This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Euro funds for East of Scotland
06/06/2003
A series of local projects across the East of Scotland are to benefit from £12.6 million worth of new European grants.
The funding is focused on promoting economic development and realising the environmental and tourism potential of local areas. It includes:
- assistance for Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board for their Niche Markets strategy;
- the establishment of an innovation fund to help business start-ups in Fife;
- support for Angus and Aberdeenshire councils to improve visitor access in the Cairngorms National Park.
Announcing the East of Scotland Programme grants, Deputy Enterprise Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"This injection of European funding will benefit a wide and diverse range of projects, providing considerable additional benefit throughout the whole Programme area.
"These new approvals include an additional £674,000 to support Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board with the Niche Markets in the East of Scotland.
"Support has been provided for strategic economic developments, including the extension of the successful internationalisation programmes, to support small and medium size enterprises (SMEs).
"A European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) grant totalling £880,800 is being offered to Scottish Enterprise in Tayside, Grampian and the Lothians.
"I am also pleased to announce that the East of Scotland Programme is making its first award for the creation of a loan/equity fund - £2.25 million will be allocated to Scottish Enterprise Fife to help establish the Sigma Innovation Fund.
"The total Innovation Fund of £6 million draws from both the public and private sector and will provide loan and equity finance to unquoted early stage and start up businesses throughout the programme area.
"In addition, I am delighted to announce that three partnership projects will be supported to assist visitor access improvements in the Cairngorms National Park. The support of over £1 million will be shared between Aberdeenshire and Angus Councils."
The East of Scotland Objective 2 Programme 2000-2006 was approved in principle by the European Commission in November 2000 and is worth €250 million over the period. The figure includes transitional funding of over €80 million for those areas in the East of Scotland that lost full status from the present Objective 2 and Objective 5b programmes.
This seventh round of awards to the Programme takes the total amount of European Regional Fund committed to date to almost £87 million.
A full list of projects is detailed below. For further details on these projects, please contact Nigel Thomas at the East of Scotland European Partnership on 01383 622 537.
Name of ProjectGrant Award
Dare to be Digital, University of Abertay Dundee | £58,264 |
Internationalisation Scottish Enterprise Tayside | £880,800 |
WL Business Portal & Virtual Business Centre, West Lothian Council Economic Development | £292,406 |
Lean Management Thinking Scottish Enterprise Grampian | £16,588 |
Sigma Innovation Fund (East of Scotland) Scottish Enterprise Fife | £2,225,000 |
Scottish Digital Asset Management Pilot Project - Scottish Enterprise Forth Valley | £82,827 |
Scottish Usability Lab (SOUL) - SME Project University of Abertay Dundee | £203,779 |
Abertay Centre for the Environment (ACE), University of Abertay Dundee | £1,110,836 |
Forest Products Initiative 2003-2005 Forestry Commission | £217,500 |
Marketing Falkirk for Business | £229,007 |
Eastern Cairngorms Access Project Aberdeenshire Council | £571,916 |
Arbroath Harbour Tourism Facilities Angus Council | £462,250 |
Esk Building Accelerator Lab Fitout Roslin Biocentre Ltd | £224,293 |
Claverhouse Access Road 2 - site servicing, Dundee City Council | £1,301,000 |
Aberfoyle Initiative, Stirling Council | £99,318 |
Eastern Cairngorms Access Project Angus Council | £484,465 |
Ballater Railway Station Phase 2 Aberdeen and Grampian Tourist Board | £303,350 |
Centre for Biomedial Research - Infrastructure Works, Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian | £2,250,000 |
Craigmillar European Programme - Community Economic Development, Craigmillar Social Inclusion Partnership | £3,050 |
Boyndie Centre, Boyndie Trust Ltd | £206,737 |
Midlothian Advice and Resource Centre Environmental Trading Midlothian Advice and Resource Centre | £49,017 |
Torry Bay Enhancement Fife Council | £95,000 |
Regenerate! North Arbroath Angus Council | £228,447 |
Ardler Village Trust - Development Worker, Dundee City Council | £49,722 |
Western Road North Industrial Estate, Keith - Small Business Unit The Moray Council | £67,600 |
Progress Through Learning Midlothian | £24,558 |
Community Futures Phase 2 - Supporting Communities Loch Lomond and Trossach National Park Authority | £86,200 |
Finance for Growth Programme for the Social Economy | £25,055 |