BIDS are still being invited to a new £300,000 South of Scotland Cycling Infrastructure Fund.
It has been created to support the region’s aim of becoming one of the leading cycling destinations in the world.
The Fund offers capital grants of £3000 to £25,000 to support tourism businesses, social enterprises and community groups who own visitor facing assets to invest in cycling infrastructure.
The investments will aim to improve facilities for visiting cyclists taking part in the Kirkpatrick C2C, South of Scotland’s Coast to Coast cycling route, or riding the 7Stanes trail centres.
All applicants must be located within two miles of one of the Kirkpatrick C2C’s 22 named stopover locations or directly on the Kirkpatrick C2C route, or within five miles of the 7Stanes trail centres.
Eligible infrastructure projects include bike storage, bike racks, power charging sockets for cycle tourers, bike locks, bike washes, drying equipment and repair stations amongst others.
The Fund is being offered by South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), and is supported by the South of Scotland Cycling Partnership.
SOSE chairman Professor Russel Griggs said: “The South of Scotland is one of the UK’s top cycling destinations, and in the last 12 months we have made excellent progress with our partners to ensuring it becomes a world-leading cycling location.
“To achieve this, it is absolutely crucial we have the correct facilities in place to support more visiting cyclists to enjoy our wonderful region, which is why we have launched the Cycling Infrastructure Fund.
“By providing improved facilities for cyclists, we can use the power of the bike to bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the region.”
Tourism Minister Richard Lochhead added: “This is a welcome initiative, supporting the development of infrastructure to help cycling tourism play a greater role in the local economy and giving a valuable boost to local businesses.
Full details including eligibility criteria and application forms are available at www.southofscotlandenterprise.com/cyclingfund.