The Scottish Government has already taken action in this area over the past year, bringing in the Small Business Bonus Scheme, which has benefited up to 150,000 small business properties, and introducing a council tax freeze. Further action is being taken to support businesses and individuals.
- We are bringing forward spending on our 2007-13 European Structural Funds programmes; to date, we have announced almost £225 million of support for 300 projects nationwide. This includes accelerated funding of £55 million for Community Planning Partnerships to support employability projects across Scotland. We are also pressing ahead with funding for key economic development projects in rural and coastal areas through the Scotland Rural Development Programme and the European Fisheries Fund.
- We are expanding the Small Business Bonus Scheme by increasing the level of relief available by 25% from April 2009.
- We are strengthening our Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) initiative to ensure the delivery of a high level of responsiveness to businesses and individuals facing redundancy.
Skills Development Scotland has placed 80 staff in Jobcentre Plus centres to create a seamless service between skills development and employability support to minimise the time people affected by redundancy are out of work.
From February 2009, a national helpline has been in operation to connect individuals and companies to local PACE groups.
The Scottish Funding Council has allocated an additional £7 million to Scotland's 43 publicly-funded colleges to allow them to respond quickly and flexibly to local redundancies and provide support to PACE.
- We have increased support to individuals undertaking learning by increasing funding available through Career Development Loans and extending the range of training providers and courses for which people can use Individual Learning Accounts funding. From September 2009, we are also piloting the extension of support for the first time to postgraduate students studying part time.
- Scottish Enterprise is investing an additional £3 million over three years in the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service to support a doubling of the number of company reviews carried out.
- In February 2009, we launched BusinessClub Scotland, a new initiative designed to ensure Scottish businesses get maximum benefit from major events being held in Scotland.
- A Finance Sector Jobs Taskforce is being established to tackle the current challenges in the sector, ensure key skills are retained through the downturn and help prepare the sector for a strong recovery.
- We are working with Scotland Food and Drink and other agencies to provide enhanced support to help businesses in the food and drink sector exploit export opportunities. In February 2009, a substantial package of support to help Scotland's food and drink industry increase its international profile was set out. This will provide support for international trade missions and trade advisers and a new supplier development programme.
- We have extended the eligibility for small businesses to apply for Regional Selective Assistance grants across the whole of Scotland.
- We are taking forward 16+ Learning Choices in order to maintain young people in learning after the age of 16 and help secure their longer-term employability.
- Following the publication of New Horizons we are working with the university sector to ensure that their activities support sustainable economic growth.
- Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise have undertaken comprehensive business reviews with more than 2,000 of Scotland's major employers and growth companies, resulting in individually-tailored action plans. Through the Now's the time to ask campaign by Scottish Enterprise, over 2,800 direct enquiries have been made and over 2,100 places booked on specialist events.
- Scottish Development International is enabling companies to participate in the Scottish pavilions at major trade shows at minimal up-front cost, allowing more Scottish businesses to access new markets overseas. Companies can now participate on the Scottish pavilions at major trade shows and pay for the vast majority of the costs of participation up to six months later.
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Manufacturing companies across Scotland are to benefit from a significant increase in manufacturing advice.