Service updates

Business Growth and Resilience Fund

Last updated

30 Mar 2023

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Applications for our Business Growth and Resilience Fund closed on 6 January 2023. 

About the fund

The Stirling Council Business Growth and Resilience Fund provides support for certain types of business in the Stirling Council area. These are:

  • sole traders
  • micro-sized enterprises 
  • small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

The purpose of the fund is to support local economic recovery and enable businesses to move from surviving the period of trading restrictions towards recovery, growth, adaptation and building resilience. The fund will focus on supporting businesses to grow through innovation, use of new and digital technology, create employment opportunities, improve business energy efficiency and deliver carbon savings.

It is a condition that those who accept funding under this scheme may be promoted through Invest in Stirling. For the avoidance of doubt, this includes all forms of social media and the Invest in Stirling website. Recipients of the funding may be asked to participate in a continuing series of marketing stories, which will demonstrate the success of the intervention and investment. Successful applicants must seek written consent from the Council before making any public communication (including social media posts) about this funding allocation.

Those in receipt of this funding will be offered the opportunity of working with a Business Gateway Advisor for support in maximising the potential that will be unlocked from the awarded funding.

Aims, objectives and conditions (schedule 1)

The fund aims to fund projects which include:

  • innovation
  • purchase of capital assets
  • creation or safeguarding of employment
  • improvement to premises, digital infrastructure or processes
  • contributions to Net Zero ambitions

Objectives

The fund objectives are to:

  • support business growth – increased turnover, access new markets
  • develop or utilise green technology that reduces costs and creates greater efficiencies and leads to net zero improvements
  • improve digital resilience and adaption to post Covid working
  • create employment opportunities, attracting and retaining talent

Criteria and conditions

The criteria and conditions for the fund is set out below. If your application is successful, you will be allocated a Project Liaison Officer who will assist you with further guidance and advice on these requirements. 

  • the eligible costs are those included in your application
  • we will require a copy of your Constitution and latest Audited Accounts
  • we will also require a copy of the last 3 months of your business bank statements to evidence the need for funding
  • the level of funding offered will not be increased, irrespective of market changes in costs
  • the funding is to be used in the financial year 2022/23. It is expected that work or contracts signed or committed by 31 March 2023
  • expenditure will be met by September 2023
  • you will be required to evidence that the purchase of goods and services, funded by the Business Growth and Resilience Fund, demonstrate best value and align with the Council’s procurement guidelines and proof of 3 quotes provided
  • no part of the funding may be used to meet the costs of debt redemption
  • no part of the funding may be used to fund any ‘capital’ injection into a Public Private Partnership (PPP) or similar scheme
  • no part of the funding shall be used to support any activity or material which is party political in intention, use, or presentation or appears to be designed to affect support for a political party
  • the eligible costs exclude any Value Added Tax (VAT) reclaimable by you
  • the funding shall be paid by the Council to you, against agreed project milestones and as noted in the accompanying letter (if any)
  • Stirling Council reserve the right to withhold, make deduction from or require repayment of fund monies where the conditions included in this Agreement are not met
  • these Conditions shall continue to apply for a period of 5 years after the end of the financial year in which the final instalment of the funding was paid
  • it is the responsibility of you, the applicant, to ensure that in relation to expenditure funded with the Business Growth and Resilience Fund, that you and anyone acting on your behalf shall comply with the relevant laws for the time being in force in Scotland and applicable to the business, including but not limited to Building Control, Planning, Environmental Health, and Subsidy Control obligations applicable to the business

Download the terms and conditions