Businesses in Edinburgh are being invited to engage with dozens of Council services and business-facing partners face to face.
A Meet the Council event will be held on Tuesday 11 March at the Assembly Rooms on George Street between 10:00am and 2:00pm.
Local businesses are encouraged to register in advance to secure a space to the drop-in, with opportunities throughout the day to meet with key Council teams and hear about opportunities for business growth.
Offering a single point of access for business support, the event will bring together Council officers from:
• Building standards • Business Gateway • Commercial property • Cultural events • Economic development • Edinburgh Convention Bureau • Environmental health • Film Edinburgh • Forever Edinburgh • JET (Jobs, Education & Training) • Licensing • Non-Domestic Rates • Parental Employability Support • Planning • Procurement • The Edinburgh Employer Recruitment Incentive • The Edinburgh Guarantee • Trading standards • Visitor Levy
Throughout the day, external partners will also be on hand to present and share their expertise, including:
• Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, an independent membership organisation which supports over 1,000 organisations who employ more than 120,000 staff in the Capital • British Business Bank, a government-owned economic bank specialised in helping businesses in the UK access financial support • Federation of Small Businesses, a non-profit organisation that helps small businesses and the self-employed • Capital City Partnership, the anchor delivery body for Edinburgh’s employability strategy, working together to tackle inequality and poverty • Edinburgh Social Enterprise Network, which works to create opportunities for Edinburgh’s Social Enterprise community to develop and thrive • Forth Green Freeport, Scotland’s largest opportunity to deliver a just transition to net zero, to attract significant inward investment, to build international trade and export capability, and to create high quality and well paid jobs.
Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Edinburgh continues to have the strongest local economy outside of London and the highest number of registered Living Wage employers in Scotland.
“The entrepreneurialism, success and resilience of Edinburgh business owners contributes hugely to what makes our City of Edinburgh a unique and special place to live and work.
“We would like to work much more closely with the business community in offering meaningful support, understand more fully the views, concerns and aspirations of business owners and work jointly in securing a vibrant, sustainable, and resilient economic future for Edinburgh.
“We recognise that the current economic climate is challenging, and in working together with businesses and other partners, there is much we can do collectively to grow and sustain Edinburgh’s economy, promote the benefits of Fair Work, and become a fairer city for all. That’s why the Council is hosting this opportunity for businesses to meet us face-to-face and engage with our staff teams across a variety of services which support business.
“Whether you’re looking for advice on funding, navigating licensing, or exploring how we can support employers, this event is an ideal place to connect directly with the right people, who can provide the advice and support you need.”
The Meet the Council event is designed to support Edinburgh’s business community and help foster a thriving, greener, and fairer economy – as outlined in the Council’s Business Plan 2023-27.
The latest Joseph Rountree Foundation (2025) UK Poverty 2025 Report clearly shows that work doesn’t protect families from poverty.
In particular, the report highlights the “shockingly high” number of children living in poverty in working families:
50% of children in families where at least one adult is (but not all adults are) in work live in poverty.
Working-age adults are also impacted:
Two-thirds (68%) of working-age adults living in poverty are in a household where at least one adult works.
Responding to these figures, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Every worker deserves to earn a decent living. But many working households are struggling to keep their heads above water.
“This is unacceptable. Working people should be able to put food on the table for their families and keep their children warm during the winter.
“After 14 years of Tory chaos and stagnation, we urgently need to boost living standards.
“That’s why this government’s Make Work Pay agenda is so crucial for millions of families up and down the country.
“More money in working people’s pockets means more spend on our high streets – that’s good for workers and good for local economies.
“And the Employment Rights Bill will mean more good and secure jobs – boosting productivity for businesses and giving workers more control over their lives and better chances to progress.
“Better work is crucial for ending child poverty, but decent social security matters too. The Government must remove the two-child benefit cap which is keeping too many children in working households in poverty.”
Support for workplace learning and promoting fair work
Reaffirming the Scottish Government’s commitment to advancing Fair Work and tackling inequalities, First Minister John Swinney has announced a continued funding package to support trade unions in developing, organising, and delivering work-related learning in Scotland’s workplaces in 2024/25.
The £2.38 million funding is managed by the Scottish Trade Union Congress (STUC) and will be split between the Scottish Union Learning and the Fair Work in Action Funds.
The First Minister confirmed the funding during a meeting with the 2023 and 2024 STUC Union Rep Award Winners, who are being recognised for their work in areas such as learning, organising and equalities.
First Minister, John Swinney said: “Trade Unions play a vital role across Scotland’s economy in the workplace and communities and I am pleased to continue this support.
“This funding helps to put into action the Scottish Government’s clear commitment to promote fair work, and to lifelong learning, which in turn support the government’s priorities to eradicate child poverty, grow the economy and improve public services.
“The continuation of this funding will ensure that workers across Scotland benefit from opportunities to develop their skills and boost their career prospects, which will help to increase people’s productivity and earnings potential, benefiting themselves and their families and the economy.
“I was thrilled to meet with the STUC’s Award winners who represent the very best of what our trade unions have to offer – they have excelled in the promotion of workplace learning, equalities, health and safety or organising for a stronger collective voice.”
STUC General Secretary Roz Foyer said: “The STUC Union Rep award recipients are the lifeblood of our movement. We congratulate them for leading the way in educating, empowering, and organising workers throughout the country.
“We further thank the First Minister for recognising their achievements and for recommitting his government’s support for workers and Scotland’s wider trade union movement.
“The funding announced today validates the work of our Union Rep Award recipients and is a recommitment to the power of the delivery of workforce development and skills through union and employer co-operation with the support of government.
“This support is welcome. It should act as a catalyst for others to see the value of investing in the education and empowerment of the next generation of workers and workplace reps throughout Scotland.
“It also reflects our shared aim of making Fair Work a reality for all. Fair work and a skilled workforce are the building blocks we need to build Scotland’s sustainable economy and boost growth.”
New analysis shows pay gap between non-disabled and disabled workers is now 14.6% – higher than it was a decade ago
Disabled women face even bigger pay penalty of 30% – £3.73 an hour
TUC says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a “game changer” for disabled workers, introducing mandatory disability pay gap reporting and a day one right to flexible work
New analysis published by the TUC yesterday shows that non-disabled workers earn around a sixth (14.6%) more than disabled workers
The analysis reveals that the pay gap for disabled workers across the board is £1.90 an hour, or £66.50 per week – over what the average household spends on their weekly food shop (£62.20).
That makes for a pay difference of £3,460 a year for someone working a 35-hour week – and means that disabled people effectively work for free for the last 47 days of the year and stop getting paid today, on the day the TUC has branded Disability Pay Gap Day.
“Zero progress” on disability pay gap
The pay gap has fallen since last year, when the overall pay gap was £2.05 (17.2%) an hour.
The new analysis shows that the disability pay gap is now higher than it was a decade ago (13.2% in 2013/14) when the first comparable pay data was recorded.
And the gap is only slightly lower than when the TUC first launched Disability Pay Gap Day using 2016/17 data (when it was 15.0%).
Disability pay gap by gender and age
The new TUC analysis reveals that disabled women face the biggest pay gap. Non-disabled men are paid on average 30% (£3.73 an hour, £130.55 a week, or £6,780 a year) more than disabled women.
The research also shows that the disability pay gap persists for workers for most of their careers. At age 25 the pay gap is £1.73 an hour hitting a high of £3.18 an hour, or £111.30 a week, for disabled workers aged 40 to 44.
National, regional and industrial disability pay gaps
The analysis looked at pay data from across the country and found disability pay gaps in every region and nation of the UK.
The highest pay gaps are in Wales (21.6% or £2.53 an hour), followed by the South East (19.8% or £2.78 an hour) and the East of England (17.7% or £2.30 an hour).
The research found that disability pay gaps also vary by industry. The biggest pay gap is in financial and industrial services, where the pay gap stands at a huge 33.2% (£5.60 an hour).
Unemployment
Not only are disabled workers paid less than non-disabled workers, they are also more likely to be excluded from the job market.
Disabled workers are twice as likely as non-disabled workers to be unemployed (6.7% compared to 3.3%).
And the analysis shows disabled BME workers face a much tougher labour market – one in 10 (10.4%) BME disabled workers are unemployed compared to nearly one in 40 (2.6%) white non-disabled workers.
Zero-hours contracts
The analysis shows that disabled workers are more likely than non-disabled workers to be on zero-hours contracts (4.5% to 3.4%).
And disabled BME women are nearly three times as likely as non-disabled white men (6.0% to 2.2%) to be on these insecure contracts.
The TUC says zero-hours contracts hand the employer total control over workers’ hours and earning power, meaning workers never know how much they will earn each week, and their income is subject to the whims of managers.
The union body argues that this makes it hard for workers to plan their lives, look after their children and get to medical appointments.
And it makes it harder for workers to challenge unacceptable behaviour by bosses because of concerns about whether they will be penalised by not being allocated hours in future.
New Deal for Working People
The TUC is calling for government action to end the discrimination disabled workers’ face in the jobs market.
The union body says Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be a “game changer” for workers’ rights.
Labour has pledged to deliver new rights for working people in an employment bill in its first 100 days.
Labour’s new deal would:
Introduce disability and ethnicity pay gap reporting.
Strengthen flexible working rights by introducing a day one right to work flexibly.
Ban zero-hours contracts to help end the scourge of insecure work.
Give all workers day one rights on the job. Labour will scrap qualifying time for basic rights, such as unfair dismissal, sick pay, and parental leave.
Ensure all workers get reasonable notice of any change in shifts or working time, with compensation that is proportionate to the notice given for any shifts cancelled or curtailed.
Beef up enforcement by making sure the labour market enforcement bodies have the powers they need to undertake targeted and proactive enforcement work and bring civil proceedings upholding employment rights.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “We all deserve to be paid fairly for the work we do. But disabled people continue to be valued less in our jobs market.
“It’s shameful there has been zero progress on the disability pay gap in the last decade. Being disabled shouldn’t mean you are given a lower wage – or left out of the jobs market altogether.
“Too many disabled people are held back at work, not getting the reasonable adjustments they need to do their jobs. And we need to strengthen the benefits system for those who are unable to work or are out of work, so they are not left in poverty.
“It’s time for a step change. Labour’s New Deal for Working People would be an absolute game changer for disabled workers. It would introduce mandatory disability pay gap reporting to shine a light on inequality at work.
“Without this legislation, millions of disabled workers will be consigned to many more years of lower pay and in-work poverty.”
Expert advisory group aims to improve fairness in the workplace
Leading figures from business, trade unions, equality groups and academia are coming together to advise the Scottish Government on its fair work agenda.
Chaired by Wellbeing Economy Secretary Neil Gray, the Fair Work Oversight Group meets for the first time today (Thursday, 3 August) and will help ensure that policies deliver on the aim of creating a fair, green and growing economy.
Group members include representatives from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, the Fair Work Convention and the Fraser of Allander Institute, underlining the broad commitment to the Scottish Government’s ambitions to encourage payment of the real Living Wage, give employees a voice in the workplace and provide equal opportunity.
As well as reviewing the preparation and implementation of policy, the group will share best practice and submit a report on fair work progress to Parliament in early 2024.
Mr Gray said: “Fair work and fair pay make sense for both workers and employers across all sectors, helping to improve staff retention and productivity, reduce recruitment costs and contribute to a skilled and motivated workforce.
“The diversity of this group is a testament to our shared ambition for fair work to be an integral part of Scotland’s wellbeing economy. Members will bring to the table ideas and insights from across Scottish society. They will also support and scrutinise our plans to ensure we work in partnership effectively.
“While employers have made good progress, more can be done to tackle inequalities and improve conditions in workplaces. This group will advise on how best to address on-going challenges and take forward our Fair Work Action Plan.”
The Fair Work Oversight Group members:
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy Neil Gray (Chair)
Andrew Carter – NHS Borders
Anna Ritchie Allan – Close the Gap
Charandeep Singh – Scottish Chambers of Commerce
Claire Reid – Scottish Council for Development and Industry
Dave Moxham – Scottish Trades Union Congress
David Lonsdale – Scottish Retail Consortium
Emma Congreve – Fraser of Allander Institute
Heather Fisken – Inclusion Scotland
Professor Ima Jackson – Glasgow Caledonia University
Lee Ann Panglea – Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Professor Tricia Findlay – Fair Work Convention
Terry Duffy – ACAS
Stephanie Griffin – Equality and Human Rights Commission
A representative from the Non-Departmental Public Bodies Chief Executives’ Forum
Applicants for public sector grants must support better pay and conditions for workers in order to qualify, under new strengthened criteria which has come into force.
From today, organisations will need to demonstrate they pay at least the real Living Wage and provide channels for workers to have an effective voice, as a condition of the application.
The requirement forms part of the Bute House Agreement, a plan to work together with the Scottish Green Party to build a fairer and more equal economy.
This applies to organisations receiving public sector grants, and limited exceptions may be applied to ensure the measure remains proportionate.
Wellbeing Economy and Fair Work Secretary Neil Gray said: “Public sector funding should be used for the wider benefits needed in a wellbeing economy, such as the promotion of fair work – including the creation of more high quality, well paid jobs. This in turn will support stronger businesses, and vibrant, healthy communities.
“By extending the reach of our Fair Work First criteria – which has already been applied to some £4 billion of public funds since 2019 – we can better tackle the cost crisis, poverty and social inequalities.”
Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: “While this is essential to improving worker experience, research has also shown businesses with stronger employee voice and representation perform better and are more productive.
“We will work with employers, workers and trade unions connected to organisations applying for a public sector grant to ensure we are continuing to improve terms and conditions, worker wellbeing and to develop progressive and fairer workplaces.”
Councillor Paul Kelly, COSLA Health and Social Care spokesperson, said: “COSLA Leaders are clear that addressing the pressures in our health and social care system needs a whole system approach which is not just about delayed discharge.
“All partners need to acknowledge that longstanding recruitment and retention issues place significant constraints on Health and Social Care Partnerships ability to deal with challenges and we must urgently invest in fair work to ensure that progress can be made in building and developing the social care workforce.”
Improving pay and working conditions through public sector investment
Organisations applying for public sector grants will need to pay at least the real Living Wage and provide channels for staff to have a say in the workplace from July 2023.
The condition applies to organisations receiving grants from the Scottish Government, enterprise agencies and public bodies. Exceptions may only be applied to emergency funding and where an organisation is heavily dependent on grant funding and paying the real Living Wage would threaten its survival.
The new requirements form part of the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party Parliamentary Group Bute House Agreement, a plan to work together to build a fairer and more equal economy.
Employment and Fair Work Minister Richard Lochhead and Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater visited MiAlgae, an Edinburgh industrial biotechnology company that has received public sector funding and whose staff are paid at least the real Living Wage and have a voice in the workplace.
Mr Lochhead said: “The Scottish Government is committed to using public sector investment to drive up wages, tackle inequalities and give employees an effective voice.
“This policy is a significant step in strengthening our fair work agenda. For example, in 2021-22 Scottish Enterprise issued £135 million in grants to 953 businesses.
“Fair work and fair pay are good for business. They help improve staff retention and productivity, reduce recruitment costs and contribute to a skilled and motivated workforce.
“Scotland is already leading the way on paying the real Living Wage. In 2022 a record 91 per cent of employees aged over 18 earned the real Living Wage or more in Scotland – higher than the UK as a whole and above any other UK country. There are more than 2,900 accredited real Living Wage employers, which is proportionately five times as many as in the rest of the UK.
“Grant conditionality will strengthen our vision that by 2025, people in Scotland will have a world-leading working life where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society.”
Ms Slater said: “An effective voice for workers is vital to ensure better terms and conditions, worker wellbeing and developing progressive and fairer work places.
“The ability to speak, individually or collectively, and to be listened to, is essential to improving workers experience as well as improving organisational performance.
“We will work with employers, workers and trade unions, to continue improving the terms and conditions for employees of organisations applying for a public sector grant.”
MiAlgae Operations Director Dr Johann Partridge said: “At MiAlgae, the real Living Wage was something we have been fully committed to since the beginning. As an organisation our people are our most important asset and, for us, a happy and engaged team is crucial to our operations.
“Having open channels of communication between staff across every level and area of the business is something we are passionate about. We strive to ensure each member of our team feels empowered and confident to communicate and engage with each other about all elements of our work.”
But the national membership organisation for the voluntary sector, Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO), has raised concerns about those workers who could be left behind.
In a statement, SCVO said: “SCVO agree that Fair Work for Scotland’s voluntary sector workforce should be a priority. However, it is unclear how the sector will be supported to fund this change.
“Years of underfunding, followed by Covid-19, and the running costs crisis, mean that for many voluntary sector employers paying the Living Wage cannot be achieved without additional resources.
“A significant number of people employed in the sector are funded by public sector grants and contracts. SCVO have made clear that to support organisations to pay the Living Wage, public grant funding and procured contracts should build in a Living Wage uplift to ensure organisations delivering public services and other vital support are able to pay the Living Wage.
“We look forward to more details about how these plans will be funded in the upcoming Scottish Budget.
Concerns were also raised that plans to ensure Scotland’s voluntary sector workforce are paid at least the Real Living Wage apply only to staff engaged in grant funded activities creating the potential for pay inequality within and between voluntary organisations.
SCVO encouraged the Scottish Government to engage with voluntary sector funders and employers to ensure that all of the sector’s 135,000 employees can be paid at least the real Living Wage.
The organisation added: “The voluntary sector workforce makes a huge contribution across Scotland, offering a lifeline to people, families, and communities as the cost-of-living crisis bites. This lifeline shouldn’t need to be extended to voluntary sector staff.
“Scottish Government need to work with local government, funders, and crucially, the sector, to ensure that voluntary sector organisations have the support they need to pay the Real Living Wage.”
Roadmap to ‘fair, green prosperity for communities and regions’
Improvements to health, tackling child poverty and reaching climate goals are at the heart of a toolkit to support local economies to be fairer, greener, healthier and more resilient.
The Wellbeing Economy Toolkit: Supporting place-based economic strategy and policy development enables local authorities to identify and measure local wellbeing metrics including health, child poverty, levels of greenhouse gas emissions and fair work, and prioritise investments and policies to improve them.
This will include:
the creation of more high quality, sustainable local jobs by using more local and regional procurement contracts
improved transport links to help people access services and work
better access to the natural environment, which leads to better mental and physical health
The Constitution Secretary announced the toolkit at the Wealth of Nations 2.0 conference at the University of Glasgow. He was joined by representatives from fellow Wellbeing Economy Governments (WEGo) of Finland and Wales to take questions from young people, five years on from the first conversations to establish the network.
Constitution Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The need for a new economic model has never been clearer, and that’s why I think the wellbeing economy approach is gaining so much interest, both here, and around the world.
“We see that in the growth of WEGo – the network of wellbeing economy governments – which began as a coalition of Scotland, Iceland and New Zealand. Since this event was last held in 2020, two more governments – Finland and Wales – have joined, and other countries including Canada are showing a growing interest.
“Creating a wellbeing economy remains a defining mission for the Scottish Government, and it is my firm belief that Scotland could use the powers of independence to achieve that aim more fully.
“Building a wellbeing economy is a huge challenge for any country, at any time. The current crises we are facing make it harder, but they also underline why we need to make this transformation as a matter of urgency.”
Jimmy Paul, Director of Wellbeing Economy Alliance Scotland, said: “This practical new toolkit will be an invaluable resource for developing local economic strategies that really work for communities.
“Amidst the cost of living and climate crises, it’s never been more important that economic approaches start with the goal of ensuring we all have what we need to live good lives and protect the health of our natural world, rather than continuing to centre outdated metrics like GDP growth. The toolkit could provide a step-change in the way local economic strategies are delivered in Scotland.”
£1.275m Fringe 2022 Resilience Fund developed, thanks to support from the Scottish Government’s Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLACE programme)
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe Societyis pleased to announce that 13 Edinburgh Festival Fringe producers have been awarded a share of £1.275 million through the Fringe 2022 Resilience Fund, developed thanks to support from theScottish Government’s Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLACE) programme.
The fund, designed to support resilience, recovery and creativity across the festival in its 75th anniversary year, is part of a £1.58m award to the Fringe through PLACE. The remaining £305k has been allocated to support the ongoing resilience of the Fringe Society and includes £55k to support the delivery of Street Events during August.
Venues in receipt of the Resilience Fund are Assembly, BlundaBus, Gilded Balloon, Greenside, Just The Tonic, Laughing Horse, Monkey Barrell Comedy, Pleasance, Scottish Comedy Festival, Summerhall, theSpaceUK, Underbelly and ZOO.
The awarding panel was chaired by the Fringe Society, and included the expert advice of Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council and EventScotland.
Commenting on the fund, Shona McCarthy, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said:“It’s fair to say that the last few years have been the most challenging in our festival’s history. Now, as we prepare to enter our 75th anniversary year, creatives across the Fringe landscape are working hard to ensure that this incredible festival not only survives, but continues to work hard to be the best version of itself.
“This support from Scottish Government is absolutely vital in helping us to achieve that goal: allowing producers and creatives across the landscape to not only recover from the devastating effects of the pandemic, but to offer enhanced support to artists, workers and volunteers; to continue to programme creative and innovative work; to improve accessibility; to tackle affordability and to ensure that this festival remains true to its founding principles of openness and inclusivity.”
Scottish Government Culture Minister Neil Gray said: “As we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Edinburgh Fringe this summer, I’m pleased that £305,000 from our Platforms for Creative Excellence (PLACE) Fund will support the activities of the Festival Fringe Society and their street events this year.
“In particular I want to congratulate the 13 producers who will share the Fringe 2022 Resilience Fund. The last few years have been difficult for the venues putting on events so this support will help to ensure the continued success of this flagship summer festival.”
How the funding will support creativity and resilience across the Fringe:
To address recovery and resilience challenges for the Fringe, funding was considered across four key pillars: Creative Programming; Risk Management; Fair Work and Sustainability.
With this funding, Summerhall are planning a range of creative work at the festival, including supporting two under-represented artists to make new work in response to 75 years of the Edinburgh Festivals.
To address sustainability, they aim to lead the way as a flyer free venue and will implement e-ticketing. Within their workforce, they are looking to create a brand-new Fringe Learning Management System, which will help onboard workers through online learning.
BlundaBus’ funding will support their return to the Fringe after the pandemic. They actively work to programme and support alternative and experimental artists, as well as artists for whom cost is a barrier to participation, offering both performance and ‘green room’ spaces to support artists.
Since 2019 they have been working to develop a programme of work centred around women and LGBTQ+ performers. They are champions of the Pay What You Want ticketing model to support affordability at the festival, and embed sustainability across their practice by reducing single use items and prioritising sustainable materials in their infrastructure.
Greenside’s funding will allow them to continue operating as an open programming venue, giving artists from non-professional backgrounds a route to access the festival.
It will also support them to increase staff pay further, from Living Wage to paying every team member above the Real Living Wage; facilitating the creation of an additional 24 Festival jobs paid above the Real Living Wage.
To address sustainability, they will move to e-ticketing, transition their programme from print to digital, and look to reduce omissions across their technical operation.
Just The Tonic will use the funding to support their programming of high-quality comedy and to support and underwrite costs for artists who are still recovering from the pandemic.
In 2022, their venue The Tron will be programmed with female performers only, with the aim of addressing gender imbalance in the comedy sector. They will continue their Pay What You Want ticketing model to help with affordability, and as part of their commitment to fair work, all staff will be paid Living Wage.
Support for theSpaceUK will allow them to mitigate costs for artists who have been impacted by the pandemic, whilst keeping access to the festival affordable for creatives.
As a champion of both emerging and established artists, they will continue their commitment to open access programming and supporting new and original writing. They will continue to operate as a Living Wage employer and to offer a programme of staff training.
With their funding, Gilded Balloon will continue to support emerging artists and their development. In consolidating their programme, they plan to reduce the number of overall shows to allow for increased turnaround times between shows (allowing for a better experience for artists, staff and audiences alike).
While all staff are already paid the National Living Wage and above, this fund’s support will enable them to increase the number of staff on site and reduce staff hours. They are also investing in e-ticketing to support sustainability and are reducing the number of flyers produced by investing in digital marketing.
Laughing Horse have received support for the delivery of a range of activities associated with the Free Festival. To address sustainability, they are looking to fully replace their printed programme with an app and improved mobile website.
They will run mental health support sessions for performers and staff before and during the Fringe, and they have committed to a BSL interpreter for several performances to improve access to deaf audiences.
Funding will also support them with equipment costs and with the hiring of paid ticketing staff.
Underbelly’s funding will allow them to increase their minimum pay offer for temporary festival staff from the National Living wage (which they already pay) to the Real Living Wage.
They will also use the funds to hire additional short-term staff to support their existing team during the busy Fringe period, thereby improving working conditions and reducing working hours.
To address sustainability, the support will allow them to invest in e-ticketing. They plan to enhance their accessibility programme with extra captioned shows and a range of shows with BSL interpreters.
Support will also help with the build and maintenance of their temporary venues, and accommodation for their staff during the Fringe.
Monkey Barrell are looking to use their funding to continue to programme diverse and inclusive line-ups, whilst creating greater opportunities for local acts, unrepresented performers and those from non-privileged backgrounds.
They are looking to create a community focused artistic hub to enable creatives to come together at the festival. As of 2022, all year-round staff previously on Living Wage are now paid the Real Living Wage.
This fund will allow them to extend this to all temporary staff during the Fringe, and to create a staff development programme to upskill and develop their wider team.
ZOO’s programming in 2022 is aimed at better reflecting the lives of under-represented or minority audiences, and support from this fund will allow them to subsidise core costs for creatives.
Work by disabled artists is already central to their programming, and this funding will allow them to improve access to their audiences with enhanced BSL, audio description and captioned performances.
They will continue their commitments to paying staff Living Wage and above and to paying freelancers above the recommended rates. They will also continue to support their volunteer programme – which includes budget to address areas such as transport, access needs and childcare.
Funding will allow for Covid mitigations – such as enhanced cleaning, and provision of masks and hand sanitiser.
Pleasance will use the funding to reduce the financial risk to artists attending the Fringe – with targeted interventions which will support debut and early career creatives.
They plan to increase the number of employees in their workforce, reduce working hours during the festival, reduce the ratio of volunteers to paid staff, and provide increased opportunities for staff training. Some funding will also be used to invest in key infrastructure to improve their offering to artists and audiences, such as a reinforced Wi-Fi network to be able to facilitate e-ticketing.
Funding for The Scottish Comedy Festival will enable them to continue their work in programming local acts at the Fringe. Their model is centred around affordability and mitigating financial risk for the artists, and they are especially keen to support working class performers.
To further support affordability, their programme will continue to feature a mixture of Pay What You Want and Pay What You Can shows.
Assembly’s funding will be used to support artists’ attendance at the festival, by assisting with core costs such as accommodation, marketing and underwriting risk. Their programme, which celebrates 40 years at the Fringe this year, includes emerging artists and those from diverse backgrounds, as well as established performers.
Assembly Festival is a Living Wage employer and will use this fund to support increased training for staff and will also use it to mitigate against rising costs. They also aim to undertake research into post-pandemic audience behaviours and will continue their work as a sustainability champion.
