Perth & Kinross Based Businesses to Benefit From the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund

Small to Medium sized businesses throughout the Tay Cities region can now access a £5,000 grant opportunity to upskill or re-skill their workforces.

The £2.47 million Tay Cities SME Skills Fund joins the expertise of colleges and universities with the business acumen of key stakeholders, such as Chambers of Commerce, Scottish Enterprise and Business Gateway.

By harnessing the collective knowledge base and wealth of experience offered by these organisations, the aim is to generate a step change in the volume and responsiveness of the skills training on offer in the region.

Funded by Tay Cities Deal, and approved by Scottish Government, the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund will be led by Dundee & Angus College (D&AC), who are joined by the following training providers and business support partners.

• UHI Perth
• Fife College
• University of Dundee
• Abertay University
  
• Skills Development Scotland
• Perthshire Chamber of Commerce
• Dundee and Angus Chamber of Commerce
• Business Gateway tayside
• Scottish Enterprise
• FSB

How do I apply for the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund?

• The business contacts the Business Partnership Team at Dundee and Angus College who will arrange a free, training needs analysis.
  
• On identifying skills gaps and training needs, a full programme, worth up to £5000 will be drawn up for the business

What can the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund be used for?

The fund can be used to access training from any of the training providers outlined above to upskill members of your team so that they might better meet your current and future business needs. Bespoke training can also be created in certain circumstances.

Additional Benefits of the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund

Alongside training, successful applicants will be referred to a wide network of business support partners, ensuring access to all resources available within the regional business ecosystem. This joined up approach will ensure ongoing business development and support.

Fund Eligibility & Criteria

• Business size: SME Businesses (less than 250 employees)
• Business location: Tay Cities Region
• The fund can be only accessed once per business from April 2023 to March 2030

Objectives of the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund

To address duplication and gaps across all partners, and in turn, to enhance the volume and value of support for SME businesses.  

To increase the uptake of training by SME businesses through raising awareness of support available, and by helping to identify current and future skills gaps.

To promote the long-term benefits of skills development within the workforce including employee experience, increased retention and business stability.

To enhance the productivity of the SME base while supporting diversity, resilience, and growth.

To address skills shortages and to support career progression by increasing the proportion of the workforce undertaking professional development.

Apply Now: Contact Dundee and Angus College, the lead partner for the Tay Cities SME Skills Fund. [email protected]

The Tay Cities Regional Deal

This fund has been financed in its entirety by the Tay Cities Regional Deal.

The Tay Cities Region Deal brings together public, private and voluntary organisations in the council areas of Angus, Dundee, Fife and Perth & Kinross to deliver a smarter and fairer region.

To do so, the local authorities and Partners that make up the Tay Cities region have negotiated with the UK and Scottish Governments to secure investment and greater local powers. This will be used to encourage skills development and progress infrastructure such as roads, rail links, buildings and communications networks.  

Under the Deal, business, higher and further education, local government and the Third Sector will work closely together to create growth more quickly and sustainably using the significant public investment to bring greater prosperity and equality.

The Full Deal was signed on 17 December 2020. Click on the link to find out more about what the Deal means for the Region.