Fiona Hyslop has announced an additional £100 million for Scottish individuals and businesses to relieve hardship; protecting the newly self-employed ineligible for other support and viable micro and SME businesses in distress who may be ineligible for UK Government sources of funding or not in receipt yet of the funds they need to survive.

The grant funding will be channelled through Local Authorities and Enterprise Agencies and open for applications by the end of April, with recipients receiving funds in early May.

The provisional allocation will see:

• £34 million for the newly self-employed
• £20 million for creative, tourism and hospitality companies not in receipt of business rates relief
• £45 million for vulnerable but vital firms to Scotland’s local and national economic foundations

The recently self-employed, excluded from the UK’s scheme but suffering hardship, will be able to receive £2,000 grants.

For creative, tourist and hospitality companies of up to 50 employees, not receiving business rates relief, there will be easy access £3,000 hardship grants or larger grants up to £25,000 where it can be demonstrated it is needed.

The support and grants for pivotal SME enterprises will depend on the specific need of the enterprise and be developed by the relevant enterprise agency with wrap around support.

There will also be an additional £1 million to Creative Scotland’s Bridging Bursaries Fund.

Together with industry sector leads and trades unions, the Scottish Government is developing sector by sector guidance to give assurance and confidence as closed businesses at some point re-open and restart economic activity, but only when the scientific and health advice supports it.

The Cabinet Secretary also announced the establishment of an Economic Recovery Advisory Group.

The package of business support is now worth more than £2.2 billion and is delivering almost £900 million of rates relief.