Grants worth more than £28.2 million have been processed by the Council to help support East Dunbartonshire businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic.
There have been a variety of funding schemes in 2020 and 2021 - all designed to help the local economy weather unprecedented disruption and to protect jobs.
Council teams have administered a number of grants on behalf of the Scottish Government - including application, adjudication, appeals and payment processes.
The Council and Business Gateway East Dunbartonshire have also promoted a host of support schemes from the UK Government, as well as providing advice, and online workshops and resources.
Since 1 April 2020, the Council has issued 6,917 grants to local businesses - a total of £28,267,075 (as of 24 September 2021).
Councillor Vaughan Moody, Joint Leader of the Council, said, "It has been an incredible effort to process and administer more than £28.2 million worth of grants on behalf of the many firms, entrepreneurs and enterprises who form the backbone of the East Dunbartonshire economy. A range of teams from the Council and Business Gateway were involved, and deserve great praise for their efforts during very difficult circumstances."
Councillor Andrew Polson, Joint Leader of the Council, added, "I'm very proud of the work which has been carried out, but - rest assured - we are not resting on any laurels. The local economy is still facing massive challenges as it continues its recovery from COVID-19. We are here to provide as much support as possible - with our partners - helping to protect businesses and jobs across our communities."
The UK Government's Job Retention Scheme has now come to an end. Provisional figures for July 2021 show that 2,400 local posts were furloughed (5% of the eligible total) compared to 13,300 in July 2020 (27%).
An Economic Recovery Plan (ERP) for East Dunbartonshire was published earlier this year - providing information on work being undertaken by Council services and community planning partners, as well as a wealth of potential resources.
The ERP identifies key issues and actions within four priority areas:
- Business – supporting the recovery of business activity
- People – supporting residents and employment
- Community – investing in regeneration and community projects
- Environment – making progress towards a sustainable economy.
* For more support information, visit economic recovery webpage.
* Business Gateway East Dunbartonshire is continuing to offer advice and support via workshops, networking groups and appointments - visit the business works website
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