Royal Scottish National Orchestra grant funding: FOI release

Information requested

1. The Scottish Government Subsidy Control confirm that no public grant money is used by the RSNO to pay for the lease agreement with Glasgow Life for use of the New Auditorium, including commercial recording days under the name 'SDA Media’.

2. Specific terms of the grant offer letter to confirm no public money is being used indirectly within the commercial sector.

Response

(i) The Scottish Government Subsidy Control are an advisory team only and do not make any funding awards. It is the understanding of the Scottish Government Subsidy Control that no Scottish Government funding is being used towards the commercial film and TV recordings. The Scottish Government does not fund RSNO to carry out commercial work, and therefore this does not engage with Subsidy Control regulations as set out in the UK Subsidy Control Act 2022. The Scottish Government does not provide any grant funding to SDA Media Ltd. In addition, any commercial contracts undertaken by RSNO on behalf of third parties, and the costs associated with this, are managed by Glasgow Life as the owner of the recording studio, and are out-with the remit of Scottish Government and our funding agreement.

(ii) As requested, below are the specific terms used in the RSNO's grant offer letter which set out the purposes and conditions of their awarded public funds from Scottish Government. Please note that the following terms are standard language which are applied in the grant offer letters of all five National Performing Companies, which include the RSNO:

2. Purposes of the Grant

2.1 The Grant is made to enable the Grantee to carry out the Programme.

2.2 The Grant shall only be used for the purposes of the Programme and for no other purpose whatsoever.

2.3 No part of the Grant shall be used to fund any activity or material which is party political in intention, use, or presentation or appears to be designed to affect support for a political party.

2.4 The main objectives/expected outcomes of the Grant are:
• The Programme detailed in Schedule 1
• In carrying out the Programme the Grantee will be expected to give regard to the Fair Work Framework. Organisations are asked to commit to the following Fair Work First criteria in a way that is relevant and proportionate for the organisation:
    1. • appropriate channels for effective voice, such as trade union recognition;
• investment in workforce development;
• no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts;• action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace;
• payment of the real Living Wage;
• offer flexible and family friendly working practices for all workers from day one of their employment; and
• oppose the use of fire and rehire practice

2.5 The targets/milestones against which progress in achieving objectives/expected outcomes shall be monitored are:
• The programme detailed in Schedule 1

2.6 The eligible costs for which the Grant can be claimed are:
• All costs relating to the RSNO programme in Schedule 1

2.7 The eligible costs exclude:
• any Value Added Tax (VAT) reclaimable by the Grantee

3. Payment of Grant

3.1 The Grant shall be paid by the Scottish Ministers to the Grantee in accordance with the terms of SCHEDULE 1.

3.2 The Grantee shall within 3 months following the end of each financial year in respect of which the Grant has been paid and/or of receiving the final instalment of the Grant submit to the Scottish Ministers a statement of compliance with the Conditions of the Grant using the form of words provided in SCHEDULE 3. The statement shall be signed by the Grantee’s Head of Finance."

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