Corona Virus – Information for Tourism Businesses in Moray Speyside
This page contains up to date details of all COVID related funding, information and guidance for Businesses in Moray Speyside.
If you are a visitor looking for COVID-19 information, please go the the Scottish Government website.
Sign-up to our regular industry newsletter to get the latest updates, information and funding advice.
Guide to Funding Streams
- B&B and Guest House Support (see below) INFO
- Campervan and Motorhome Rental Operators fund – Details to follow on VisitScotland.org
- Coach Operators Fund * INFO
- Creative Freelancers Hardship Fund INFO
- Events Industry Support Fund* INFO
- Exclusive Use Grant Self-Catering (see below) INFO
- Hostels Fund INFO
- Large (7 or more bed spaces) Self-Catering Grant (see below) INFO
- Museums Recovery and Resilience Fund Top-Up
- Outdoor Tourism Sector Restart Fund* INFO
- Scotland Inbound Tour Operators Fund* INFO
- Scotland Pivotal Event Business Fund* INFO
- Scottish Country Sports Tourism Restart Fund. CLOSES 3rd MARCH – INFO
- Travel Agents Fund INFO
- Ski Centre Support Fund
- Taxi and Private Hire Fund INFO
- Tour Guides Fund – CLOSES 10th MARCH – INFO
- Visitor Attractions Fund INFO
- Wedding Sector Support Fund INFO
* Denotes that the Fund will be administered by VisitScotland – more information on these funds will be posted on VisitScotland.org when available.
Guest House and B&B Support
Scottish Government have released details of a new package of support for ‘Small Accommodation Providers Paying Council Tax’
The catchily titled ‘SAP-CTF’ is expressly for those small accommodation providers who pay Council Tax, NOT Non-Domestic Rates and WILL APPLY to Bed & Breakfasts, Guest Houses AND Self-Catering Accommodation.
The fund will be delivered in three phases.
- The First Wave will support the Council Tax paying B&B and Guest Houses which were funded through the 2020 B&B Hardship Fund. This scheme supported a total of 404 businesses, who are automatically considered to be eligible this time round. Local Authorities will contact these eligible businesses and invite them to reconfirm their details and register for payment.
- Wave Two will provide support to self-catering, B&Bs and guest houses that were supported through the 2020 Culture, Tourism, Hospitality Enterprise Hardship Grant (CTHHF). Local Authorities will contact these businesses and invite them to reconfirm their details and register for payment.
- Wave Three will be for businesses that may have missed out on funding under either the B&B Hardship Fund or the CTHHF and businesses that
may not have previously sought support who meet the criteria. This fund will be BY APPLICATION
In all phases the business should have been trading on 2nd November 2020.
Applications will open for new entrants to the fund on 16 March 2021.
All business must be re-registered by 22 March 2021 to receive payment. The fund will be open for one week, and will close to applications on 22 March.
Payments will be made as soon as possible once a business is registered.
Visit the Find Business Support website to read for yourself
Support for Larger Self-Catering Properties
Eligible self–catering businesses will be eligible for one-off grant support of £2,000.
To be eligible for support, self-catering businesses must be on the NDR roll, must have been trading on 2nd Nov 2020 and must be recorded by the rates assessor as having seven or more bed spaces IN ONE PROPERTY .
This support will be paid by local authorities who will contact eligible operators – we are told there is no need to contact the Council yourself.
Visit the Moray Council website to read for yourself
Support for Exclusive Use Venues
Eligible exclusive use premises will be eligible for £10,000 in grant support.
To be eligible for exclusive use self-catering support, self-catering businesses must be listed on the NDR roll, as ‘exclusive use accommodation’.
Businesses will not be eligible if it has:
(a) received a one-off £25,000 payment from the Hospitality Sector Top-Up Payment, or
(b) grant from the Scottish Wedding Industry Fund
Discretionary Business Fund
Moray Council’s Discretionary Business Fund is now open.
The aim of this fund is to mitigate the financial challenges experienced by businesses impacted by restrictions and regulations introduced since October 2020 to control the spread of COVID-19.
The fund gives individual local authorities the ability to direct financial support to specific groups, sectors or businesses within their local business communities who have not been able to receive any recent funding and are not likely to benefit from the planned future funding schemes.
The Discretionary Business Fund provides a one-off payment of £2,000 to successful applicants.
Please note that this fund will be issued on a first come first served basis for complete applications & will close once the allocated budget is spent.
The Council will begin assessing applications from 15th February …
How to apply
To apply please complete the Application Form
Please send the completed form with all required supporting documents to dbfund@moray.gov.uk
Please note, Moray Council will only accept applications with supporting documents via email to this address.
Please do not send hardcopies or emails to any of the other business support funds.
Eligibility criteria:
- Business trading prior to 23rd March 2020
- Must be based in Moray and have fewer than 50 FTE employees
- Must have a valid VAT, PAYE, Companies House registration, SCIO, CIC or UTR number
- Business has not been eligible for any coronavirus funding since October 2020
- Before March 2020 must normally have an annual turnover of more than £3,000
- Business has not received an enforcement notice as a result of breaching COVID-19 regulations
- Business is not in administration, insolvency or received notice to be struck off Companies House
- Business can evidence a 30% negative financial impact from COVID-19 restrictions
Strategic Framework Business Fund
Temporary Closure Grant
If your business is required to close by law you could be entitled to a temporary closure grant every four weeks, of one of the following:
- £2,000 if your business premises has a rateable value of up to and including £51,000
- £3,000 if your business premises has a rateable value of £51,001 or above
Make sure to view the list of eligible business types and sectors
Please note : YOU DO NOT NEED A BUSINESS BANK ACCOUNT TO APPLY FOR THIS FUND
We recommend you download the form, fill it in (saving all the way through) and then send the form by email with supporting evidence directly to sfbfund@moray.gov.uk
Grants will be paid every four weeks in arrears without the need to reapply whilst restrictions are in place.
Businesses that have been paid temporary closure or restrictions grants for November & December need not to reapply as adjustments will be automatically made
For any enquiries & or to submit application with supporting documents please email sfbfund@moray.gov.uk
Business Restrictions Grant
Grant payments for the Business Restriction Fund up to 28 December, 2020 have been paid. Eligible businesses who have not yet applied for this Business Restriction Fund grant will have an opportunity still to do so (for the period 2 November to 28 December, 2020).
If your business is specifically required to modify its operations during November & December 2020, as specified by the schedules of The Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions and Requirements) (Local Levels) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 or specified in the levels list on the eligibility page, you may be entitled to a Business Restrictions grant every four weeks, of one of the following:
- £1, 400 if your business premises has a rateable value of up to and including £51,000
- £2,100 if your business premises has a rateable value of £51,001 or above
Eligible businesses
Theatres, sports stadia, conference and exhibition centres, comedy clubs, concert halls and music venues subject to a specific cap on the number of people who can attend an event..
All hospitality subjected to time restrictions on their operations ( i.e. no admittance after 9.30pm, closure at 10.30pm) by law – includes restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, licensed sports and social clubs and licensed premises – but excluding takeaways.
If your business is not listed above, please do not apply as you are ineligible for the Business Restriction fund.
Hospitality Top-Up Payments
On 11th January 20121, Scottish Government announced ‘additional’ one-off top-up payments of up to £25,000 for eligible* hospitality businesses.
Top-Up Payments are in addition to the grants businesses receive through the Strategic Business Framework Fund, eligible businesses will also get a one-off grant of:
- £25,000 for hospitality* businesses with a rateable value of £51,001 or more on top of the 4-weekly £3,000
- £6,000 for hospitality* businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less on top of the 4-weekly £2,000
- £9,000 for retail and leisure* businesses with a rateable value of £51,001 on top of the 4-weekly £3,000
- £6,000 for retail and leisure* businesses with a rateable value of £51,000 or less on top of the 4-weekly £2,000
In most cases, eligible businesses that have already applied for the 4-weekly payment from the Strategic Framework Business Fund will get an automatic top-up.
For the majority, this top-up will be combined with the next tranche of payment for the Strategic Framework Business Fund due to go to businesses on 25 January.
Businesses that haven’t yet applied for either of these funds should submit an application NO LATER THAN FRIDAY 5th FEBRUARY through the local authority website.
Please Note
If you have not applied and been accepted for a Closure Grant, you will not be eligible for a Top-Up Payment. You must apply before Friday 5th February.
Self-catering, B&B’s, Guest Houses, Caravan & Camping Parks are not eligible for the Top-Up Payments.
DETAILS OF THE FUND & ELIGIBILITY
Check your eligibility here:
Coronavirus (COVID-19): Strategic Framework Business Fund
Definitions
accommodation – hotels, B&Bs, self-catering, caravan and camp sites
* hospitality – restaurants, cafes, pubs, bars, social clubs
* leisure and entertainment – cinemas, arcades, soft play, funfairs, indoor bowling, theatres, comedy clubs, concert halls, sport stadiums, conference or exhibition centres, snooker/pool halls, casinos, bingo halls, nightclubs
* visitor attractions
National Support and Guidance
The Scottish Government’s FIND BUSINESS SUPPORT web page is a good starting point if you are looking for the most up-to-date national information & guidance.
VisitScotland’s Industry Website is similarly useful and provides a wide range of resources, including up to date consumer sentiment research and signposting to webinars and funding information.