Socio-economic support for communities near Dounreay
Information on the socio-economic work being carried out by Dounreay and the funding available.
Documents
Details
Information on the socio-economic work being carried out by Dounreay and the funding available.
Details
The closure of Dounreay will result in major social and economic challenges for the area. Managing the impact on the local area is therefore important to the site.
Dounreay is one of the partners of Focus North, an informal partnership created to deliver initiatives in the north mainland Scotland to generate economic growth.
For further information see the Focus North website.
In delivering the Dounreay decommissioning programme
NDA spends up to £200 million a year to decommission the site. A significant part of this is spent in the local economy through salaries and the purchase of goods and services.
Dounreay employs around 1,300 staff and a similar number of individuals through the supply chain.
It is estimated that over £125m of goods and services are purchased annually, and a significant amount of this expenditure is with companies within Caithness and north Sutherland.
The Energy Act 2004 requires the NDA to consider the socio economic impacts of decommissioning on local communities. Dounreay has obligations with the NDA to support the delivery of socio economic activities.
Resources
The aim is to align our activities with Focus North, to maximise the combined resources and ensure a consistent approach to reduce the impact of decommissioning Dounreay.
Focus North’s vision is that the north of mainland Scotland will be a sustainable region, providing a healthy, economically stable environment for its growing population. Its network of thriving communities will reflect the rich heritage and varied landscapes.
The Focus North partners are:
- Caithness Chamber of Commerce
- Highlands and Islands Enterprise
- The Highland Council
- The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
- Dounreay, a Division of Magnox Ltd
- Skills Development Scotland
- UHI North Highland
- The Scottish Government
In addition to direct NDA socio economic funding, £500,000 is allocated from the Dounreay annual budget for socio economic assistance.
NDA and Dounreay direct funding
Details of the NDA funding for socio economic projects can be found on the NDA website
Grant funding guidance can be found on the NDA website
Application form for NDA or Dounreay socio economic funding
If you wish to discuss a potential application before submitting please email socio.economic@dounreay.com