East Lothian Food and Drink Newsletter

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Update from BID office

Good morning,

I hope you are all keeping well.

Remember- the Government Furlough Scheme will close to new entrants on the 30^th of June. In order to qualify for government furlough support from July onwards, an employee must have completed a full three weeks of furlough prior to the 30th of June. This means that the final date for furloughing an employee for the first time is Today Wednesday the 10^th of June.

Many thanks

Rebecca Muir

Business Manager.

Updates

1) East Lothian Council have put together an information pack to help food businesses plan for their reopening phase. You can download the information pack here.

2) The Chancellor made an announcement on the 29th of May about an extension to the Self Employment Support Scheme and furhter details about the furlough scheme. The Self Employment Income Support Scheme will be extended with those eligible able to claim a second and final grant capped at £6,570. The Chancellor also outlined further details on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, including improved flexibility to bring furloughed employees back part time in July, and a new taper requiring employers to contribute modestly to furloughed salaries from August. You can find out more here.

3) From 8 June 2020, non-ratepayer occupants of premises such as shared office spaces, business incubators and shared industrial units, where the landlord is the registered ratepayer, may be eligible for a single, one-off £10,000 small business grant. It has also been confirmed that the Small Business Grant and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant schemes will close for new applications on 10 July. You can find out more on East Lothian Council's website.

2) Scotland Food & Drink’s UK Market Development team have developed a free, online workshop for businesses who have pivoted to direct to consumer selling. Workshops are being held on the 19th, 23rd and 25th of June. To find out more about the workshops and to register, click here.

3) Interface are hosting a webinar for food and drink businesses on diversifying and adapting business around the restrictions that the COVID-19. The webinar will take place on the 17th of June from 11am- 12pm. To find out more and register, click here.

General Guidance

findbusinesssupport.gov.scot is an up to date source of information for businesses in relation to Coronavirus. There is also helpline for Scottish businesses that can provide tailored advice on coronavirus, which can be reached on 0300 303 0660 between 08:30 and 17:30 Monday to Friday

1) Health Protection Scotland a dvice and guidance for businesses in non healthcare settings.

2) The Scottish Government's advice on business and physical distancing guidance (updated 29/5)

3) Scotland Food and Drink have a COVID19 hub on their website, which also lists financial supports.

4) Food Standards Scotland have information and Q&A about Coronavirus and food. They have also released COVID-19 Guidance for Food Business Operators and Their Employees to reflect the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Framework for Decision Making (Scotlands Route Map through and Out of the Crisis). You can find out more about this here. It also includes a Risk Assessment Tool and Checklist to support the Risk Assessment.

5) You can find out more about COVID19 Testing in Scotland here.

6) You can find out information about the support available from Companies House for businesses here.

7) East Lothian Council have information about Business Support available to East Lothian businesses on their website. Businesses can also still apply to the East Lothian Council's Expert Help Programme. A range of specialised advice is available through this programme, including HR.

8) ACAS have published advice for employers and employees on Coronavirus

9) HR Dept have information on Coronavirus for employers on their website. This includes a useful FAQ and a news section.

10) You can download a copy of Scotland's route map through and out of the COVID19 crisis here.

11) The Business Gateway are hosting a series of online webinars for businesses. For a full list of webinars, visit the Business Gateway website.

12) The Scottish Government has released Test and Protect Guidance for employers.

13) The Scottish Government have published guidance for manufacturers and retailers in relation to COVID19 risks in the workplace. They have also published Business and Physical Distance Guidance for Phase 1.

14) The National Cyber Security Centre has issued advice for businesses who have seen their physical premises closed and have moved their operations online.

Financial support

Please note that local businesses DO NOT need to hire any agents or third parties to claim the government COVID-19 grants. Economic Development and the Business Rates teams at East Lothian Council can assist you. Contact economicdevelopment@eastlothian.gov.uk if you require any assistance.

Click here to download our PDF which lists a range of financial supports that are available (updated 10/6).

HMRC have YouTube videos on topics like Job Retention Scheme and Coronavirus Sick Pay Rebate Scheme. You can find them here

Support for Employers

Skills Development Scotland have created a portal to advertise immediate job vacancies. You can find out more here.

Advice on redundancy is available here or by calling 0800 917 8000.

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal have created a job vacancy site. For more information, click here.

The Employer Recruitment Incentive is still available to employers who are hiring East Lothian residents with multiple barriers to employment. If you would like to find out more about this, contact East Lothian Works - elworks@eastlothian.gov.uk

NCQR Safety for Managers Qualification is currently free to individuals and businesses. You can find out more here. NCRQ Safety for Managers is a two-day online qualification for managers and supervisors in any sector. Participants will gain a nationally recognised qualification that will improve their skills and ability to manage operations and teams safely once they return to work

The Festival of Enterprise have a series of free business webinars available. To find out more, click here.

Export

You can find UK government coronavirus guidance for businesses trading internationally here.

UK Export Finance are to offer export insurance in all major markets. More information can be found here.

Environmental Health

Guidance for food deliveries for those in self isolation (Community) and (Commercial).

There has been guidance issued (6 May) regarding the safe reopening of businesses with a water supply, and how to minimise the risk of Legionaires disease. The guidance document is available on East Lothian Council's website.

Information for food and drink businesses

FAQ from TLT Solicitors for Brewers and Distillers.

SALSA have suspended on site auditing until 30th of June 2020. Remote assessments will be available from early June. If your certificate expires in the next 8 weeks, contact SALSA and they will guide you through the process. More information here

Marketing Opportunities

Scotland Food and Drink have launched a Support Local directory.

The Support Local directory allows the public to search by region and by product type and purchase directly from a business via website or telephone. The directory will be supported with a ‘Support Local’ communications campaign led by Scotland Food & Drink and the wider Partnership through various consumer-facing channels.

All listings are free for businesses. You can find out more here.

Other websites offering free business listings are:

1) https://www.weelocals.com/
2) Edinburgh Lockdown Economy
3) Guild of Fine Food