£43m announced for low-carbon infrastructure projects

Scottish Government - Details of how more than £43 million is being invested in low-carbon infrastructure were announced today by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

Shared across 13 projects throughout Scotland, this investment represents one of the largest direct energy investments in the last 10 years. The funding, awarded by the Low Carbon Infrastructure 

Transition Programme (LCITP), will be matched by a minimum of £43 million from private and public sector partners.

Projects include an innovative local energy system on Fair Isle, an energy storage project in Shetland, low-carbon heat networks in Dundee, Stirling, Clydebank and Glenrothes and the installation of a heat pump on the River Clyde to serve the Gorbals area.

Speaking at the All Energy Conference in Glasgow, the First Minister said:

“These projects have great potential to help us tackle climate change, and remain at the forefront of low carbon and renewable innovation. They will also bring economic benefits – in terms of savings and jobs – to local areas across the country.

“Scotland has some of the most ambitious emissions reduction targets in the world. Over the past 10 years, our pattern of energy consumption has changed considerably, helping us to meet – and exceed – our 2020 target for reducing energy consumption, six years early.

“We are determined to build on this success, and we are now seeking views on a new target through our draft Energy Strategy – for 50% of our energy consumption – spanning heat, transport and electricity – to be met by renewables by 2030.

“With Scotland’s world-leading expertise in renewables, which employs at least 11,000 people, and a growing workforce of at least 58,000 in the low carbon sector, I am confident of our future success.”

Dave Pearson, Director at Star Renewable Energy, added:

“Star has been trying to replicate the success of its river heat pump in Norway for some time but has struggled to progress a similar example in Scotland.

“The support provided by the Scottish Government through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme has recognised both the technical and commercial potential of our project in Glasgow’s Gorbals.

“The programme is providing excellent support in placing a high temperature river heat pump – the largest in the UK – at the Clyde to supply clean, low carbon heat to buildings in the Gorbals, helping us to collectively work to significantly reduce CO2 emissions in Scotland.”

Background

The Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme is a collaborative partnership led by the 

Scottish Government, working with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Scottish 

Futures Trust and Resource Efficient Scotland. It focuses on the acceleration of low carbon infrastructure projects across public, private and community sectors, helping them to create investment business cases and secure capital finance from public and private sources. The programme is supported by the European Regional Development Fund.

The full list of projects is available on the LCITP website.

The consultation on the draft Energy Strategy is open until 30 May.

Source: Scottish Government

Report of EDAS & SDI's Internationalisation Learning Workshop on Exporting Now Available

On Friday 31st March 2017, internationalisation experts from the Scottish Government, local authorities, academia, social enterprise and the private sector gathered to discuss strategies and support for growing the global aspirations of businesses and organisations in Scotland.

This report gives the ‘story’of the day, including social media interaction and presentations for download: https://storify.com/edas_scotland/edas-sdi-internationalisation-learning-workshop-pa

EDAS / SUII Event: Workplace Innovation in Scotland, 30 May 2017

A learning workshop from the Economic Development Association Scotland and the Scottish Universities Insight Institute

Tuesday 30 May, 2.30 – 4pm

SUII Centre, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow

Refreshments provided

£25 + VAT EDAS Member / £50 + VAT Non-Members [Join to gain member rate]

Book your place today!

Overview

This event explores the Scottish approach to workplace innovation – what the concept means; the potential benefits for organisations and employees; how workplace transformation can help achieve economic and social policy goals; and the policy levers available in Scotland to aid the transition to the workplace of the 21st century.

According to a recent research project supported by SUII, collaborative workplace innovation can improve business/organisational outcomes, benefit individuals, and help improve competitiveness while tackling inequality. Such practices are of great interest at the international level and to the Scottish Government.

EDAS and SUII invite you to join expert speakers, practitioners and case study presenters to learn about how we can all support workplace innovation to the benefit of Scotland’s economy and society. Don’t miss out on this chance to learn about this important topic and network with members of the economic development community from across sectors!

Book your place today.

Speakers

Charlie Woods, Director, SUII & Vice-Char, EDAS

Introduction and Overview of Workplace Innovation.

Clare Alexander, Head of Workplace Innovation, Scottish Enterprise 

The Scottish policy approach and enterprise benefits of workplace innovation.

Dr Colin Lindsay, Reader in Human Resource Management, Strathclyde Business School

'What works' in workplace innovation: lessons from the SUII-supported programme Progressive and creative practice for workplace innovation

Further speakers and case study presentations to be announced shortly. 

SCVO Local Funding Survey Highlights Long-Term Funding Issues for Third Sector

SCVO - In this report, we demonstrate the many difficulties and intricacies of local funding for much of the third sector. Most of the funding issues faced by the sector arise whatever type of funding the organisation is seeking: grant funding, a service level agreement, or a contract. Similarly, these issues arise for organisations regardless of whether they are working with local authorities, health boards, or other local or regional public funders. Read full article and report here.

Summary

When it comes to local funding from public bodies, the sector suffers from short term, small pots of money, with long-term funding in the minority; this can have real impacts for individuals and communities. The sector still does not always get the support it needs, and funding processes and monitoring can still seem unduly long and burdensome. There is some good practice across Scotland – showing that there is a better way to operate – and this needs to be the norm rather than the exception.

In brief:

• If the funding situation for the sector continues as at present, much of the sector will be unable to continue its work – leading to a loss for communities and individuals across Scotland and beyond.
• All local and regional bodies must improve their processes and their funding systems so that the third sector can function to the best of the ability, delivering the aims that its organisations exist for.
• Currently, much time and energy is expended by organisations on seeking funding to stay afloat. This is time that could be better spent on achieving an organisation’s aims – delivering for communities – were money not an issue.
• Much funding does not allow for long-term projects or planning, meaning regular stress and upheaval for organisations, communities and individuals.
• It is not, generally, large pots of money that are required, but rather a change in funding terms and processes – including recognising full projects costs and core costs. Supportive staff at funder organisations can also help here.

Recommendations

Funding processes

1. More must continue to be done to simplify all application and bidding processes wherever possible. Forms and processes should be standardised wherever appropriate.
2. Full support should always be available to applicants to help them through the application or bidding process. Useful and timely feedback should be provided as a matter of course.
3. Information across funders and commissioners should be pooled where appropriate, to ensure that the third sector is not unnecessarily repeating information that has already been shared.
4. Shared learning on best practice amongst funders and commissioners would be beneficial.
5. The third sector, working alongside funders, should ascertain whether it would be both useful and practical to create a single point where third sector organisations can apply for grants.
6. Where consortium bids are encouraged, support should be given, particularly to small organisations.

Funding terms and conditions

1. The most appropriate form of funding mechanism must be used for each situation; open tendering processes should only be used when appropriate.
2. Minimum wage costs and uplifts, and inflationary uplifts, should be provided as a matter of course wherever applicable.
3. Funding levels must match the service levels required, and core costs must be taken into account when calculating funding.
4. Funding should cover periods greater than a year for continuing services and projects – preferably three years – in order to provide stability to those the sector supports.
5. Whatever the grant or contract length, funding should never be withdrawn ‘out of the blue’. Neither should funding be reduced because an organisation has raised funds elsewhere.
6. Monitoring and evaluation should be kept to a level commensurate with the amount of funding/size of agreement applied for.

£8.35 million to support urban regeneration in centre of Glasgow

Scottish Government - Housing Minister Kevin Stewart today announced investment of £8.35 million from its SPRUCE fund to support the refurbishment of vacant office space in central Glasgow.

It’s a move that will deliver around 71,000 ft2 of much needed new high quality Grade “A” office space for the city as well as create and support hundreds of new jobs.

With total investment expected be around £16.4 million, Tarn Crag Limited (TCL), a subsidiary of commercial property investor Praxis, will refurbish Dalmore House, a landmark building on St Vincent Street. It is expected the refurbished office space will be able to accommodate more than 500 workers.

Construction works have now commenced with the offices due to be ready for lease by October this year.

Kevin Stewart, Minister for Housing said:

“Glasgow has a shortage of high quality office space and this latest investment will increase the city’s stock, making it an even more appealing proposition to locate and do business in.

“The fact that it will support 196 new jobs in construction plus training and apprenticeship places in the city is very welcome news. This is exactly why we have provided additional support for SPRUCE, allowing it to continue to invest in this sort of regeneration project, and helping our urban areas flourish and ultimately support the communities which sustain them. SPRUCE funding can now be accessed for projects right across Scotland and we hope to see further investments during 2017. ”

Gary Roberts, Managing Director at Praxis said:

“We are extremely pleased to have reached agreement with SPRUCE and Chenavari who have also provided investment to deliver this refurbishment in partnership with us and are delighted that both have bought into our vision for the property. Their involvement further bolsters the first class team that we have assembled to deliver the project.”

Background

SPRUCE (Scottish Partnership for Regeneration in Urban Centres) is a £50 million fund that offers loans and equity investments to revenue generating infrastructure and energy efficiency projects which support regeneration outcomes in Scotland. Funding for the Dalmore transaction has come from an additional £15 million injected into SPRUCE by the Scottish Government in the form of 2016/17 Financial Transactions Capital.

Dalmore House is a 26 years old, 70,000 ft2 landmark building on 310 St Vincent Street, Glasgow. TCL will comprehensively refurbish the building to a modern Grade “A” EPC “B” standard over a six month period, with the lettable area being expanded to c71,000 ft2 .

TCL is a 100% subsidiary of Praxis, a UK based commercial property market investor. SPRUCE will be the senior lender to TCL for Dalmore. Further funding has been provided to TCL by AREO S.à.r.l. (“AREO”), a private limited liability company managed by London-based Chenavari Investment Managers (“Chenavari”).

Source: Scottish Government

Brexit Skills and Labour Gap Risk for Scottish Firms, Says FSB

FSB Scotland - Two thirds of Scottish small employers with EU workers are concerned about future skills shortages, according to new research from the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

FSB’s new study shows one quarter (26%) of Scottish small employers currently have a member of staff from elsewhere in the EU, with this figure rising to two in five (41%) in the Highlands. By comparison, about a fifth of UK firms have an EU worker.

The small business campaign group says that is therefore vital for Scottish businesses that EU workers are given the right to remain in the country after the UK leaves the EU. 

Mike Cherry, FSB National Chairman, said: “There is real concern among small firms with EU staff that they will lose access to the skills and labour their business needs to survive and grow. EU workers are a vital part of our economy, helping to plug chronic skills gaps across a wide range of sectors, and filling jobs in an already tight labour market. From packers, to mechanics, to graphic designers, small employers need to be able to hire the right person, for the right job at the right time.”

‘A skilful exit: What small firms want from Brexit’ is FSB’s latest research paper on the impact of leaving the EU – and a Scottish version of the report has been published.

The new research shows that, if Brexit creates additional barriers to recruiting EU citizens, Scottish small employers would consider reducing operations (37%), closing their business (19%), or moving their business abroad (12%).

Nine in ten Scottish firms (89%) recruited their EU workers when they were already living in the UK. And the vast majority of UK small firms (95%) have no experience of using the UK’s points-based immigration system to recruit non-EU workers.

Almost half (45%) of Scottish smaller businesses in the tourism and leisure sector have an EU worker. However a similar proportion of smaller firms with EU workers say they mainly employ people with mid-level skills (i.e. positions which require specialist skills or training.)

Andy Willox, FSB’s Scottish policy convenor, said: “Smaller Scottish employers don’t have the resources of their larger counterparts to navigate complex immigration systems. Any future system needs to work for the real economy – and needs to flex to adapt to the needs of all sectors and geographies. It can’t just be big businesses that gain access to the skills they need.” 

FSB is also recommending changes to the Scottish skills and education system to try to mitigate the impact of any immigration changes. 

Andy Willox said: “Our data shows that our members predominantly recruit non-UK EU citizens because they’re the best candidates. If our immigration system is set to change, then our skills system needs to do the same.”

Source: FSB Scotland

One Week to the IED North Conference, 10 May, Manchester

IED - Don't forget to book your place at the IED North Conference being held in central Manchester on the 10th May. 

Taking place at the Lowry Hotel and featuring a keynote speech from Lord Heseltine, the IED North Conference will be bringing together economic development, regeneration and business leaders from across the Northern region and beyond, to discuss how the public and private sectors can work together as the North to foster economic development and make a real difference in the region.

To book your place please click here