A funding package developed to support island businesses affected
by ferry disruption is now ready to accept applications.
Businesses from eligible sectors on South Uist, Colonsay, North
Uist, Eriskay, Benbecula, Berneray, Grimsay and Arran can apply.
Eligible sectors include those that rely on tourism and those
that are engaged in the manufacture or movement of perishable
goods, such as seafood.
£4.4 million has been allocated to the Islands Business
Resilience Fund (IBRF) which was established to help address
issues, such as travel disruption, that can have a
disproportionate impact on people and businesses living, and
operating on Scotland's islands.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise will manage the IBRF on behalf
of the Scottish Government. Applications will be accepted from 2
July until 12 noon 1 September 2025 with decisions and
payments expected by 31 October 2025.
Funding awards will be based on demand and the scale size of
organisations that apply for support but awards are expected to
range between £3,000 and £35,000
Islands Secretary said:
“We know that Scotland's island communities face distinct
challenges, not least in terms of their economic and social
resilience. People and businesses require ferry services running
reliably and frequently to support their livelihoods.
“We worked with Highlands and Islands Enterprise to refine the
eligibility criteria and identify how this money can make a real
difference to the businesses who need it most.
“Reliable and regular ferry services are key to this connectivity
for people and businesses and we know that the current situation
of delays and ongoing maintenance to some vessels has created
real difficulties for some. We are determined to do everything we
can to support islands, their local businesses and employers
through these challenging times.”
Rachel Hunter, HIE's director of enterprise and community
support, said:
“Island businesses and social enterprises make an important
contribution to local economies and provide vital rural
employment that helps sustain many communities. Those operating
in tourism and production or movement of perishable foods are
particularly vulnerable to disruption such as we've seen in
recent years.
“This fund is about strengthening the resilience of those
organisations operating in the sectors and islands most affected.
Our focus will be assessing applications promptly so that funding
can be awarded as soon as possible after the closing date.”
Background
The application form and guidance will be available on the
Highlands and Islands Enterprise
website from 12 noon on 2 July.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise carried out detailed analysis of
information and statistics provided by Transport Scotland and
CalMac relating to ferry disruption.
The islands of South Uist, Colonsay, North Uist, Eriskay,
Benbecula, Berneray, Grimsay and Arran were chosen as eligible
for the Islands Business Resilience Fund as they each had more
than 15% ferry disruption over the last three seasons. The
average cancellations of ferry services across the Calmac network
is during that time has been around 7%.
