The grant was announced as part of the wider £100m support plan for businesses impacted by restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of Covid, which was announced by the First Minister on Friday 17 December 2021.
Scottish Beer & Pub Association (SBPA) CEO Emma McClarkin said: “The pandemic has hit Scotland’s brewers exceptionally hard due to the restrictions on hospitality and the increased measures over the festive period hitting particularly hard at the worst possible time.
Vital support
“This support will be vital to many businesses, and we were delighted to work alongside the Scottish Government and other industry colleagues to ensure it is available to Scotland’s much-loved brewers.”
In order to be eligible for the highest rate of funding, breweries must provide Notice 226 documentation confirming 2019, 2020 or 2021 production levels in excess of 5,000HL, as well as confirming the disposal of unsold or out of date cask and keg beer, due to lower demand in December 2021 and January 2022.
Breweries who have previously received funding from the Brewers Support Fund or any new brewery businesses which meet the eligibility criteria are entitled to this one-off grant payment, providing they have been trading since before 8 December 2021 and are registered with HMRC as a commercial brewer of beer, paying all relevant duties as per Excise Duty 226.
The grant, which is taxable for some businesses, is to be paid via local authorities to brewers in Scotland.
Local authorities are expected to start contacting breweries in the coming days and funds will be distributed 14 days after the competition and return of a self-declaration form confirming eligibility, the deadline for which is Monday 28 February 2022.
Positive steps
McClarkin added: “This support, alongside a continued easing of the restrictions show that we’re taking positive steps out of the pandemic.
“We now look towards local authorities to distribute these grants as soon as possible.”
