Eco system Fund: FOI release

Information requested

1. A list of all the companies awarded funding via the Ecosystem Fund since 2021 and the amount each was allocated. (I note that the Awards from the Oct 2023 round have been published and are already readily available online)
2. A list of companies that have received funding via the Ecosystem Fund, that have also received additional financial public support, and the amount and date of any additional funding provided.
3. The date that the total funding amount was approved / confirmed internally for the first three rounds of the Ecosystem Fund? (We note that for each of the first 3 funding rounds, candidates have not been advised whether funding is granted until over halfway through the financial year. Therefore we are looking to determine when the department running the fund are receiving the green light to proceed).
4. Any minutes, notes or written details available from the Government meetings / internal discussion on refining Phase 1 of the Ecosystem Fund and changing the focus and objectives to those specified in Phase 2 of the Fund.

Response

1. A list of all the companies awarded funding via the Ecosystem Fund since 2021 and the amount each was allocated. (I note that the Awards from the Oct 2023 round have been published and are already readily available online)

All of the information you have requested is available from The successful awards page of the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Fund: FOI release - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). 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(s) listed, then please contact me again and I will send you a paper copy.

2. A list of companies that have received funding via the Ecosystem Fund, that have also received additional financial public support, and the amount and date of any additional funding provided.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the costs of locating, retrieving and providing the information requested would exceed the upper cost limit of £600. The reason for this is that to locate and retrieve that information we would need to conduct a search of all of the records of the Scottish Government. It may help if I explain that we file our information according to the subject matter, not by reference to public sector funding. We publish monthly reports of Scottish Government expenditure over £25,000 which may be of interest to you and can be accessed through our website: Government spend over £25,000: monthly reports - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Under section 12 of FOISA public authorities are not required to comply with a request for information if the authority estimates that the cost of complying would exceed the upper cost limit, which is currently set at £600 by Regulations made under section 12. You may, however, wish to consider reducing the scope of your request in order that the costs can be brought below £600. For example, you could restrict your request to a specific business area of the Scottish Government, as this would allow us to limit the searches that would require to be conducted. You may also find it helpful to look at the Scottish Information Commissioner’s ‘Tips for requesting information under FOI and the EIRs’ on his website at: http://www.itspublicknowledge.info/YourRights/Tipsforrequesters.aspx.

3. The date that the total funding amount was approved / confirmed internally for the first three rounds of the Ecosystem Fund? (We note that for each of the first 3 funding rounds, candidates have not been advised whether funding is granted until over halfway through the financial year. Therefore we are looking to determine when the department running the fund are receiving the green light to proceed).

The Ecosystem Fund has operated on two occasions, once in 2021 and again in 2023. In both cases funding was approved by Ministers in the summer of the relevant financial year, with public announcements following shortly thereafter. The post-pandemic period over which the Ecosystem Fund has operated has been exceptionally challenging for public finances and this has necessitated a sharp focus on prioritisation and affordability. In each case funding was approved as quickly as possible after these tests were met.

2021
Ecosystem Fund Phase 1 was announced on 21st October 2021 – the original webpage has been archived in line with Scottish Government Policy, however, please tweet from Scottish Government Economy account in relation to this: https://x.com/scotgoveconomy/status/1451194416425697290?s=46

2023
Meeting of the Parliament: 29/06/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

Ecosystem Fund - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

4. Any minutes, notes or written details available from the Government meetings / internal discussion on refining Phase 1 of the Ecosystem Fund and changing the focus and objectives to those specified in Phase 2 of the Fund.

An exemption(s) under section(s) s.30(b)(i) or s.30(b)(ii) of FOISA applies to all of the information you have requested. Information is exempt under sections 30(b) if disclosure would, or would be likely to, inhibit substantially: (i) the free and frank provision of advice (section 30(b)(i)) or (ii) the free and frank exchange of views for the purposes of deliberation (section 30(b)(ii)).

That said, the reasons for the changes to the scope of the fund are clear and transparent. The scope, detail and ambition of the Scottish Government’s entrepreneurial strategy expanded significantly between phase 1 and phase 2; encompassing the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET), Ana Stewart’s Pathways Report, the Innovation Strategy and the Entrepreneurial Campus report. The criteria for phase 2 was broadened to reflect this and the quantum of available funding was increased in kind.

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.