Advertising of Fiscal Stimulus Funding (FOI)

Request

The Government have recently announced the first tranche of successful applicants form the £50m Fiscal Stimulus fund. I knew nothing of this fund until first pay-outs were announced. My questions are:  

A

How and where was the Fiscal Stimulus fund scheme advertised to potential applicants ?

B

For how long was Fiscal Stimulus fund scheme advertised ?

C

How much money was spent on advertising the Fiscal Stimulus fund scheme ?

D

Were any groups, clubs, bodies or states departments formally approached by Treasury officials or politicians advising them of the Fiscal Stimulus fund scheme ?

Response

A

Six press releases were issued between 10 July and 28 January.

The Fiscal Stimulus Fund was announced during a live-streamed press conference on 10 July.

The press conference was aired live by Channel 103 and BBC Radio and also on Facebook.

Below is a summary of the releases and the media coverage:

10 July – Fiscal Stimulus Fund announced

Chief Minister announces £150m Fiscal Stimulus package

Coverage

Channel 103 Online (13 July):

re. comments by Senator Farnham

ITV Channel Online:

Government Funding For Opera House Renovation? - Channel 103  

07 October – Proposition for FSF launched

Fiscal Stimulus Fund proposition lodged

Coverage

JEP (8 October) not online, but clipping available

Channel 103 Headlines 8am (8 October)

19 November – launch of tranche 1:

Fiscal Stimulus Fund applications open (gov.je)

Coverage

Channel 103:

£50m Fiscal Stimulus Fund Approved - Channel 103

Bailiwick Express:

Charities and publicly funded bodies invited to bid for share of £50m fund | Bailiwick Express

JEP:

£50m loan to boost economy approved | Jersey Evening Post

JEP:

Fiscal Stimulus Fund: First wave of applications opens | Jersey Evening Post

15 December – tranche 1 deadline reminder:

Fiscal Stimulus Fund deadline (gov.je)

Coverage

JEP story (not available online, but clipping available)

4 January – launch of tranche 2:

Second tranche of Fiscal Stimulus Fund open for applications (gov.je)

Coverage

JEP (6 January):

Millions made available for economy-boosting projects | Jersey Evening Post

ITV Channel TV (6 January)

Channel 103 (7 January)

28 January – tranche 2 deadline reminder:

Deadline nears for Fiscal Stimulus Fund applications (gov.je)

Coverage

Channel TV (online):

Last chance for organisations to apply for money from Jersey's Fiscal Stimulus Fund | Channel | ITV News

BBC Jersey 8am headlines (29 January)

On the dedicated website there were the following updates:

The Fiscal Stimulus page was published 20 November 2020. To date the page has had 2,980 total views.

There were several news stories over 2020 and 2021 that mentioned the fiscal stimulus, but the main ones that focused on the fund had the following total views to date:

Chief Minister announces £150m Fiscal Stimulus package - 2,073 views

Fiscal Stimulus Fund applications open - 1,907 views

Fiscal Stimulus Fund deadline - 451 views

Fiscal Stimulus Fund proposition lodged - 209 views

B

There have been ongoing updates on the Fiscal Stimulus Fund especially nearing the application deadlines and there continue to be regular published updates.

C

The amount of expenditure on advertising the Fiscal Stimulus Fund was zero.

D

The Fiscal Stimulus administration team are not aware of any formal approaches being made to applicants by treasury officials or politicians.

Article applied

Article 23 Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.