Scottish Country Sports Tourism Restart Fund
The Scottish Country Sports Tourism Restart Fund will provide immediate support to tourism businesses within the country sports sector, the majority of which have to date been ineligible for other funding.
The £1 million fund is being delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by VisitScotland, with development input from the Scottish Country Sports Tourism Group (SCSTG) and the British Association for Shooting and Conservation (BASC).
Who is this for?
The fund is aimed at providing lifeline support to:
- Sporting agencies
Sporting agencies bring tourists to Scotland to participate in country sports. Agencies will facilitate and arrange the various key elements of the sporting holiday, which includes but is not limited to the sporting activity, accommodation, equipment provision and food and drink.
- Guided sporting services
Sporting guides bring tourists to Scotland to participate in country sports. Guides tend to take a more practical approach by being in the field or on the water with customers while they conduct a sporting activity. Guided sporting activities include but are not limited to game shooting, deer stalking, falconry, wildfowling, ferreting, gun dog training, target shooting, fly fishing, coarse angling and sea angling.
- Land-based sporting businesses
Land-based sporting businesses that manage land for country sports tourism. Activities include but are not limited to shooting, deer stalking and fishing.
- Fishing charter operators
Boats run for the primary purpose of guided recreational fishing charters, i.e. where additional activities such as diving or nature watching trips are less than 25% of total turnover.
Am I eligible?
Eligible businesses are required to be entirely commercial in purpose and directly involved in facilitating country sports tourism activity.
You are eligible if you:
- meet at least one of the business types defined above
- have a minimum turnover of over £10,000
- can confirm that at least 75% of your annual turnover is from country sport tourism activities, undertaken and delivered within Scotland
- can confirm that your country sports tourism activities serve wholly or mainly a market that is not local
- have a permanent place of business in Scotland (registered business address or premises)
- intend to operate your business in 2021
- can show your business was not in financial difficulty as of 31 December 2019
You should read the full guidance on eligibility on the VisitScotland website before making an application.
How do I apply?
The Fund is open for applications and will close at 5pm on 3 March 2021.
https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/funding/country-sports-restart-fund/apply
Applications WILL NOT be assessed on a first come first serve basis and will be limited to one application per business.
There will be an application assessment process before the final decision is made. If your application is rejected, you can appeal the decision.
How much will the grant be?
It is anticipated that there will be a high demand for this fund across the sector. The amount awarded to each applicant will therefore be determined by the eligibility criteria and supporting information provided.
The grants will be paid over a range of award amounts up to a maximum of £15,000 per business and will be limited to one application per business.
The final amount to be awarded to a successful applicant will be determined once all applications are received and vetted and will be dependent on the number of successful applications to this fund.
https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/service/funding/scottish-country-sports-tourism-restart-fund
https://www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/funding/country-sports-restart-fund
The information in this blog provides only an overview of Scottish Government guidance and legislation in force at the date of publication and no action should be taken without consulting the detailed Scottish Government guidance and legislation or seeking professional advice. Therefore no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from action as a result of the material contained in this blog can be accepted by the firm.
Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash
