Scotland Coach Operators – COVID-19 Business Support and Continuity Fund

COVID-19 Business Support and Continuity (Tourism) top-up fund

In January 2022, funding of up to £9 million for tourism was announced by the Scottish Government to mitigate the impact of public health measures introduced to limit the rapid spread of the Omicron variant. The money was designed to recognise the economic impact of the steps people were asked to take and the loss of revenue specifically between 8 December 2021 and 21 January 2022.

Businesses which were previously supported by VisitScotland under this Scotland Coach Operators – COVID-19 Business Support and Continuity Fund were contacted directly by email and asked to confirm basic information before payments were made. This process has now closed and eligible businesses will receive a top-up payment of £6,800 under the Fund.

About the Fund

Please note that applications for the Scotland Coach Operators – COVID-19 Business Support and Continuity Fund – Strand One  and Strand Two are now closed. 

Strand One supported coach operators in Scotland whose turnover in 19/20 from coach tourism / private coach hire was more than 55% of their total turnover.

Strand Two was created to support coach operators in Scotland whose turnover in 19/20 from coach tourism / private coach hire was more than 40% of their total turnover. 

The Fund was designed to support businesses that are facing hardship due to the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic to keep them in business while restrictions on travel were in place, and to support them to prepare for recommencing operations when restrictions were lifted. It provided targeted support to those businesses who were operating the newest and most environmentally friendly vehicle fleet.

The total budget for Strand Two of the Fund was £1.6 million - part of the £104.3 million Scottish Government package announced in 2010. The Fund was delivered on behalf of the Scottish Government by VisitScotland, with development input from the Confederation of Passenger Transport. VisitScotland was the awarding body for this Fund.   

The amount awarded to each applicant was determined by the eligibility criteria and supporting information provided as set out within the guidance notes.

Questions about the fund

If you have any queries about the Scotland Coach Operators – COVID-19 Business Support and Continuity Fund – Strand Two please contact [email protected].

Find out more about funding opportunities in our funding section.