Our Recovery and Renewal Framework provides a structure around which the council’s COVID-19 activities will be delivered. This will be implemented in full, to ensure that the council is resilient and taking a lead role in building a more sustainable and fairer Shetland.
As part of the response to moving to a new phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government distributed £80m to local authorities through the Local Authority Community and Economic Recovery Fund. The council approved proposals to distribute this funding on 22 June 2022, which included direct funding to households, funding for local support services, and the allocation of £200,000 to the creation of a Business Transition Fund to support businesses to adapt to new ways of working or make investment to remain competitive and resilient.
The Business Transition Fund opened in September 2022, and closed to new applications in November 2022 following commitment of the allocated budget. To date, a total of £163,167 has been awarded to 21 local projects, with energy efficiency measures and digital improvements among the projects supported.