Coronavirus advice for businesses in Scotland
Your top questions answered
Need help getting back to work safely?
Read the Scottish Government's phase 2 business and physical distancing guidance (29 June)
Read advice and guidance from Public Health Scotland on planning a return to work (26 June)
Guidance on opening of public and customer toilets (27 June 2020)
Key dates and guidance in Scotland's Route Map to help your business prepare for easing of restrictions through Phase 2 into Phase 3 (24 June 2020)
Explore this free service for employers looking to fill jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic launched by Skills Development Scotland. This is a free platform to share immediate job opportunities in Scotland.
Find advice on business continuity planning from Business Gateway to help you minimise potential impact.
Get support with planning innovative way of working from Scottish Enterprise to help your employees return to work safely and learn how to adapt to the changing business landscape.
Watch a free online tutorial on business contingency planning
Read this action list for businesses to consider during the current pandemic.
Find advice on business continuity management from the UK Government including a toolkit to help you identify all the issues you need to consider.
Find ways your business can help tackle the coronavirus emergency - for example, by manufacturing essential supplies, developing technological solutions and more.
The Early Stage Growth Challenge Fund is to support early-stage, high-growth Scottish companies which have been negatively affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It’s a competitive funding call, meaning funding is NOT being awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.
The fund will open for applications on 20 July 2020 and close at 5pm on 31 July 2020. Full eligibility criteria and application guidance are available on the Scottish Enterprise website
Information about the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme from UK Government - get help with registration, eligibility and how to offer the discount (9 July 2020)
The Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund is a targeted £10 million fund to support Scotland's performing arts venues. It will help venues who cannot yet reopen to their audiences due to the ongoing impact of coronavirus (COVID-19). Full details to be released. (3 July 2020)
Bed and Breakfast Hardship Fund criteria has been extended to include those operating with business bank account. The fund will close to new applications on 10 July 2020 (3 July 2020)
Applications for the following two funds have now closed:
- Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund
- Creative, Tourism and Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund
Read further information about the status of your application
The fund will close to new applications on 10 July 2020 (3 July 2020)
These grants are part of the £100 million fund announced by the Scottish Government to support the self-employed and SMEs. (30 April 2020)
Apply for a coronavirus Bounce Back Loan. Small and medium-sized businesses affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) can apply for a loan of up to £50,000 which will be guaranteed by the UK Government (4 May 2020)
Find UK-wide coronavirus financial support for your business. This new service launched by the UK Government covers most, but not all, business support available to businesses in Scotland. Keep looking here for the latest UK and Scottish Government updates (27 April 2020)
The UK Job Retention Scheme (furlough) that pays 80% of wages of workers on leave because of coronavirus has been extended by a further four months to October. The UK Government will ask companies to "start sharing" the cost of the scheme from August. (12 May 2020)
Important changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention (furlough) Scheme from 1 July.
The final date you could furlough an employee for the first time was Wednesday 10 June.
- Check if you can claim for your employees' wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (1 July 2020)
- How to make a claim (3 July 2020)
- Read this step-by-step guide for employers (2 July 2020)
- Find out how to calculate 80% of your employee’s wages, National Insurance contributions (NICs) and pension contributions if you've furloughed staff. (1 July 2020)
How to pay all or some of your grant back if you’ve overclaimed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (1 July 2020)
Small businesses can now apply for the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS). They have changed eligibility criteria to make it easier for businesses to access funds. (6 April 2020)
Find advice about Local Authority grants to help with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) on your business.
Scottish Mediation offers a Covid-19 mediation service to resolve conflicts with employees. The service is free for organisations with up to 5 employees (9 July)
Phase 2 guidance for businesses in Scotland on physical distancing and closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak (29 June 2020)
Key dates and guidance in Scotland's Route Map to help your business prepare for easing of restrictions through Phase 2 into Phase 3 (24 June 2020)
Guidance for workers and employers on returning to work safely (24 June)
Test and Protect - Scottish Government advice for employers (26 May 2020)
Important changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention (furlough) Scheme from 1 July: the final date you could furlough an employee for the first time was Wednesday 10 June. (12 June 2020)
Usual sick leave and pay entitlements apply if you or an employee has coronavirus.
You can claim back sick pay through the Coronavirus Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme (28 May 2020)
By law, anyone classed as an employee has the right to take time off work to help someone who depends on them (a 'dependant') in an unexpected event.
Get free, impartial advice from ACAS on workplace rights, rules and best practice.
Flexible working is more important than ever as work practices change to tackle coronavirus - get support and advice at Flexibility Works (17 April 2020)
Find redundancy support from Skills Development Scotland. Free support for businesses of any size, no matter how many employees are involved.
Latest Scottish Government and industry guidance for sectors getting back to work safely:
- Caravan sites and holiday parks (3 July 2020)
- Construction (12 June 2020)
- Creative industries - creative studios and shared workspaces (30 June 2020)
- Events (3 July)
- Farmers, landowners and rural (11 June 2020)
- Food and drink (29 May 2020)
- Forestry (29 May 2020)
- Horticulture, fruit and vegetables (30 June 2020)
- Life sciences
- Manufacturing (7 July 2020)
- Museums, galleries and heritage attractions (6 July 2020)
- Private landlords and lettings agents (10 July 2020)
- Professional sport - football and rugby (10 July 2020)
- Retail (10 July 2020) and how the retail experience is changing (30 June 2020)
- Tourism and hospitality (18 June 2020)
- Transport transition plan, guidance for operators, guidance for passengers on how to travel safely and transport trend data (4 June 2020)
- More on industry support
Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies are working in partnership to help you find the support you need if your business has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Find guidance, advice and tools for all sectors across Scotland.
Latest updates
- Use our timeline to help you plan restarting your business
- Early Stage Growth Challenge Fund announced by Scottish Government for early-stage, high-growth Scottish companies which have been negatively affected by COVID-19 (10 July 2020)
- Restart dates for driving theory tests and motorcycle training and tests in Scotland (10 July 2020)
- Non-statutory guidance to support childminder services to operate safely from Phase 3 onwards (10 July 2020)
- Eat Out to Help Out Scheme from UK Government - get help with registration, eligibility and how to offer the discount (9 July 2020)
- A new temporary reduced rate of VAT of 5% will apply for admission to certain attractions from 15 July 2020 to 12 January 2021. (9 July 2020)
- Phase 3 coronavirus (COVID-19) route map update from the Scottish Government (9 July 2020)
- Moving to Phase 3: opening dates confirmed for places of worship, hairdressers, museums and galleries (9 July 2020)
- The Recovery Advice for Business scheme will give small firms access to free, one-to-one advice with an expert adviser to help them through the coronavirus pandemic and to prepare for long-term recovery. (9 July 2020)
Get ready to restart with our timeline
Our indicative timeline shows all the key dates and events on Scotland's route out of lockdown.
Browse advice by topic
Sources of finance
Information for businesses, the third sector and the self-employed.
Support by industry sector
All sectors in Scotland are experiencing the impacts of the coronavirus outbreak, some more than others.
Protecting your workforce
Guidance on employment, key workers, furloughed workers, including sick leave and pay entitlements.
Business rates and tax
Support and advice on business tax, rates and accounts.
Business continuity
Find important checklists explaining the steps you should be taking to prepare for potential disruption.
Webinars and online learning
Webinars, tutorials and online learning events about the impact of the coronavirus and general business development advice.
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