Public bodies in east central Scotland have been urged to bid for £12 million of European funding designed to boost the country’s economy by encouraging job creation, entrepreneurship and enterprise.
First Minister Alex Salmond launched the Scottish Government’s latest Business Innovation and Growth programme in Edinburgh on Wednesday, using the latest £20m tranche of European Regional Development Funding.
A total of £8m is committed to the Highlands and Islands. The rest is up for grabs across the rest of the country, with priority to projects which will boost small business and tackle youth unemployment.
The Scottish Government hopes the cash will encourage a further £30m of investment across the country through committed match funding.
Mr Salmond shared the National Economic Forum platform with oil industry veteran and chairman of the independent commission on youth unemployment Sir Ian Wood.
The First Minister said the Scottish Government’s stewardship of the ERDF funds was “maximising the impact of the public-sector and third-sector drive for economic growth to ensure that no part of Scotland is left behind”.
“We are using all the levers and resources currently available to us to create jobs, support investment and drive down unemployment, including youth unemployment,” the First Minister said.
“This programme can help fuel businesses as the engine of the economy to drive economic growth and create the jobs that Scotland needs.”
Areas like Dundee and Clackmannanshire are prioritised because of high levels of deprivation, while Stirling, Angus and Perth and Kinross are highlighted because of their rural populations. Fife counts as a priority area on both measures.
Projects including renewables training at Dundee College, a rural tourism business support scheme in Angus, and employability courses in Fife have already benefited from previous programmes, but any fresh application in the latest round must be additional to existing plans.
Councils, colleges and universities, charities and partnerships can all apply, but will be assessed against a string of criteria including a requirement that their projects have either a positive impact on promoting SME growth or encouraging youth employment.
Schemes will be funded to a maximum of 40%, and must plan to be operational by the autumn.
The news follows last week’s unveiling of details of an £88m youth employment and business growth package to help create jobs and up to 10,000 employment opportunities for young people.