SCOTTISH Borders Council (SBC) has revealed it has awarded more than £33m of coronavirus hardship grants to small businesses and the self-employed. 

Local authorities across Scotland have been involved in distributing the Scottish Government’s Coronavirus Support Schemes, which aimed to help businesses weather the immediate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The support funds administered by SBC on behalf of the Scottish Government were the Small Business Grant Fund; the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund; the Newly Self Employed Hardship Fund; and the Bed and Breakfast Hardship Fund. 

By August 27, the council had received 3,389 applications for the Small Business Grant Fund, of which 2,944 grants were awarded and 441 were declined. The total value of the funding was £28,597,500.

The council received 276 applications for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund, of which 206 grants were awarded and 70 were declined, for a total value of £4,887,500. 

For the Newly Self Employed Hardship Grant Fund, the council received 226 applications, for which 144 grants awarded and 82 declined, for a total value of £288,000. 

The council also received 14 applications for the Bed and Breakfast Hardship Fund, of which 11 grants were awarded and three declined, for a total value of £33,000. 

In total 3,905 applications were received and 596 applications were rejected.

The total value of funding distributed through the four funding streams was £33,806,000.

At the height of the grant delivery process there was a team of approximately 60 officers involved in the administration and payment of the grant funding.

A report was prepared ahead of the council's executive committee meeting scheduled for September 15.

The report read: “In addition to the grant support funds administered by Scottish Borders Council, discretionary funding providing additional support for businesses in the South of Scotland was administered by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) through two grant funding streams. 

“These two funding schemes were the Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprise Hardship Fund and the Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund. 

“The funds proved useful in filling gaps and supporting the additional funding requirements of businesses throughout the South of Scotland. 

“SOSE worked with Scottish Borders Council to help determine which businesses had already received funding from the other support schemes offered by Scottish Government.

“SOSE issued grant offers from these Funds to 137 companies in the Scottish Borders totalling just over £6m.”