The council is providing an additional £98,000 to support local businesses who applied to and qualified for its Business Hardship Fund. The council set up the Hardship Fund with £500,000+ of Scottish Government funding, to help businesses affected by the covid pandemic. It allocated this funding in full, on a first come, first served basis, to 102 local businesses. Councillors agreed today to provide £98,000 of council funding to support the additional 27 businesses who qualified for support, but applied after the Hardship Fund had been paid out.