Funding

The Practical Training Fund, which was launched earlier this year and is administered by Lantra Scotland, has already supported more than 400 women and girls to undertake courses to develop their skillset or change careers.

Details of a financial package worth £65 million for culture and major events have been confirmed by the Culture Secretary Angus Robertson.

The split of the funding is as follows:

Connecting people and nature.

Led by NatureScot, the programme aims to give people the opportunity to help tackle the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss by creating and caring for their own forest in their own neighbourhood.

Projects awarded funding in most recent round of Knowledge Transfer and Innovation Fund.

The chosen projects have a specific focus on resource efficiency, cutting emissions, environmental performance and sustainability of agricultural holdings, and are supported by just over £170,000 of funding through the KTIF.

Allocation of next round of Croft House Grants for 2021/22.

The Croft House Grant scheme aims to retain and attract people to rural and remote communities with the latest round of funding awarding grants worth £265,922.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced the breakdown of a lifeline £100 million financial package to support businesses experiencing cancellations due to the rapid spread of the new Omicron variant.

The £100 million support package is broken down into:

Do you have a bold, innovative idea which could boost the economy? Are you ready to take the leap and become an entrepreneur? Could you benefit from training, mentorship, incubation space and opportunities for funding?

Farmers, crofters and land managers will be able to apply for support for conversion to and maintenance of organic land, alongside a suite of other measures aimed at promoting low carbon farming and protecting the environment.

Last week the Scottish Government announced details of its budget programme for 2022-23 which underlines their commitment to rural and island communities and businesses.

The 150 acre farm ‘starter unit’ at Newton, near Loch of Lintrathen, was made available via the Scottish Government’s Farming Opportunities for New Entrants (FONE) scheme designed to increase opportunities for new people to enter the industry.