Scottish farmers are being urged to apply for grants of up to £5,000 as part of a new initiative to help celebrate and promote locally produced food.
Applications are now being accepted for the grants to help drive projects that push locally sourced food.
A total of £250,000 is available for the Connect Local Regional Food Fund, which will support collaborative projects in their early stages.
The fund is specifically looking for projects that provide benefit to local food producers and communities, are collaborative in nature and have a plan in place for continuity and for long term development.
The grant can be a contribution towards a specific activity within a broader project. The fund is competitive and applications will be reviewed by a panel that will meet three times per annum over the next two years.
Applications can be submitted at any time but there will be a submission deadline ahead of each panel. The submission deadline for the first panel is 12 July 2018 with the panel meeting in early August to review applications.
'Very fortunate'
The Scottish Government’s aim is to support the industry’s ambition to double its value to £30 billion by 2030.
Making the announcement ahead of Scotland’s Food and Drink Excellence Awards in Edinburgh, Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “We’re very fortunate in Scotland to have a food and drink sector that is internationally renowned.
“It is a major driver in our economy and supports around 17,000 businesses, and 115,000 jobs – as well as providing an increasingly important contribution to Scotland’s unique tourist offering.”
Mr Ewing said the Government is developing new markets, boosting innovation and supporting local producers via business rates exemptions, and schemes like the Connect Local Regional Food Fund.
Mr Ewing added: “These grants of up to £5000 will support collaborative local projects, providing vital funding when these initiatives need it most. This relatively modest outlay will result in long-term benefits for our regional food industry and the wider economy.”
It is hoped that the funding will help support new collaborative initiatives in their early stages to deliver benefits to Scotland’s local food and drink sector over the long-term.
