ARGYLL & THE ISLANDS ENTERPRISE

The following are the funds approved in the month ended JULY 2003. Approval simply means that AIE funds have been made available, but does not guarantee that the project or activity will go ahead. The funds will not be released until the applicant produces evidence that the project has gone ahead.

GROWING BUSINESSES

CAPITAL INVESTMENT PROGRAMME is the financial assistance provided, normally by way of grant, to stimulate new business projects or expansions. 14 businesses which expect to invest a total of £842,500 from their own resources in setting up or expanding their operation had assistance totalling £403,950 with the prospect of 28.75 jobs created or retained. The jobs created or retained figure is forecast, agreed between AIE and the business concerned, of the jobs created or retained as a result of the AIE investment.

Business development

Total cost

Assistance approved

Country Kitchen, Inveraray

£240,000

£70,000

Upgrade café and restaurant (Ref 1540/01)

   

Argyll Catering, Dunoon

£28,100

£9,800

New mobile kitchen (Ref 1399/02)

   

Bute Corporate Training, Ascog Bay, Bute

£220,000

£46,200

Provision of corporate training centre (Ref 1553/01)

 

EU HIE Standards £30,800

Hunting Lodge Hotel (Putechan) Ltd, Bellochantuy

£130,900

£27,500

EU HIE Standards £18,300

Upgrading of hotel (Ref 1558/01)

   

Tobermory Chocolate, Isle of Mull

£144,000

£43,200

Relocation of premises (Ref 0718/03)

   

Glenisle Hotel, Lamlash, Arran

£50,900

£10,700

Hotel upgrade (Ref 1545/01)

 

EU HIE Standards £7,100

Cousin & Armour, Campbeltown

£25,600

£6,400

Upgrade facilities to allow more diagnosis and operations to be done locally (Ref 1559/01)

   

William MacDonald, Isle of Jura

£7,500

£1,500

Fitting out 4 Star self catering accommodation (Ref 0986/02)

 

EU HIE Standards £1,000

Sue McGuire, Campbeltown

£9,700

£3,400

Provide training facilities for highland ponies (Ref 1561/01)

   

Burns Stewart Distillers, Tobermory Distillery

£18,000

£4,500

Installation of discharge monitoring equipment (Ref 1560/01)

   

Mhairi M Killin, Isle of Iona

£57,700

£9,100

Conversion of disused steading to 3 craft workshops (Ref 1557/01)

   

Scottish Owl Centre, Campbeltown

£45,000

£9,500

Display owls for entertainment and environmental education (Ref 1565/01)

 

EU HIE Activity £6,200

J McGilvray Business Services, Bowmore

£16,500

£5,000

Business services expansion (Ref 1564/01)

   

Loch Fyne Oysters, Clachan

£374,900

£93,750

Expansion of oyster and mussel farm (Ref 068/10)

   

14 cases

Capital Investment programme approvals -

£403,950

 

Year to date

£1,433,645

 

Private monies raised

£2,087,918

 

Jobs created or retained

225.75

 

HIE STARTS – Programme of assistance to eligible individuals starting a new business. Support is provided in a number of ways including business advice, business planning, business start-up workshops and financial support. In July 13 individuals were awarded fortnightly allowances amounting to a maximum of £3,000 paid over an average period of 48 weeks. Funding is also available to assist with fixed capital expenditure associated with business start-up, up to a maximum of £500. 60% of funding for this programme comes from the AIE budget and 40% from the European Regional Development Fund. Approval of assistance has been given but the business may not yet be in a position to start trading.

Applicant

Business

Total Allowance

Capital Grant

Freya Gaea, Kildonan, Arran

Cameron and Gaea Ceramics

£3,000

£250

Catriona McAlister, Locghilphead

Argyll Print Craft

£3,000

£500

George Simpson, Port Ellen

Farm contractor

£3,000

£500

Iain Reid, Campbeltown

Financial consultant

£3,000

£500

Susan McGuire, Campbeltown

Lagalgarve Highlands, training highland ponies

£1,500

-

Deborah Jackson, Brodick

Kidstuff, children’s clothing

£3,000

£500

John McLellan, Whiting Bay

Macmusic, manufacture of stringed instruments

£3,000

£500

Linsey McCuaig, Lochgilphead

Fyneplanters, manufacture of plant containers

£1,500

£250

Brent Gibson, Lochgilphead

Fyneplanters

£1,500

£250

Roderigh Angus, Campbeltown

Scottish Owl Centre

£3,000

-

Ronald Kiley, Lochgilphead

Mid Argyll School of Motoring

£3,000

£500

Kevin McInnes, Dunbeg

K & L Flooring

£3,000

£210

William Charlton, North Connel

Handyman Services

£3,000

£500

RURAL PETROL STATION SCHEME – additional Scottish Executive funds for upgrading / maintaining fuel supplies in rural areas.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Colonsay Community Development Co Ltd

 

£10,000

Upgrade of Colonsay Fuel Station (Ref 30760)

£146,271

Rural petrol scheme £126,610

GROWING BUSINESS PROJECTS - consultancy and feasibility studies etc.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Arran Bike Club

   

Scoping study into options for future development of the Arran Trails Project (Ref 30776)

£11,000

£7,000

ENVIRONMENTAL RENEWAL – funding to projects which repair or renew the physical environment.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Fyne Homes, Rothesay

   

Ladeside environmental enhancements, (Ref 30882)

£473,968

£50,000

 

PROPERTY – expenditure approved for direct provision of commercial or industrial property.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Argyll and the Islands Enterprise

   

Land acquisition and infrastructure works to establish science park at Dunstaffnage (Ref BFB/17/15)

£1,425,000

£1,425,000

 

STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT – assistance to community based projects to develop community strengths, leadership and confidence, enhance the quality of the environment and culture, and promote investment in community services and assets.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Lochgoilhead Village Hall

   

Environmental improvements (Ref 28979)

£6,020

£3,000

Argyll and the Islands Enterprise

   

Argyll Air Services economic impact assessment (Ref 30746)

£15,000

£15,000

Argyll and Bute Council

   

Delivery of Ballochgoy SIP Step Up project (Ref 29867)

£35,000

£3,500

Taynuilt Sports Club

   

All weather sports facility (Ref 30719)

£44,573

£17,271

COMMUNITY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME - part funded by the European Union under the Highlands & Islands Special Transitional Programme - to enhance
community capacity through training and skills which will enable communities to develop and implement their own local priorities

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Dalmally Community Company (Ref 28473)

£2,750

£1,100

Study into operational viability of Dalmally Shop

 

EU CED £1,100

Fyne Homes

   

Audit of local construction industry, running contractor road-shows and training events (Ref 30789)

£19,606

EU CED £9,803

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs Community Partnership

   

Implementation of Community Futures programme phase III (Ref 30807)

£32,976

EU CED £14,660

Elemental Arts, Ardfern

 

£5,500

Ardfern & Craobh Haven Arts Festival (Ref 30700)

£35,107

EU CED £1,955

Commann Eachdraidh Lios Mor (Lismore Historical Society)

   

Project development manager for phase II of Port an Carron Heritage Centre (Ref 30501)

£10,000

£3,500

EU CED £3,500

 

SKILLS & SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT

BUSINESS TRAINING GRANTS - discretionary assistance towards training and
development of companies to enhance the skill levels of staff, linked to
their business objectives.

 

BUSINESS TRAINING GRANTS (Cont…..)

   
     

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Oban Veterinary Surgeons, Oban

£4,178

£1,253

Pet health counsellor & veterinary nurse

   

R M Clunie & Co, Oban

£14,812

£5,924

General business training to training plan

   

Simmers & Co, Oban

£11,795

£4,718

AAT, ATT, CA, NVQ in accounting

   

Oyster Inn, Connel

£3,750

£1,125

NVQ Levels 2 & 3 in food preparation

   

Atlantis Leisure, Oban

£13,879

£4,164

ISRM Management Cert, Supervisory Cert & pool plant operator

   

Isle of Gigha Heritage Trust, Gigha

£12,725

£6,363

Horticultural related training

   

The Arran Brewery Co Ltd

£8,411

£3,364

General business training to training plan

   

Premier Homecare, Rothesay

£1,823

£730

SVQ Level 4 Registered manager in health & social care

   

Abbots Brae Hotel, Dunoon

£4,816

£1,926

Various hospitality training courses

   

GT Insulations, Dunoon

£22,480

£7,500

General business training to training plan

   

H.E.L.P. (Argyll & Bute) Ltd, Dunoon

£15,945

£6,377

General business training to training plan

   

The Olympian Café Bar, Dunoon

£8,320

£3,328

General business/catering training to training plan

   

Clyde Cottage Nursery, Dunoon

£7,013

£2,104

General business training to training plan

   

A G Barr Optometrist, Campbeltown

£2,889

£1,156

General business training to training plan

   

Ardroy Outdoor Education Centre, Lochgoilhead

£30,000

£7,500

General business training to training plan

   

Donald McLean, Campbeltown

£2,170

£868

Construction related training

   

Westgas, Rothesay

£1,917

£767

Update of Corgi registration, oil heating qualification

   

Donald Johnstone, Tayinloan

£472

£142

CITB qualification

   

Douglas MacDonald, Ford

£472

£142

Artificial insemination course

   

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT - discretionary funds for projects which aim to enhance the training and learning opportunities in the area.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Argyll and the Islands Enterprise

   

Delivery of Level 4 VQ in Registered Manager in Health & Social Care (Ref 29973)

£68,000

£51,000

Vestas Celtic Wind Technology, Machrihanish

   

Training related to the production of V80 turbines (Ref 29711)

£333,800

£83,500

SKILLSEEKERS - School Leavers are issued with Skillseekers bond which they may use to pay for training leading to a recognised vocational qualification (VQs) either within employment or with a training provider. Delays in reporting result in us giving below details of qualifications achieved in June 2003.

Level

Applicant

Qualification

Level 2

Rory Fulton, Tarbert

Using IT

 

Emma Cullen, Rothesay

Reception

 

Colin Dunlop, Oban

Food and drink manufacture

 

Paul Byrne, Oban

Food and drink manufacture

 

David Menzies, Oban

Food and drink manufacture

TRAINING FOR WORK (TFW) - training for 18 –64 year olds who have been unemployed for more than 6 months. Delays in reporting result in us giving below details of qualifications achieved in June 2003.

Level

Applicant

Qualification

Level 1

Roberta Stewart, Ardrishaig

European Computer Driving Licence

     

In addition, we are advised that 10 previous participants on the scheme have obtained jobs.

SECTORAL DEVELOPMENT – assistance for projects, principally in the Tourism, e-Business and Food & Drink sectors.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Argyll and the Islands Enterprise

   

West Coast Whisky Trail marketing/business plan (Ref 30778)

£2,370

£1,750

Cowal Walking Festival

   

Cowal Walking & Events Festival (Ref 30715)

£15,051

£4,901

Cowal Community Events Association

   

Cowal events programme 2003 (Ref 30953)

£28,000

£8,500

Mull of Kintyre Music & Arts Festival

   

Mull of Kintyre Music Festival 2003 (Ref 30661)

£33,800

£6,000

Kintyre and Argyll Events Ltd

   

Campbeltown Air-show 2003 (Ref 30740)

£33,000

£15,000

Scottish Association for Marine Science, Dunstaffnage

   

Eco-system based fisheries management modelling system (Ref 30267)

£66,000

£29,256

EVENTS & FESTIVALS – funding support towards small events and festivals to enhance the attraction of the area to visitors.

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Tiree Agricultural Society

   

Tiree Agricultural Show

£6,355

£1,500

Tarbert Loch Fyne Club

   

Tarbert Topper Traveller

£6,560

£2,000

HIE e-BUSINESS – programme designed to stimulate the adoption of e-commerce amongst SMEs by providing independent advice and grant assistance and raising the profile of successful e-business adopters in the area. 55% of funding comes from the AIE budget and 45% from the European Regional Development Fund.

 

HIE e-BUSINESS (Cont…)

   
     

Project

Total cost

Assistance approved

Sweeties, Oban

   

E-commerce web site

£7,150

£2,860

Dorinda Johnson Studio, Tiree

   

E-commerce web site

£1,087

£543

Barcaldine Hotel, North Argyll

   

New web site

£1,155

£462

..... ends

For further information contact:

Mandy Crompton

Argyll & the Islands Enterprise

Tel: 01546 602281

Email: m.crompton@hient.co.uk

Issued: 5th September 2003