Transitional Support Fund

Before you apply

The Transitional Support Fund closed on 9 October 2020 for applications. If any questions arise contact robin.jackson@highland.gov.uk.

As part of its response to the COVID-19 emergency, the Scottish Government has established the Transitional Support Fund. This will help childcare providers in the private, voluntary and not-for profit sectors, including out-of-school care providers, meet the extra costs incurred to comply with public health guidance in response to COVID-19. The Fund will provide one-off grants to eligible settings.

This Fund will provide important support to settings in the private, voluntary and not for profit sector to enable them to reopen in line with the public health guidance. This will help to ensure that there is choice for families regarding where they access their childcare. These businesses may be eligible for a single, one-off business grant and the Scottish Government has asked the Council to administer the scheme on its behalf within the Highland Council area.

What grants are available?

Grant amounts vary according to the number of Care Inspectorate registered places in your setting, as summarised below:

  • 1-10 places - £1,500
  • 11-25 places - £3,500
  • 26-50 places - £5,500
  • 51-75 places - £6,750
  • 76-100 places - £7,500
  • 101+ places - £8,000

What can I use the grant for?

The grant is intended to help your setting to meet the extra costs incurred in order to operate your service in line with the public health guidance for the sector. For example, the grants could help with extra costs for:

  • Increased cleaning;
  • Investment in additional equipment and developing outdoor space, to enable more outdoor learning; and
  • Adaptations to support the physical distancing of adults in settings (e.g. changes to entrance and exit areas, additional signage, etc)

Eligibility

Eligibility for this grant is defined by the Scottish Government and does not depend on delivery of the funded early learning and child-care entitlement available through Highland Council. To be eligible your business must be registered with the Care Inspectorate as being:

  • a ‘day care of children’ service; and
  • a ‘private’ or ‘voluntary or 'not for profit’ service.

This includes private and voluntary settings delivering out of school care; childcare settings in independent schools; and outdoor childcare settings. Child-minders are not eligible for this support.

You will also need to confirm that your setting has already reopened or confirm that your setting will have reopened by Monday 7 September.  Settings are individually assessed even if the business operates multiple settings.

Applications for this scheme are anticipated as being open until 5pm on Friday 9 October 2020.

If a business has already invested to meet the requirements of the public health guidance they can still receive a grant, provided the setting meets the eligibility criteria set out.

If a business does information is available on other business support which may be applicable.