Jan 15 2021 New Year, New Plans – how to prepare for the year ahead Categories: COVID-19EQ News With the start of a new year, we all look to plan ahead and whilst there still remains a large amount of uncertainty on what 2021 might bring, we wanted to provide some guidance on what assistance is still available and any other areas of consideration to help you prepare for the year ahead. As more
Jan 15 2021 Supreme Court ruling for Business Interruption Insurance payout Categories: COVID-19 It has just been announced that the Supreme Court has backed smaller firms, ruling that insurance companies must pay out on Business Interruption Insurance claims. With many insurers refusing to pay businesses back in Spring when the first lockdown came into force, this ruling will mean thousands of small business may receive insurance payouts covering more
Jan 13 2021 Nurseries funding support for outdoor play and learning Categories: COVID-19Healthcare On 22 December 2020, the Scottish Government announced a new £1m Outdoor Clothing Fund, aimed at providers of funded early learning and childcare. Guidance advises nurseries and other Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) settings to maximise the time that children spend outdoors to reduce the risks of COVID-19 transmission. It is also known that outdoor more
Jan 12 2021 Increased funding support for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses Categories: COVID-19Leisure The Scottish Government have announced January top-up grants for hospitality, retail and leisure businesses across Scotland that have had to close due to level 4 restrictions. These one-off grants will be in addition to the grants businesses receive through the Strategic Framework Business Fund (SFBF), which has been open since November. In most cases, if more
Jan 5 2021 Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Deadline Dates Categories: COVID-19EQ AccountingPayroll It was announced on 17 December that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be extended until the end of April 2021. The criteria will remain unchanged, following the same guidelines that are currently in place with the government continuing to pay 80% of unworked hours for furloughed employees, up to £2,500 per month. If you intend to use the more
Dec 22 2020 £104.3 million support package for tourism and hospitality businesses Categories: COVID-19Leisure A part of the £185 million package previously announced by Finance Secretary Kate Forbes, tourism and hospitality businesses across Scotland are to benefit from a £104.3 million package of support in the New Year. With mainland Scotland moving to level 4 and the Scottish islands moving to level 3 from Boxing Day, businesses that are required more
Dec 17 2020 Further extension to furlough and loan schemes Categories: COVID-19EQ Accounting The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, has announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will be extended by one month, until the end of April 2021. The criteria will remain unchanged, following the same guidelines that are currently in place with the government continuing to pay 80% of unworked hours for furloughed employees, up to £2,500 more
Dec 16 2020 The Pivotal Event Businesses Fund Categories: COVID-19 Update: The Pivotal Event Businesses Fund has been reopened temporarily for Expressions of Interest from Wednesday 13 January until Monday 18 January 2021 at 5pm. The events sector has faced severe challenges throughout 2020, with many businesses unable to operate. To further support the industry, the Scottish Government has announced an additional £13 million of funding. more