Coronavirus advice for businesses in Scotland

Applications are now open for three new grants for businesses impacted by coronavirus:

• Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund
• Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund
• Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund

We apologise for the early technical issues people have experienced in submitting applications to the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund and the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund.

Please don’t worry if it’s taken you longer to apply and submit your application. To ensure that nobody is disadvantaged, the assessment of applications will not start before Monday 4 May. This means that all applications received before then will be treated equally. 

These grants are part of the £100 million fund announced by the Scottish Government to support the self-employed and SMEs. (30 April 2020)

Do you run a small business? Get vital financial support - from 4 May 2020 you can apply for a loan of up to £50,000 which will be guaranteed by the UK Government. (28 April 2020) 

Find UK-wide coronavirus financial support for your business. This new service launched by the UK Government covers most, but not all, business support available to businesses in Scotland. Keep looking here for the latest UK and Scottish Government updates (27 April 2020)

Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (1 May 2020)

How to make a claim (30 April 2020) 

Read this step-by-step guide for employers (29 April 2020)   

Small businesses can now apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). They have changed eligibility criteria to make it easier for businesses to access funds. (6 April 2020) 

Find advice about Local Authority grants to help with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on your business.  

More sources of funding

Help tackle the coronavirus emergency by manufacturing essential supplies, developing technological solutions and more. 

Find guidance for the construction industry from the Scottish Government. Work on construction projects should stop unless it's supporting crucial work during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. (6 April 2020)

Read updated social distancing guidance for businesses in Scotland to help provide clarity on protecting your employees in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). (4 April 2020)

Explore this free service for employers looking to fill jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic launched by Skills Development Scotland. This is a free platform to share immediate job opportunities in Scotland.

Find advice on business continuity planning from Business Gateway to help you minimise potential impact.

Watch a free online tutorial on business contingency planning

Read this action list for businesses to consider during the current pandemic.

Find advice on business continuity management from the UK Government including a toolkit to help you identify all the issues you need to consider.

More on business continuity

How to claim for wages for employees on temporary leave ('furlough') due to coronavirus (23 April 2020)

Find redundancy support from Skills Development Scotland. Free support for businesses of any size, no matter how many employees are involved. 

Get free, impartial advice from Acas on workplace rights, rules and best practice.

Usual sick leave and pay entitlements apply if you or an employee has coronavirus.

By law, anyone classed as an employee has the right to take time off work to help someone who depends on them (a 'dependant') in an unexpected event.

Flexible working is more important than ever as work practices change to tackle coronavirus - Get support and advice at Flexibility Works (17 April 2020)

Read updated social distancing guidance for businesses in Scotland to help provide clarity on protecting your employees in the fight against coronavirus (COVID-19). (4 April 2020)

More advice for employers