Four projects including a creative makers programme for the Tall Ships event and an upskilling project have received funding after approval at committee today.
The projects, which are all being carried out via the City Council and were agreed by the Finance and Resources Committee, have been awarded the grant funding as part of local business support from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The grants include:
• up to £137,592 for the Energy Pilot Project in partnership with SCARF;
• up to £40,000 for the Learning Journey Support for SMEs in Tourism, Digital Tech and Food and Drink project;
• up to £48,740 for AI Upskilling for SMEs project;
• up to £55,000 for the Tall Ships Creative Makers Programme.
Committee convener Councillor Alex McLellan said: “These four projects help our city’s business communities in different ways and they are all provide important support for residents.
“We look forward to seeing the benefits these grants give to the organisations and the difference the projects will make.”
The report to committee gave details on the various projects.
The Energy Pilot Project scheme is designed for small and medium-sized enterprises to co-finance energy and carbon-saving upgrades and support their efforts to achieve net zero targets.
By supporting energy efficiency projects, this scheme helps to reduce energy consumption, directly lowering carbon emissions. This includes upgrading energy-efficient equipment, installing insulation, and adopting renewable energy sources. The program would also address ongoing cost-of-living and energy price crises.
The Learning Journey Support would be for one-off grant awards to SMEs from targeted sectors, to enable them to begin or progress their ‘learning journey’ to support business resilience, business growth and export readiness, through attending relevant trade fairs, exhibitions or conferences. In line with the Regional Economic Strategy, grant awards would be available to SMEs representing Digital Tech, Food and Drink and Tourism sectors.
The AI Upskilling content for SMEs project would build on the offering of the UKSPF-funded Digital Support for Business project, fulfilling a skills gap in readiness for AI opportunities.
The Tall Ships Aberdeen 2025 Makers Programme would support 10 small businesses/young entrepreneurs to develop new products centred on the themes of the Tall Ships Races, including local maritime history and heritage, environmental awareness of the issues facing our waters, marine biodiversity and Aberdeen’s ongoing relationship with the sea. This work could be ceramics, jewellery, woodcraft, prints or other objects for sale.