Communities Recovery Fund

Coronavirus (COVID-19): Support for businesses and communities

Support
Our support

There's lots of ways we can help businesses and communities through our support programmes, events and webinars, funding, advice and property. Find out how we work with different organisations below.

Support for businesses

Support for community organisations

Support for social enterprises
Use our support finder

Tell us a little about yourself and we'll find support to match your needs. It only takes a minute.
Support finder
or
Browse all support services

COVID-19

Advice and support for businesses and communities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19
Property & land
What are you looking for?

New premises

Land and buildings

Incubator hubs

HIE property and development opportunities

Browse all property and land
Find property by location

Use our map to browse all available HIE properties
Properties map

Inverness Campus

Inverness Campus is a world-class business location with pioneering facilities. It brings together businesses, researchers, academia and scientists providing the perfect place to collaborate and innovate.
Inverness Campus
Research & reports
- View all reports
- Business Panel
Research & reports

Browse our economic and industry reports to find out more about what's happening in the Highlands and Islands region.

View all reports
HIE's Business Panel Surveys

Have a look at our latest Business Panel survey - Responding to Economic Challenge March 2021.
Business Panel
Events & training
Our region
Base your business here
- Discover our region
Discover our region

This isn't only a great place to build a business, our region is a fantastic place to live, visit and study in. Discover the Highlands and Islands.

Discover our region
What can we help you with?

How we can help you

Our workforce and skills

Transport, Connectivity and Infrastructure
Aseptium

Find out why this cutting-edge life sciences business chose to make Inverness Campus its home.
Read more

MyHIE

Get a personalised experience with a MyHIE account

Make your life easier with a MyHIE account. It’ll save you time, help you find and organise content based on your needs and interests.

Create a MyHIE account Log in to MyHIE

Find out more about MyHIE

Communities Recovery Fund

Advice for community organisations

About the Communities Recovery Fund

If you are a community organisation delivering, reshaping or reintroducing vital community services impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be eligible for support from the Communities Recovery Fund.

The Fund is part of the Scottish Government’s £40m Third Sector & Community Recovery programme. We are administering the CRF in the Highlands and Islands.

Available grants start from £5,000 up to £25,000 for single incorporated organisations, or up to £75,000 for partnership applications.

It is accepting applications to support costs from the start of October 2020 for up to 8 months, and is open until mid February 21, or until the available funding is committed.

Applications can be made by organisations registered as SCIOs with OSCR or community companies limited by guarantee registered with Companies House. Community councils may also apply. See the criteria here.

The fund can either support organisations to provide community support services for the vulnerable, or help them deliver or reintroduce core services, which have higher demand, or higher costs as a result of the pandemic.

Nicola Ewing, Communities and Place team, HIE

Do you need help to find an eligible partner for CRF?

The fund is open to organisations registered as SCIOs with OSCR or community companies limited by guarantee registered with Companies House. Community councils may also apply. See the criteria here.

If you aren't incorporated, or you require less than the minimum £5,000 grant, you can apply under a partnership application – through an eligible group.

Your local third sector interface (TSI) group may be able to help you find potential partner organisations. Here are their contact details.

All other areas of Scotland see here>>

Adapt and Thrive

The Communities Recovery Fund is grant funding to deliver support and services in communities.

There is also the Adapt & Thrive Fund which is to help organisations adapt, change, and thrive post COVID-19.

Find out more

Looking for help to re-open your service safely?

The Scottish Community Development Centre and Public Health Scotland have developed advice for community groups, organisations and volunteer networks on how to deliver their activities as safely as possible.

See their latest advice on how to start back safely, and reduce the risk of transmission.

Advice on the SCDC website