Grants for Tourism Resilience – Frequently Asked Questions

9th December, 2020 Alliance Updates,News and Updates

Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance together with Good Life X hosted an information session for all registered Small and Medium Enterprises in Sri Lanka on the 7th of December 2020 to discuss the Grants for Tourism Resilience program.

We spoke about the Grant program in detail including who can apply, what should be included in the application, and shared some inspiration on potential sustainable ideas.

We have compiled the following FAQ to provide more clarity around the areas that were discussed during the information session.


1. Can micro-enterprises apply for this grant?

Yes.

Micro enterprises can apply for this grant program as they fall within the required turnover and employee parameters as defined by the National Policy Framework for Small and Medium Enterprise Development in Sri Lanka.


2. We do have the required amount in terms of turnover but have a lesser number of staff members than the stipulated amount as per the National Policy Framework of Sri Lanka for Small and Medium Enterprise Development. Can we still be considered as an SME?

Yes.

As long as your business’s turnover and employee numbers are below the maximum amounts stipulated in the National Policy Framework of Sri Lanka for SME Development your business would be considered an SME.


3. Can the grant funding be utilised to travel to roadshows/trade shows overseas?

As long as you are able to demonstrate the practicality of your idea (i.e will there be roadshows/trade shows taking place in the first half of next year? Will the Airport be reopened enabling you to travel overseas in order to participate? How will participating in these roadshows/trade shows enable your business to become more sustainable and bounce back better post-pandemic?) then you may send in an application for the Grants for Tourism Resilience program.


4. We would like to conduct a short staff training session using the funding from this grant to enable our staff members to implement an innovative idea/initiative in our SME business. Can we utilise the grant funding to carry out this training session?

Yes.

The funding must be utilised to carry out an activity that is ‘Sustainable’ (i.e will have a longer-term positive impact on your business while also positively impacting nature, culture, and/or your community). If you can demonstrate how sustainable and innovative your idea is then you can utilise the funding from this grant to procure the necessary equipment and/or invest in the required infrastructure to carry out a staff training session that will help your staff members implement this idea effectively resulting in long term positive commercial results for your business.


5. In terms of helping ‘businesses grow’, could the funding be used to diversify into a totally new field, location?

Yes.

The funding from this grant can be used to diversify into a brand new field and/or location as long as you are able to demonstrate how sustainable and innovative the proposed diversification is and how you envision this diversification to provide longer-term results for your tourism business.


6. Can businesses that are registered with the relevant local Government authority but not with the Department of the Registrar of Companies Sri Lanka apply?

No.

For the purposes of this grant, all applicants must be registered at the Department of the Registrar of Companies Sri Lanka.


7. Our business has been registered with the SLTDA for more than 7 years however we have only obtained our business registration (ROC) recently? Can we apply for this grant?

For the purposes of this grant registration at the Department of Registrar of companies is mandatory. Your business also needs to have been in registered operation for a minimum of 02 years.


8. Can the funding from this grant be utilised to purchase land? If so can it be situated in an area of my choice?

You would need to consider the practicality of purchasing land utilising the funding from this grant.

For example,

As long as you are able to demonstrate how purchasing this land will enable you to sustainably develop your business and bounce back better post-pandemic, then you may send in an application for the Grants for Tourism Resilience program.


9. What is the maximum amount of money that will be granted?

The maximum amount of money that will be granted is LKR 2,000,000.


10. In terms of the number of employees that a business needs to employ in order to be categorised as an SME, do they need to be full-time (i.e permanent) employees, or does it also include part-time employees?

In order to establish that your business is an SME, we will be taking into account the number of full-time employees employed by your business. You can also provide a breakdown of the number of full-time employees and part-time employees your business employs in your Grants for Tourism Resilience application.


11. Can the funding be used for renovations that will improve our business overall?

Yes.

The funding from this grant can be used for renovations as long as you are able to validate how sustainable and innovative the proposed renovation would be and how you envision this renovation to provide you long term results for your tourism business.


12. I want to purchase a new vehicle that will be used for transporting foreign visitors. Can the funding be used to upgrade my vehicle?

You would need to consider the feasibility of purchasing a vehicle utilising the funding from this grant including how does purchasing a vehicle embrace the principles of sustainability? Are you able to find a suitable vehicle for under LKR 2Mn? How will you finance the rest of the project?

As long as you are able to justify how purchasing a new vehicle will enable you to sustainably develop your business, then you may send in an application for the Grants for Tourism Resilience program.


13. We would like to utilise the funding to refurbish our wellness center giving it a distinct Sri Lankan touch. Is this a possibility?

Yes.

The funding from this grant can be used for renovations. You would need to demonstrate how the proposed renovation will embrace the principles of sustainability and innovation.


14. What if the applicant is the service provider? How does that work with the invoicing procedure?

We are unable to comment effectively on this question without more information on your proposed idea.


15. Will all the activities that are discussed be implemented?

Sri Lanka Tourism Alliance has implemented many successful initiatives to assist and uplift the tourism industry in Sri Lanka. You can find out more about all of our initiatives on www.srilankatourismalliance.com.

We will also be providing detailed updates and information about the next steps involved in the Grants for Tourism Resilience program through our website and social channels. You may follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn to stay updated on the progress of this program.


16. Can we submit an invoice from our overseas vendor?

Yes, you can. As long as your selected vendor/service provider has access to online banking facilities and can receive foreign currency into their bank account at the time of application then you may submit an invoice from an overseas vendor/service provider.


17. In the summary form, the contact details of the service providers are requested, including their bank details. Is this amount of details (especially bank details) needed at this point of application, please?

Yes.

Once the MOU is signed with the final grantees there is only a very short window of time to submit invoices from vendors/third party goods and service providers. We are asking for this information at the application stage itself to ensure that we are able to disburse the funds quickly and efficiently.


18. Most of the businesses are registered with the Divisional secretary’s office. Can they apply for this grant?

If these businesses are ALSO registered with the Department of Registrar of Companies Sri Lanka and have been in registered operation for a minimum of 2 years then they may apply for this grant. For the purposes of this grant registration with the Department of Registrar of Companies Sri Lanka is a mandatory requirement.


19. Can we join photos of our project in the application?

No.

Images of your projects cannot be attached to the application form. If required these images can be emailed to us at [email protected].