Over £8 million in funding is being made available to communities across the North East of Scotland and Moray to stimulate job creation in low carbon industries and enhance green and net zero skills. The Scottish Government's Just Transition Fund (JTF) is reopening for applications for the first time since 2022, inviting organisations, businesses, and communities to seek support for new projects.

The JTF is designed to finance industry and community initiatives that contribute to the transition to net zero by creating green jobs, fostering innovation, and securing a highly skilled future workforce. Since its inception in 2022, the fund has invested a total of £75 million in various projects. These have included the establishment of a 'Digital Innovation Lab' to help the construction sector decarbonise, a travelling skills hub providing training and STEM engagement, interventions to meet net zero training needs, and the development of an energy skills passport for offshore workers transitioning to the renewables sector.

Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin announced the reopening of the JTF during a visit to Sarens PSG, an offshore wind assembly company. Sarens PSG previously received £150,000 through the JTF's Supply Chain Pathway and Energy Transition Challenge Fund, delivered by ETZ Ltd, to upgrade their site for training offshore wind technicians, engineers, and operators.

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Ms Martin stated: "Scotland's innovation, expertise and vast renewable energy resources will not only benefit the planet – but deliver new economic opportunities and new jobs for households and communities across the country. It is vital that as we move towards net zero, workers, communities and businesses are able to capture the opportunities that the transition brings, and I have seen first-hand today the positive impact that the Just Transition Fund is having on people in the North East."

She added: "This new £8 million funding from the Scottish Government responds directly to the immediate priorities within the region and will support projects with a specific focus on jobs, skills and economic opportunities. I strongly believe the North East will continue to be a titan in energy and that Scotland's greatest contribution to the global climate challenge is our renewable energy potential."

Maggie McGinlay, Chief Executive of ETZ Ltd, commented on the impact of previous funding: "The supply chain is the very lifeblood of our energy sector and it is vital that we provide companies with the support required to capitalise on the vast opportunities that energy transition provide... To date, the fund has awarded £5.27 million to 41 companies across Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire and Moray, successfully unlocking an additional £12.85 million in private investment so the strong appetite for energy transition across the region's supply chain is evident."

David Reid, Highlands and Islands Enterprise Area Manager for Moray, also encouraged applications: "We're pleased that JTF funding for 2025-26 has opened for applications. Moray has many close ties, economically and geographically, to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. This puts us in a strong position to capitalise on being part of the area on which the fund is focused. I'd therefore encourage businesses, third sector enterprises and public sector partners with projects across Moray to register their interest in support from the fund."

This latest funding round is part of a broader Scottish Government investment strategy, including the Energy Transition Fund and the City Region Deal, aimed at leveraging Scotland's renewable energy potential.