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 |