INTRODUCING ALASTAIR ROY

HOTEL SUPPORT PROGRAMME MAXIMISE VALUE ON YOUR GRANT FUNDING

BY ALASTAIR ROY, ARO PROCUREMENT

The recently launched £14m multi agency support programme aimed at protecting employment in the medium term within large hotels in Scotland is a welcome intervention. The support package available comprises various components including grant funding up to £250,000 per hotel – for hotels receiving funding in excess of £100,000, a human rights due diligence check will be conducted to ensure policies and procedures are in place to address obligations. By the time you read this, the likelihood is that you have already submitted an expression of interest. Whilst you might have thought there were too many eligibility hurdles – I don’t believe it was a prerequisite for 23% of your full time payroll to have tartan hair and orange eyes but sometimes the rules are as equally arcane – hopefully you decided to go ahead with an application. If the awarding body looks favourably upon your application, you are free to put your grant towards any additional costs which could help your business adapt to the changes being imposed on the hospitality sector as a result of the Covid outbreak. (Some examples below) The key drivers to make your application successful include protecting jobs of key employees at your hotel, continuing to support the local and wider Scottish economy through utilisation of local and national supply chains and focusing on fair work practices and reducing carbon emissions. For many businesses, the key focus for the immediate future is naturally to ensure they survive, thriving can come when we are free and clear of the virus threat. Undoubtedly guests and customers are much more attuned to ways in which experiences in hospitality establishments have changed and are willing to accept them because they know the paramount consideration is safety and wellbeing. Some of the technology trends emerging might previously have been stalled because they didn’t fit with a perhaps more traditional feel of a hotel. Everyone is pivoting the best way they can in the current situation and while businesses will not want to lose the personal touch, dovetailing the right sort of technology with your style of business can enhance and elevate the guest experience. You are free to spend the grant fund any way you decide but it could be interesting to explore items which might otherwise not appear on your Capex wish list. Good luck with your applications and hopefully you can secure funding to help your business in some way at this time. If you require any assistance in helping stretch the grant fund to maximise value for money on cost negotiation for items you to decide to purchase, please contact alastair@aroprocurement.com for help and advice.

ARO Procurement’s aim is to support companies within the hospitality sector to deliver savings, consolidate supply chains and maximise value for money without compromising on quality. www.aroprocurement. com

Some areas of expenditure to consider:

STouchless tech including touch free check-in and digital concierges SHealth and temperature screening for staff and guests SCellular enabled digital bookings for on-site experiences SDigital checklists to manage recurring safety and cleaning procedures including which cleaning solutions to use on surface areas Sand how often high touch points should be cleaned SRemote working systems for non-front-line staff SOutdoor cabanas for al fresco Scotland dining experiences Combined Heat & Power systems to help deliver low cost energy