Information regarding Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund: FOI release

Information requested

The following information relating to the Scottish Wholesale Food and Drink Resilience Fund (the "Fund"):

1) Copies of the applicant eligibility and application scoring criteria, and all guidance and other documentation referred to and applied by the decision maker(s) when assessing and determining (i) the eligibility of the applicants; (ii) the relative merits of applications submitted by eligible applicants; and (iii) the amounts awarded under the Fund.

2) The total number of applications that were received in respect of the Fund.

3) The total number of applicants who met the eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant under the Fund.

4) The number of eligible applicants who were awarded a grant.

5) The number of eligible applicants who received a grant equivalent to the full amount sought in their application.

6) The number of applicants who received a grant equivalent to less than the full amount sought in their application.

7) The number of eligible applicants who were refused a grant.

8) A copy of each of the applications (and supporting information and documentation) submitted which were awarded any grant under the Fund.

9) All reports, documents, notes and other communications which provide comment and / or conclusion in respect of the application under the Fund.

Response

1) Enclosed in Annex A is a copy of the assessment form used for assessing and determining eligibility of applicants.

Further information in relation to the eligibility criteria is also set out in the application form which can be obtained on the Scottish Government website:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-scottish-wholesale-food-and-drink-resiliencefund/pages/overview/.

Under section 25(1) of FOISA, we do not have to give you information which is already reasonably accessible to you. If, however, you do not have internet access to obtain this information from the website listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

2) The total number of applications that were received in respect of the Fund was 113.

3) The total number of applicants who met the eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant under the Fund was 41.

4) The number of eligible applicants who were awarded a grant was 41.

5) The number of eligible applicants who received a grant equivalent to the full amount sought in their application was 8.

6) The number of applicants who received a grant equivalent to less than the full amount sought in their application was 33.

7) The number of eligible applicants who were refused a grant was 0.

8) While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information you have requested because exemptions under sections 33(1)(b) (commercial interests), 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemptions applies are explained below.

An exemption under section 33(1)(b) (commercial interests) of FOISA applies to the information you have requested. This exemption applies because disclosure of this particular information would, or would be likely to, prejudice substantially the confidentiality of commercial information relative to individual businesses and thus cause harm to commercial interests.

This exemption is subject to the ‘public interest test’. Therefore, taking account of all the circumstances of this case, we have considered if the public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. We have found that, on balance, the public interest lies in favour of upholding the exemption. We recognise that there is a public interest in disclosing information as part of open and transparent government however, it is outweighed by the public interest in protecting the commercial interests of businesses.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA also applies to some of the information you have requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. the names and contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’ so we are not required to consider the if public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption.

9) Enclosed in Annex B is a copy of information we hold which provides comment and / or conclusion in respect to the application.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide a small amount information you have requested because an exemptions under 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information. The reasons why that exemption applies is explained below.

An exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA also applies to some of the information you have requested because it is personal data of a third party, i.e. the names and contact details of individuals, and disclosing it would contravene the data protection principles in Article 5(1) of the General Data Protection Regulation and in section 34(1) of the Data Protection Act 2018.

This exemption is not subject to the ‘public interest test’ so we are not required to consider the if public interest in disclosing the information outweighs the public interest in applying the exemption. Redactions have been made where an exemption under section 38(1)(b) (personal information) of FOISA applies to that information.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.

FOI - 202100173715 - Information Released - Annex A

File type

1 page PDF

File size

199.0 kB

FOI - 202100173715 - Information Released - Annex B

File type

2 page PDF

File size

203.9 kB