authority from each business, where necessary, to determine eligibility. 

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested: 

We do not hold information on applications by the named businesses at the individual business level for Scottish Government COVID-19 business support funding. 

We do not hold award information at the individual business level for certain COVID-19 business support funds (see below for further information). 

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested. 

We are unable to confirm whether an award/relief was made to the named businesses for the following funds but have included for completeness based on a reasonable assessment of fund eligibility and receipt of other business support funds: 

• Business Support Fund Grants (Small Business Grant Scheme and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Business Grant Scheme) (administered by local authority, 2020/21) 
• COVID-19 Restrictions Fund – Closure (administered by local authority, 2020/21) 
• COVID-19 Restrictions Fund – Furlough Top-up (administered by local authority, 2020/21) Non-domestic rates (NDR) relief granted to businesses (2020/21 and 2021/22) 

You may wish to contact Glasgow City Council at foi@glasgow.gov.uk who may be able to help you. 

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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.