Chamber and committees

Support for winning projects typically consists of a combination of financial (grant) support, SE Innovation Specialist advice and independent tourism consultancy support. The Tourism Innovation Fund (TIF) Project Manager and respective Innovation Specialist are responsible for monitoring the implementation of the individual company projects. They are assisted where appropriate by a contracted Managing Agent who primarily provides administrative and logistical support. The Project Manager has regular communication with the Innovation Specialists and the Managing Agent to ensure projects remain on track and will intervene where appropriate to address any significant project issues. The TIF Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) can also be called on to intervene if necessary.

Once the agreed TIF support has concluded, informal monitoring of the company/ project is undertaken by the TIF Project Manager and Managing Agent. A more formal independent evaluation of the performance of TIF projects is scheduled to take place between September and November 2011 as part of a wider evaluation of SE’s Tourism Innovation Programme.

Monitoring of TIF budget expenditure and overall project delivery is conducted using standard SE project management procedures.

No decision has yet been taken on whether to extend the Tourism Innovation Fund (TIF) beyond the current financial year (2011-12). This decision will be informed by the findings of the forthcoming evaluation of SE’s wider Tourism Innovation Programme, of which TIF is part. This evaluation is scheduled to report back mid-November 2011. It should be noted that innovation support to the tourism sector will continue into 2012-13 however the precise nature of that support remains to be decided.

A number of different criteria are used when appraising Tourism Innovation Fund (TIF) applications.

Initially all applications are screened against some basic eligibility criteria. These include ensuring applicants are based in the SE area; that the lead business is not a publicly funded organisation; that the project’s intended customers are leisure/business tourists, and that the project is not intended to market or promote existing products or services. The team also consider what stage the project has reached in its development lifecycle. Sometimes projects are too far advanced or indeed already launched and again this would make them less suitable for TIF. The proposed costs are also initially assessed. For example, TIF cannot support capital expenditure costs.

Once the project team are satisfied the basic eligibility criteria, more project-specific criteria are considered. These include assessing the project’s level of innovation. TIF is looking for projects that are innovative at a tourism industry level in Scotland. In other words, the innovation must not just be new to the company, but should demonstrate features or characteristics that to the best of the TIF project team’s knowledge, have not been seen elsewhere in Scotland.

The project also must either by itself, or through formal or informal collaborations with other tourism providers, demonstrate significant market/growth potential. The direct/indirect economic impact of the project is an important consideration in the review of project applications. Indeed, the TIF project team are keen to actively encourage more collaborative activity between organisations and this is looked upon favourably in applications.

The TIF project team must also be comfortable that any potential TIF support is additional. In other words, if the project is going to develop to the same scale, quality or in the same timeframes without the intervention of TIF, then it should not be supported. The capability (and capacity) of the applicant company or individual to deliver is a further key criteria. The team must have confidence that the project will be delivered in a professional and competent manner.

Although not an explicit requirement, the team will also consider the project’s linkages with Scotland’s key tourism assets - for example the main tourism destinations (St Andrews, Edinburgh, Perthshire, etc.) or our stronger tourism “products” such as golf, whisky or mountain-biking.

Finally, a key part of TIF is to promote winners as exemplars of tourism innovation to help stimulate other tourism companies to innovate. Therefore, the case study potential of projects and companies is also considered in the review of applications.

Scottish Enterprise has adopted a flexible approach to the promotion of the Tourism Innovation Fund throughout the duration of the project. While there are a number of promotional channels available, not all are used for every round. This is because the project team wanted to ensure there was a steady stream of interest and applications throughout the three years of the project, and that potential applicants did not feel pressure to submit their ideas too early in the belief that if they delayed, they might miss out. With the exception of Round 5, it can be seen that the number of applications per round has been relatively consistent.

The promotional channels that have been used include (but are not limited to) the following:

SE website (www.scottish-enterprise.com/tourism-innovation-fund)

SE customer newsletters (tourism-specific and generic)

SE’s Tourism “Innovation in Action” brochure

Leaflet drops at relevant SE (and partner) events

Feature in speaking engagements at partner events

Feature in partner newsletters

Weblinks on partner websites

Promotion via local/regional tourism customer groups and partnerships

Presenting latest TIF winners with their awards at key industry events

Promotion via internal customer-facing groups

Promotion via local Business Gateway relationships.

Scottish Government and its agencies are supporting the Tourism Leadership Group (TLG) in their work to bring forward a fresh industry led strategy for the future development of Scotland’s tourism industry. The TLG is keen to ensure that all stakeholders, including the cultural sector, are engaged in this work. The National Museums of Scotland is represented on the TLG.

Plans for the Scottish Futures Fund are a matter for the Spending Review, which will report this in autumn 2011.

Following completion of the Broadband Reach project in March 2010, the Scottish Government has already delivered basic broadband (at a speed of 512 kilobits per second) to known demand. Our ambition now is for availability of next generation broadband for all by 2020, with significant progress made by 2015, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011. The Scottish Government’s ambition goes further than the delivery of a universal broadband speed of 2 megabits per second.

The Scottish Government is working in collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and local authorities to develop a strategic national broadband plan for Scotland. This is to ensure the rollout of next generation broadband to all parts of Scotland, but with specific focus on rural communities. This is in line with the overarching target set out in Scotland’s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011 for availability of next generation broadband for all by 2020, with significant progress made by 2015. Two strategic projects are already under development in the Highlands and Islands and the south of Scotland and we are working across the rest of Scotland to develop future projects.

The Scottish Government is working in collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and local authorities to develop a strategic national broadband plan for Scotland. This is to ensure the rollout of next generation broadband to all parts of Scotland, including urban and suburban communities. This is in line with the overarching target set out in Scotland’s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011, for availability of next generation broadband for all by 2020, with significant progress made by 2015. Two strategic projects are already under development in the Highlands and Islands and the south of Scotland and we are working across the rest of Scotland to develop future projects.

Following completion of the Broadband Reach project in March 2010, the Scottish Government has already delivered basic broadband (at a speed of 512 kilobits per second) to known demand. Our ambition now is for availability of next generation broadband for all by 2020, with significant progress made by 2015, as set out in Scotland’s Digital Future: A Strategy for Scotland, published on 3 March 2011. The Scottish Government’s ambition goes further than the delivery of a minimum broadband speed of 2 megabits per second.