Covid-19 grants paid out in Moray tops £27 million

MORAY Council has processed more than £27 million of Scottish Government funding for business and residents during the pandemic so far.

And the council is urging more businesses to apply for support through the discretionary fund.

Of the support paid out so far almost £16 million has gone to businesses as Small Business Grants, £6 million through the Strategic Framework Business Fund, and £2.9 million for retail, hospitality and leisure.

The council says support worth hundreds of thousands has also gone to other businesses including taxi/private hire drivers, breweries and childcare providers.

The region's residents have received a total of £500,000 through the flexible food fund, £42,000 in other food grants, £156,000 in hardship payments and £20,000 in self-isolation support grants.

In the latest round of funding through the discretionary fund, the council has received 388 applications, and paid out £544,000.

The council’s head of economic growth, Jim Grant, said: "Money is still available within the discretionary fund allocation for Moray.

"I’d encourage business owners to check their eligibility against this fund and, if the criteria match their business, to make an application as soon as possible.

"We’ve boosted the capacity within our teams to cope with the demand as applications come in.

"We’re supporting hundreds of business in Moray, and we want to extend that help to as many eligible businesses as we can."