Financial Assistance Scheme

Summary

The requester asked for a list of companies and specific grant amounts received under the Financial Assistance Scheme between March 2021 and March 2025. The Department for Enterprise provided a link to annual reports containing company lists but withheld specific grant amounts citing commercial sensitivity.

Key Facts

• The request was received on 5th March 2025 and responded to on 27th March 2025.
• Company lists are published annually in reports laid before Tynwald and available on the Department for Enterprise website.
• Specific grant amounts for individual companies were withheld under Section 30 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015.
• The authority argued that disclosing individual amounts could discourage businesses from applying for support.
• The report for the 2024/25 financial year had not yet been published at the time of the response.

Data Disclosed

• 1st March 2021
• 1st March 2025
• 5th March 2025
• 27th March 2025
• 2013/14
• 2023/24
• 2024/25
• Section 30
• Enterprise Act 2008

Exemptions Cited

• Section 30 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 (Commercially sensitive information)

Original Request

I am submitting this request under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain details regarding the Financial Assistance Scheme. Specifically, I would like to request: 1. A list of companies that have received financial support through this scheme over the past four years from 1st March 2021 to 1st March 2025. 2. The amount granted to each company during this period. If any part of this request is subject to exemptions, please provide the available information and indicate the reason for any redactions. I would appreciate a response in electronic format where possible. If you require any clarification, please let me know. Thank you for your time and assistance.

Data Tables (1)

Full Response Text

Freedom of Information Co-ordinator 1st Floor, St Georges Court Upper Church Street, Douglas Isle of Man IM1 1EX

Telephone: (01624 686400) Website: https://www.iomdfenterprise.im/

Our ref: 4492285 27th March 2025

Dear ###

Re: Freedom of Information Request – Financial Assistance Scheme

I write further to your request, received on 5th March 2025, which states:

"I am submitting this request under the Freedom of Information Act to obtain details regarding the Financial Assistance Scheme. Specifically, I would like to request:

1. A list of companies that have received financial support through this scheme over the past four years from 1st March 2021 to 1st March 2025.

2. The amount granted to each company during this period.

If any part of this request is subject to exemptions, please provide the available information and indicate the reason for any redactions.

I would appreciate a response in electronic format where possible. If you require any clarification, please let me know.

Thank you for your time and assistance."

Our response to your request is as follows:

In answer to your first question:-

1. A list of companies that have received financial support through this scheme over the past four years from 1st March 2021 to 1st March 2025.

This information is published annually in a report laid before Tynwald entitled Enterprise Act 2008 and subsequently published on the Department for Enterprise website on the following url:-

https://www.iomdfenterprise.im/enterprise-act-2008-annual-reports/

The published reports cover the years 2013/14 to 2023/24. The report for the year 2024/25 will be published in due course. 2 | P a g e

In answer to your second question: -

1. The amount granted to each company during this period.

Whilst our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the information you have requested is considered exempt from disclosure under section 30 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015 as disclosure would likely be prejudicial to the economic interests of the Island.

The reasons why we have applied this exemption are as follows:

Section 30 – Commercially sensitive information

The Department is responsible for providing financial assistance to business, for the wider purpose of encouraging the growth of the Isle of Man's economy. If the Department were to release the actual amounts paid to businesses, this may:

• discourage businesses from applying for financial support, as they may not wish the exact amount of support provided to them to be in the public domain as this could benefit competitors or restrict their ability to negotiate contracts for services or raise capital.

• be harmful to the ability of the Department to negotiate effectively with businesses in terms of new applications for financial support.

• be harmful to the ability of the Department to negotiate arrangements to recover any outstanding funds if the repayment terms of all applicants was to be released which may hinder or prolong the return of funds to Treasury.

As section 30 is a qualified exemption, it is subject to a public interest test. The public interest must be of serious concern and benefit to the public at large in order for the information to be released.

Factors in favour of disclosure

There are no perceived factors in favour of disclosing this information as the total amount of public funds provided to businesses under the various incentive schemes are published. Knowing what amount was paid to which recipient is not considered as necessary to aid transparency or public awareness. Financial assistance made available by the Department is enabled through general powers under the Enterprise Act 2008, or specific Schemes, which have had the approval of Tynwald and full details are publicly available. An annual report is laid before Tynwald which clearly and in great detail sets out the various schemes and total funding provided along with the recipients of that funding.

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Factors in favour of withholding

The need to protect the commercial interests of the private sector, which plays a vital role in the generating economic growth;

The release of individual amounts of financial assistance may discourage businesses from seeking support from the Department for commercial confidentiality reasons;

The release of individual amounts of financial assistance together with repayment terms will provide current and future applicant businesses with information which could allow them to negotiate higher levels of support than otherwise, and may undermine the process.

In taking these factors into account the Department for Enterprise determined that the factors in favour of maintaining the exemption outweigh the factors in favour of disclosing the information.

Please quote the reference number 4492285 in any future communications.

Your right to request a review

If you are unhappy with this response to your freedom of information request, you may ask us to carry out an internal review of the response, by completing a complaint form and submitting it electronically or by delivery/post.

An electronic version of our complaint form can be found by going to our website at https://services.gov.im/freedom-of-information/Review . If you would like a paper version of our complaint form to be sent to you by post, please contact me and I will be happy to arrange for this. Your review request should explain why you are dissatisfied with this response, and should be made as soon as practicable. We will respond as soon as the review has been concluded. If you are not satisfied with the result of the review, you then have the right to appeal to the Information Commissioner for a decision on; 1. Whether we have responded to your request for information in accordance with Part 2 of the Freedom of Information Act 2015; or 2. Whether we are justified in refusing to give you the information requested.
In response to an application for review, the Information Commissioner may, at any time, attempt to resolve a matter by negotiation, conciliation, mediation or another form of alternative dispute resolution and will have regard to any outcome of this in making any subsequent decision. More detailed information on your right to a review can be found on the Information Commissioner’s website at www.inforights.im. Should you have any queries concerning this letter, please do not hesitate to contact me. 4 | P a g e
Further information about freedom of information requests can be found at www.gov.im/foi.

I will now close your request as of this date.

This response took 1.5 hours to complete.

Freedom of Information Co-Ordinator