Support for business

Grants and loans

Grant Schemes delivered by Highland Council

The Scottish Government have asked the Council to deliver a number of business grant schemes on their behalf. The Scottish Government provide the funds for these grant schemes and also define the criteria to be used and who is to benefit from the grant.

Discretionary Grant Scheme

The Discretionary Grant Scheme (December 2021 to January 2022) has been set up to help micro, small, and medium-size businesses which were unable to receive support from any of the grant schemes set up by the Scottish Government. It is to support businesses affected by the measures to control the spread of the Omicron variant of Coronavirus and who have lost trade (20% or more) during this key trading period.

The grant scheme will support eligible businesses with a payment from £500 to £2,000 (based on impact level).

The deadline for applications has been set for this grant scheme as 5pm Monday 28 March, 2022.

For more details on the grant scheme and eligibility criteria  prospective applicants are advised to go to Discretionary Grant Scheme

Business Ventilation Grant Scheme

The Business Ventilation Grant Scheme seeks to help businesses improve ventilation and air quality on their premises to help reduce the risk of coronavirus transmission. The grant scheme will allow businesses to claim back costs to improve ventilation of up to £2500. The grant scheme is targeted to high-risk settings where people come into close proximity, such as hospitality and leisure sectors.

The grant scheme commenced on 23 November 2021 and will be available until Thursday 31 March 2022 or when funds provided by the Scottish Government are exhausted - whichever occurs first.