Advice for businesses and jobseekers

Our Economic Development and Business Gateway team continues to support businesses in the area by email and telephone, and through regular social media posts.

Economic Renewal Strategy launched

An ambitious new Economic Renewal Strategy has been approved for Midlothian, with the aim of protecting jobs, preserving business and tackling the adverse economic impact of COVID-19.

The Strategy sets out our partnership approach to managing the transition from lockdown and planning for the longer term challenges the local economy will face.

• Read more about our Economic Renewal Strategy
• View or download the Economic Renewal Strategy (addendum to the Economic Growth Strategy 2020-2025)

If you're looking to start a new business venture, grow an existing company, relocate with your family or simply want to visit the area, the newly launched Locate in Midlothian website gives you all the tools, support and information you need.

• Visit the Locate in Midlothian website

Business Gateway Midlothian Survey

We are gathering information on the impact the global pandemic has had on Midlothian businesses. This will inform our economic renewal strategy, and create a two way dialogue between ourselves and our business community.

We’re talking to as many local businesses as we can, to ensure Midlothian continues to be a great place to grow. Have your say:

• Complete the survey

New funding support for B&B accommodation providers - closes 10 July 2020

A new fund has been launched to provide hardship relief to B&B and small serviced accommodation providers who have not been able to access support through other schemes because of their banking status.

Personal and business bank accounts - PLEASE NOTE CHANGES TO SCHEME

The scheme is aimed at providing support to the owners of B&Bs, guest houses, restaurants with rooms and other similar businesses which operate with a personal or joint personal bank.  In addition, applications can now be considered from those businesses operating with a business bank account.

Hardship payment

Successful applicants will receive a one-off hardship payment of £3,000 from the new Scottish Government fund which opened for applications on Monday 15 June and is being managed by local councils.

How to apply

• Find out more about the eligibility criteria and how to apply

Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund - closes 10 July 2020

This Scottish Government fund provides hardship relief to those who became self-employed on or after 6 April 2019, and were actively trading up to March 2020, and who were not able to access support through other schemes.

The £34 million fund, which is being managed by local councils, will be allocated to those eligible through £2,000 grants.

• More about the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund and how to apply

Business rates

The Scottish Government announced changes to non-domestic rates for the financial year 2020/21 to help businesses deal with the impact of COVID-19. A further amendment to the scheme on 15 April 2020 was implemented from 5 May 2020.

The Scottish Government Coronavirus Business Support Fund - closes at 5pm on Friday 10 July 2020

The Scottish Government Coronavirus Business Support Fund is being administered by Local Authorities. It consists of the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.

The grants are aimed at helping to keep small and medium-sized companies in business and keep productive capacity so that they can recover. Their intention is to:

• Protect jobs
• Prevent business closure
• Promote economic recovery

This Fund is part of a suite of measures designed to support businesses experiencing hardship as a result of COVID-19. To support as many different types, sizes, and sectors of business as is possible, recipients of one Fund may not be eligible to receive support from another. Businesses are encouraged to refrain from claiming additional grant support unless absolutely necessary and, when making this determination, to consider on the Scheme’s objectives above.

Small Business Grant Fund: who’s eligible?

Ratepayers of businesses located in a non-domestic property on 17 March 2020 can apply to access a support fund and receive a small business support grant of £10,000 if they:

• receive the Small Business Bonus Scheme (SBBS)
• receive Rural Relief
• or are eligible for SBBS, but receive:
  • Nursery Relief
  • Disabled Relief
  • Fresh Start Relief
  • Business Growth Accelerator Relief
  • Enterprise Areas Relief
  • Sports Relief
  • or Charitable Rates Relief.

Small Business Grant Fund - grants for tenants/occupiers: who’s eligible?

From 8 June 2020, tenants or occupiers of premises such as:

• shared office spaces
• business incubators
• shared industrial units for which the landlord is the registered rate payer

may be eligible for a one-off £10,000 small business grant.

Eligibility is subject to detailed criteria, but is irrespective of the use or rateable value of the property. A tenant/occupier may only receive a single grant.

From 5 May 2020, ratepayers with multiple business properties meeting these criteria are eligible to receive a one-off grant of £10,000 for their first property, and £7,500 for each subsequent qualifying property. These are only available to ratepayers whose premises were occupied on 17 March 2020 for the business uses specified.

From 5 May 2020, new arrangements will enable ratepayers of properties in the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure sectors & previously ineligible for support to access the Small Business Grant Fund. Ratepayers operating properties in Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure where individual rateable values do not exceed £18,000 and cumulative rateable value is between £35,001 -£51,000, will now be able to apply for the Small Business Grant Fund for each of their Retail, Hospitality or Leisure properties.

Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund: who’s eligible?

Ratepayers of businesses in the Retail, Hospitality, and Leisure sectors operating in premises with a rateable value between £18,001 - £51,000 inclusive can apply for a Grant of £25,000.

From 8 June the combined rateable value will increase to a maximum of £500,000.

From 5 May 2020, ratepayers with multiple business properties which meet these criteria are eligible to receive a one-off grant of £25,000 for their first property and £18,750 for each subsequent qualifying property. These are only available to a ratepayer whose premises were occupied on 17 March 2020 for the business uses specified.

Important: please read

• These payments are grants. A grant awarded on a valid application, does not need to be refunded by the recipient.
• In each case, the rateable value & listed purpose used to assess eligibility are those on 17 March 2020 (regardless of any subsequent amendment on appeal).
• Information provided by an applicant will be verified against other information sources held by this Council. This will assist timely application processing, fraud prevention and for auditing purposes.
• Councils will aim to make payment within 10 working days from receipt of a fully completed application and once all information and evidence in support of an application has been verified. Applications may be subject to delay if incomplete or incorrect details are supplied.
• If a grant is awarded on the basis of false or inaccurate information, it may result in arrangements being made to recover the award, and legal proceedings being initiated.

How to apply

Apply online for this scheme:

• £10,000 Small Business Support Grant and the £25,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Support Grant

Please note that The City of Edinburgh Council are dealing with these applications on our behalf. You will be taken to a page on their website.

Self-employment Income Support Scheme

Claim the coronavirus Self-employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) on the HM Revenue & Customs portal. This scheme is for the self-employed or a members of a partnership that have lost income due to coronavirus. The service opened to claims on Wednesday 13 May, with payments reaching bank accounts by 25 May, or six working days after the claim is made.

Eligibility

The scheme will benefit self-employed individuals or those in a partnership whose business has been adversely affected by coronavirus, covering most people who get at least half of their income from self-employment. SEISS is a temporary scheme that will enable those eligible to claim a taxable grant worth 80% of their average trading profits up to a maximum of £7,500 (equivalent to three months’ profits) in a single instalment.

• Check your eligibility using the HMRC online checker

Where individuals are ineligible for the scheme, HMRC will direct them to guidance setting out the conditions to help them understand why they are ineligible, and advice about other support that might be available to them such as income tax deferrals, rental support, Universal Credit, access to mortgage holidays and the various business support schemes the government has introduced to protect businesses during this time.   

• For more information visit: www.GOV.UK