Island business resilience fund: island communities impact assessment (December 2025)

6. Adjustments

The IBRF’s evidence-based eligibility criteria are intended to maximise its impact, by focusing on a further cohort of islands that have experienced the most severe levels and type of disruption and on those sectors that have been more impacted than others (the visitor economy and the perishable goods sector).

Grant levels will be tailored to business size, with larger grants awarded to businesses that employ more permanent island-based staff. This approach recognises the greater economic and social impact of these businesses and helps support local jobs and ongoing resilience.

Delivery mechanisms do not vary by island, but the eligibility criteria ensure that only those communities and sectors facing the most disruption are included. HIE has been chosen as our delivery partner to ensure local knowledge, consistency, and fairness in implementation.

The impact of the IBRF will be assessed through an evaluation carried out by HIE with active involvement from the Scottish Government’s Islands Policy team. Lessons learned will inform future approaches.

Finally, the lessons learned through this Island Communities Impact Assessment - particularly around the value of using robust, island-specific data, will inform the design of future policies and funding schemes. This will help strengthen the Scottish Government’s ability to respond effectively to transport disruption and other place-based challenges facing island communities.