£10m emergency coronavirus crisis support fund will help keep Scottish coach firms on the road
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Coach operators can now apply for a share of a £10 million pound fund to help support their businesses through the Covid-19 crisis.
Applications for the fund, which is part of a wider £104.3 million Scottish Government tourism and hospitality support package, are live from noon on Tuesday February 16 and will close at 5pm on Tuesday February 23.
The one off fund will specifically provide support to Scottish-based businesses in the coach tourism and coach private hire sector, who are operating the newest and most environmentally friendly vehicle fleet, with eight or more seats.
The Scotland Coach Operators – Covid-19 Business Support and Continuity Fund, with development input from the Confederation of Passenger Transport, is one of nine funding streams administered by VisitScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
The national tourism organisation has redeployed more than 100 staff from other roles to help process applications as quickly as possible.
The money being made available aims to cover fixed costs that businesses continue to incur when they cannot operate, and to help prepare them for reopening when it is safe to do so.
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland, said: “We appreciate the devastating impact the pandemic has had on all of our important tourism and events businesses, affecting every corner of our industry and area of the country.
“VisitScotland is diverting our focus from marketing to funding for the next three months to ensure that desperately needed help is delivered quickly, to those most in need.
“Some in the industry have been able to generate revenue as a result of offering digital experiences online or operating within the restrictions to take advantage of the increase in domestic visitors.
“Unfortunately, coach operators have had little or no income through either of these means. Hopefully this fund will go some way to meet their immediate financial needs until coach tours become financially viable again.”
Paul White, Scotland director for the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPD) welcomed the announcement and commented: "This fund will serve as a much-needed lifeline for many CPT coach operator members, many of whom have been unable to trade to any great degree since winter 2019. The fund will help meet some of the substantial costs incurred over these past 10 months of inactivity."
To review the guidance notes and check eligiblity, go to www.visitscotland.org/supporting-your-business/funding/coach-operator-fund
