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Around £14.3 million of European funding is to be invested to support Scotland's tourism sector, sustainable public transport, develop SMEs, build links between research and business and provide training opportunities.

It includes cash from the European Regional Development Fund for VisitScotland to provide extra support to local tourism businesses and promote attractions, an award to East Ayrshire Council to complete 2,100sq m of small industrial units and cash to assist with the introduction of real time passenger information on bus services.

Finance Secretary John Swinney said:

"European funding is a central element of our Economic Recovery Plan. Scotland has rising employment, falling unemployment, and this latest package of funding will help build on improving economic conditions, with support for a wide variety of transport, enterprise and tourism projects.

"These awards support projects with the potential to sustain recovery, enhance local economies, build strong and sustainable economic growth and support the creation of thousands of new jobs. In particular the money will make a huge difference in assisting tourism businesses through the marketing of visitor attractions, enhance local transport connections and support ambitious Scottish companies - including SMEs and our digital and creative industries.

"These are all worthy initiatives that can make a vital contribution to economic growth across Scotland."

The allocations announced today are:

• £2.9 million - VisitScotland - New Seasonal Tourism Campaigns. This will see VisitScotland working with local authorities in Stirling, East Ayrshire, Perth and Kinross, Aberdeenshire, Angus, Moray and South Lanarkshire and 800 tourism businesses to develop campaign offers and initiatives to support events and promote themed years
• £1.1 million - VisitScotland - New Seasonal Tourism Campaigns in the South of Scotland. This is a marketing project to support more than 1,100 tourism businesses in the south of Scotland through marketing initiatives highlighting the natural, cultural and historical assets of the south of Scotland
• £859,000 - Angus Council - Rural Tourism Business Support. This will see various local authorities in the east of Scotland provide support for SMEs in the food and drink, golf, outdoor and tourism industries

Investing in sustainable public transport

• £2 million - Dundee City Council - Dundee Integrated Transport Hub. This will help redevelop buildings in front of the current railway station to create a new integrated transport hub. The facility will allow better connections between rail, buses, cycle hire facilities and taxis and improve access to employment, training and will enhance services for people visiting Dundee
• £1.9 million - Clyde Gateway URC - Shawfield - Dalmarnock 'Smart Bridge'. This will link South Dalmarnock and the National Business District at Shawfield
• More than £400,000 has also been awarded to help introduce real time passenger information on bus services in the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Aberdeenshire and West Lothian. This enables passengers to monitor bus times via electronic signs at bus stops, online and using their mobile phones. £192,000 will be provided to Aberdeenshire Council for the system, £133,000 for SEStran in West Lothian and £100,000 for SEStran and SWEStran to introduce the system on key routes between the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway

Creating space for SMEs to grow

• £2 million - East Ayrshire Council - Make It Kilmarnock - Moorfield. This will assist with the completion of 2,100sq m of small industrial units
• £200,000 - Dundee City Council - Creative Sector Incubator Unit. This will help provide incubator space for start ups and small enterprises within the creative and digital media sectors
• £88,000 - South Lanarkshire Council - Lesmahagow Rural Business Strategy. This is a 14-month marketing and development plan to help town centre businesses diversify into non-retailing activities such as manufacturing, production and supply

Building links between research and business

• £1.2 million - Scottish Further and Higher Education Funding Council - Interface - Phase 2. This project aims to improve knowledge exchange for SMEs by encouraging collaborations between business and academia. This includes translating the needs of companies of all sizes and from all sectors into manageable projects
• £1.1 million - University of Glasgow - Encompass. This is a three-year pilot programme aiming to remove barriers to innovating and growing the number of companies engaged in innovative activities. It will include access to business angel management and financial expertise, and business mentoring networks and access to FE college support

Training people to take advantage of recovery

• £442,000 - Glasgow West Regeneration Agency - Partick Employability Centre. This will help provide a training and e-skills centre to help disadvantaged people gain employment

Malcolm Roughead, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said:

"We are delighted that we have been successful with our applications for European funding, which will allow us to proceed with important marketing activity in conjunction with our Local Authority partners. It is vital that investment in tourism continues as we believe tourism is the key to economic recovery and growth."

European Structural Funds are the significant source of European Union funding for economic development in Scotland. They can be used to support projects which boost economic growth and improve productivity while reducing economic and social disparities. Around £600 million has now been awarded to more than 650 projects in Scotland from the 2007-13 European Structural Funds programmes - encompassing the European Social Fund and the European Regional Development Fund.

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