North East Scotland College and Energy Transition Zone Ltd: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for information relating to EIR release 202300355965 including information on Jennifer Craw and the organisations Opportunity North East (ONE), North East Scotland College, NESCOL and Energy Transition Zone Ltd.

Response

I enclose a copy of some of the information you requested.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. The reasons why we don't have the information are explained below.

The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because the Scottish Government is not responsible for monitoring the relationship between Opportunity North East (ONE), Energy Transition Zone Ltd. and NESCOL. Scottish Government also does not hold data on individuals to the specifications outlined in this information request. I have highlighted instances where another organisation may hold the requested information below.

This is a formal notice under section 17(1) of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. Please see the answers to your remaining queries outlined below.

Question 1.

I would like to better understand the relationships between the organisations Opportunity North East (ONE), NESCOL, Energy Transition Challenge Fund (ETZ Ltd), North East Adventure Tourism (NEAT) and Seedpod and in particular the status of Jennifer Craw with relation to awards of grant fundings for each of these organisations.

Answer: North East Adventure Tourism and Seedpod are projects being delivered by Opportunity North East (ONE). Jennifer Craw is the Chief Executive of ONE. In 2022, ONE received funding from the Just Transition Fund for both projects. A summary of Just Transition Fund support directed to NESCol, ONE and Energy Transition Zone Ltd. can be found here: Just Transition Fund: year one projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Scottish Government’s £75m Energy Transition Fund (ETF) is designed to support our energy sector and the North East, whilst progressing energy transition as we move toward a net zero society by 2045. The ETF has committed funding to Energy Transition Zone Ltd, a private sector-led and not-for-profit company, to support delivery of delivery of a unique Energy Transition Zone (ETZ), which comprises a 250-hectare site in close proximity to the brand new Aberdeen South Harbour. Jennifer Craw is on the board of directors at ETZ Ltd.

Scottish Government does not hold information on the relationship between ONE, ETZ Ltd. and North East College Scotland (NESCol).

Question 2.

What is the registered company name for NESCOL.

Answer: NESCol is an abbreviation for North East Scotland College. As per the College’s website, NESCol is recognised as a Scottish charity – number SCO21174. Please contact the college directly for further information.

Question 3.

Does Jennifer Craw have any Publicly Funded Roles.

Answer: Scottish Government does not hold this information.

Question 4.

Is Jennifer Craw's directorship roles in the above organisations though a public role or in a purely private capacity.

Answer: ONE and ETZ Ltd are private sector led organisations. Directorship roles within these organisations are not public sector positions.

Question 5.

Are any of these organisations entirely Publicly owned and/or funded.

Answer: ONE and ETZ Ltd. are private sector led organisations in receipt of Scottish Government funding. They are not publicly owned. NESCol is a body listed in schedule 2 of the Further and Higher Education (Scotland) Act 2005 as a fundable body eligible for funding by the Scottish Funding Council.

Question 6.

Have any other companies in the North East benefitted from Just Transition Funding.

Answer: A link to the full list of projects funded by the Just Transition Fund has been provided in the response to Question 1.

Question 7.

Does Jennifer Craw have any declared interest to Scottish Funding bodies such as SNIB, Scottish Enterprise etc.

Answer: Scottish Government does not hold this information. Please contact funding bodies directly.

Question 8.

How much in total have companies which Jennifer Craw is (or was) a director of been granted in awards from Scottish Public funds.

Answer: Scottish Government does not hold all the information requested. A summary of funding awarded through the Just Transition Fund projects has been provided above.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.