Go BackA massive funding programme for food and drink businesses across Scotland has been launched by the Cabinet Secretary for Food Richard Lochhead.
On a visit to The Breadwinner Bakery in Edinburgh during Real Bread Week in Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, Mr Lochhead announced the new Food Processing, Marketing and Co-operation (FPMC) grant scheme is now open for capital-related applications.
The scheme will widen to non-capital and co-operation bids later in 2015.
The scheme will plough £70 million into food and drink processing in Scotland as part of the new Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014-2020, which is expected to receive formal EU approval shortly.
Mr Lochhead said:“Scotland’s £13.9 billion food and drink growth sector has already rocketed since 2007. Turnover here has shot up 21 per cent compared to growth of 8.6 per cent across the rest of the UK, with Scotland’s massive success fuelled by the unwavering support of the Scottish Government and our agencies.
“Under the last Food grants scheme the Scottish Government supported in 172 projects between 2007 and 2013. Our £47 million investment levered in £114 million private sector funding and safeguarded or created about 8,500 jobs.
“I am delighted to be launching the new scheme in Scotland’s Year of Food and Drink, and to have increased funding by 50 per cent which will enable us to invest even more in Scottish food and drink businesses.”
ACE Refrigeration is the leading refrigeration specialist for the Food Processing industry throughout the UK with customers ranging from Associated Seafoods to Marine Harvest, Albert Bartletts to Drysdales, First Milk to Glenrath Farms and Castle MacLellan to Greencore Foods.
At ACE Refrigeration we offer indemnified designs for all refrigeration and air conditioning installations with a focus on energy savings of up to 25% over traditional applications.
Our teams of engineers have carried out major design and installation projects for cold rooms and freezer rooms, ice generators, chilled production facilities and blast chillers and freezers for commercial caterers, food processors, dairy companies, the fish and seafood industry, the meat business and fruit and vegetable sectors throughout the country.
Reliability , efficiency and product integrity are the key words in the food processing industry, we know you cannot afford wastage and need to keep your customers happy.
Our refrigeration plant incorporates temperature monitoring systems, which are both HACCP accredited, BRC compliant and conform to Food Safety and Inspection Service standards.
There are great opportunities through this funding programme for food and drink businesses across Scotland to increase capacity, become more energy efficient and reduce operating costs.
But for many companies the whole process can seem like a minefield which takes up too much time, time which should be spent concentrating on the running of your business.
That’s where ACE Refrigeration can help. We can design a specification which will maximise energy savings to be made, help reduce operating costs, and assist with your grant and funding assistance application.
To find out more call 0141 556 7691 or email sales@acerefrigeration.co.uk
More details of the FPMC Grant Scheme are available on the Scottish Government website; click here
