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
The fund will provide bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) that pay council tax, but not non-domestic rates, with financial support equivalent to the Strategic Framework Business Fund Level 4 payments. (i.e. £2,000 every four weeks)
Payments will be made every four weeks and will cover the period of Level 4 restrictions which came into effect from 26 December 2020, and the ongoing lockdown period as long as Level 4 restrictions are in place.
B&Bs in Scotland that do not pay non-domestic rates, but do pay council tax are eligible. The grants are only available to ‘registered serviced accommodation’.
‘Registered service accommodation’ refers to accommodation that had membership, accreditation, registration or simple listing with a recognised hospitality or tourism agency, representative body or marketing organisation (national or local) prior to March 2020.
This can include listing on digital or online marketing platforms, such as Booking.com or a community website. However, this is restricted to only those businesses marketing a B&B-type provision – not holiday, room or property lettings.
Alongside demonstrating a digital presence or other listing, other criteria are: must provide breakfast; be able to demonstrate at least 35% of individual income is from affected business; evidence of active trading up to March 2020 and the intend to continue trading; trading profits below £50,000 in financial year 2019-2020; in business for at least a year and filed trading accounts for 2018-2019.
Moray Council will identify and contact eligible property owners. Please do not contact Moray Council yourself.
If you have not been contacted by Moray Council by Friday 12th March, please get in touch with us.
Visit the Moray Council 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.