Wedding businesses affected by coronavirus able to claim one-off £25k grant this week

A £25 million fund to support the wedding sector and its supply chain will open to applications this week.

In recognition of the ongoing challenges faced by the industry, a further £10 million has been added to the £15 million announced in December.

Launching on Thursday, January 28 the fund will provide one-off grants of up to £25,000 for eligible businesses in the sector impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, including wedding venues, photographers, caterers and suppliers.

The fund will be managed regionally by Scotland’s three enterprise agencies - South of Scotland Enterprise, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The £25m fund will be managed regionally by Scotland’s three enterprise agencies (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Finance Minister Kate Forbes said: “This £25 million fund will ensure one-off grants of up to £25,000 reach eligible business as quickly as possible and there is no equivalent fund in other parts of the UK.

“The pandemic has had a severe impact on Scotland’s wedding sector, and we know that the current restrictions, while entirely necessary in our fight against Covid-19, continue to take their toll on the sector. I’d encourage all those who think they are eligible to find out more about applying - we want to help as many businesses survive this pandemic as we can.”

Businesses considering applying for the one-off grant of up to £25,00 must be in one of the following sectors:

• Venues

• Videographers

• Photographers

• Marquee Hire (includes tipi)

• Wedding Attire

• Florists & Event Stylists

• Caterers

• Cakes

• Transport (not including taxis)

• Event Supplies (Cater hire, decorative items)

• Hairdressers & Make-up Artists (Non-mobile)

• Entertainment (Band, DJ, Piper, String Quartet)

• Jewellery Designers/Makers/Sellers

• Wedding Exhibitions/Events

• Wedding Publications or Listing Sites

• Wedding Stationery

• Other Specialist Niche Suppliers (Photo Booth, Event nannies, event planners etc)

The Scottish Wedding Industry Alliance’s (SWIA) Co-Founder Caroline Inchyra said that the finding will give “renewed hope to the many businesses who have been unable to operate in a viable way for almost a year.”

Professor Russel Griggs OBE, Chair of South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) said: “This fund aims to support those businesses whose main income comes from the wedding sector. The industry supports a significant number of jobs, with over 26,000 weddings and civil partnerships taking place in Scotland in 2019.

“The wedding industry is particularly vital to the South of Scotland, which in 2019 hosted almost 5,000 ceremonies – more than 18 per cent of the national total – and in Gretna Green has one of the most iconic wedding locations in the world.”

Visit Find Business Support for more information.