The Hotel Support Programme opens

Category: COVID-19Leisure - Posted On: Aug 26 2020


As previously announced, the Scottish Government promised a £14m Hotel Recovery Programme to support some of Scotland’s larger hotels. Today (Wednesday 26 August), full details have been released as the new ‘Hotel Support Programme’ opens.

The programme is highly targeted and can be used alongside other COVID-19 support schemes. It is intended to help a number of hotels to invest and adapt in a way that protects local jobs in the medium to long term. The programme will offer a mix of consultancy support, business advice and funding through grants, up to a maximum of £250,000 per hotel and provide help to access loan or equity finance if required.

To be eligible, each hotel you are applying for must meet the following criteria:

  • Be based in Scotland (even if the company is not, the hotel must be)
  • Been operating before 31 December 2019
  • Have a rateable value (RV) over £51,000
  • Employ at least 50 employees – not including contractors or agency staff
  • Should provide jobs that are critical to the local economy and the recovery of the tourism sector
My business is eligible, what should I do now?

Initially, you must submit an expression of interest before 5pm on 9 September 2020. All completed expressions of interest will be assessed after this date.

In your expression of interest, you will have to provide information on the details of the hotel(s) you want to be considered for the programme and include a short summary of how much funding you need and how it will help.

You can find the expression of interest form here. We would suggest you read the information provided by the Scottish Government before completing the form. You can find detailed information on the Hotel Support Programme here.

Next steps

Once your submission has been checked, an agency will contact you to confirm whether you can proceed to the next step. The agency will then work with your company to gather evidence to appraise your application and conduct any required due diligence.

If your hotel is selected to take part in the programme, a bespoke package of support will then be designed, this could be made up of a mix of consultancy support, business advice and funding. You will then be given a formal offer.

The aim is to inform companies what support they will receive and when it will be delivered as soon as possible but it is expected to be done on an ongoing basis from October 2020 until March 2021.

To discuss your circumstances or for help with the submission, please contact our EQ Leisure specialists via leisure@eqaccountants.co.uk or call one of our offices.