North Ayrshire Council Business Development / Business Gateway service is closed from 12.30pm on the 24th of December until 9am on the 5th of January.

 

General Business Support

Visit https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/ to access a range of business support services.

Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF)

If your business is required to close by law or to significantly change its operations due to COVID-19 restrictions from 2 November 2020, you may be eligible to apply for the following grant funding:

  • Temporary closure grant – £2,000 or £3,000 (depending on rateable value) if your business is required to close by law
  • Business restrictions grant – a grant of £1,400 or £2100 (depending on rateable value) for businesses that remain open but are specifically required to modify their operations by protective measures, payable every four weeks in arrears for the duration measures are in place. This means that your business is legally required to close earlier than normal, for example, not that you have to adopt physical distancing or that the demand for your products or services has been reduced because of the pandemic or other restrictions which impact on individuals and communities.

Grants will be paid every 4 weeks in arrears as long as restrictions last.

Please check your eligibility here before applying.  If you are eligible, please visit the North Ayrshire Council website here to apply.

Please note – mobile close contact services are not eligible under this fund. Additional Scottish Government support for this group of businesses will be launched in January 2021, so please do not complete these forms if you are in this category of businesses and wait for further announcements of new support in January.

Guidance on trading during Tier 4 restrictions

Scottish Government guidance on which businesses are permitted to remain open in Tier 4 can be found here

 

Brexit

If you are looking for Brexit-related support, please use the following Scottish Government tools to access the latest information and guidance:

  • Website – Up-to-date advice and guidance and how to prepare can be accessed via  www.prepareforbrexit.scot 
  • Brexit Helpline – queries from import and export documentation, tariffs, VAT to logistics.
  • Email via this link –  www.prepareforbrexit.scot/contact
  • Telephone: 0300 303 0661
  • Brexit A – Z – for all the information you need to prepare businesses for 1 January 2021
  • 10 point Brexit Checklist – which aims to assist Scottish businesses in preparing for these changes and will help them to plan and prioritise what actions they need to take now.
  • A self-service directory – How will Brexit impact your supply chain?​  which can help companies prepare for supply chain disruption caused by Brexit, and those companies looking to replace suppliers due to the impact of COVID-19.  It’s a FREE service and includes searching a range of web and subscription databases to help companies find the suppliers you need.
  • Brexit webinars – including a list of webinars and videos hosted by SE and partners – IoE, Chambers of Commerce, BEIS, Defra, HMRC and DIT
  • Support for export and customs documentation – from getting support on how to deal with customs, export documentation support via your local chamber in Scotland and via HMRC’s Customs Grant Scheme where organisations can apply for funding to reimburse a number of costs associated with increasing their capacity and enhancing their ability to complete customs declarations, ahead of the new rules from January 2021.
  • HMRC Customs Grant Scheme  – if a business completes customs declarations they can apply for funding
  • Signing-up to receive the latest email updates on EU Transition (Brexit) guidance and support for businesses in Scotland
  • Our Brexit Transition Toolkit – expert guidance and support to help new and existing businesses prepare for changes that will follow the EU transition period (Brexit)