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UK Businesses Support Grants

By April 21, 2020 No Comments

Businesses Support Grants

Guidance for businesses Introduction

  1. In response to the Coronavirus, Covid-19, the Government announced there would be support for small businesses, and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
  2. This support will take the form of two grant funding schemes, the Small Business Grant Fund and the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Fund.
  3. The schemes will be delivered by Local Authorities ā€“ if you are eligible, your Local Authority will be in touch with you to arrange payment.
  4. Businesses seeking information should refer to the Governmentā€™s business support website: https://www.businesssupport.gov.uk/

How will the grants be provided?

  1. Central Government will provide funding to Local Authorities that are responsible for business rate billing. Those Local Authorities will contact eligible businesses to arrange payment of the grants. How much funding will be provided to businesses?
  2. ThroughĀ theĀ SmallĀ BusinessĀ GrantĀ FundĀ (SBGF)Ā thoseĀ qualifyingĀ businesssĀ inĀ EnglandĀ whoĀ haveĀ receivedĀ eitherĀ theĀ SmallĀ BusinessĀ RateĀ ReliefĀ (SBRR)Ā orĀ theĀ RuralĀ RateĀ ReliefĀ (RRR)Ā throughĀ theĀ BusinessĀ RateĀ ProgramĀ wouldĀ beĀ liableĀ forĀ aĀ grantĀ ofĀ Ā£10,000.

 

  1. UnderĀ theĀ Retail,Ā HospitalityĀ andĀ LeisureĀ GrantĀ (RHLG),Ā qualifyingĀ companiesĀ inĀ EnglandĀ toĀ obtainĀ anĀ ExtendedĀ PriceĀ DiscountĀ (whichĀ includesĀ retail,Ā hospitalityĀ andĀ leisure)Ā withĀ aĀ valuationĀ ofĀ lessĀ thanĀ Ā£51,000Ā wouldĀ beĀ qualifiedĀ forĀ aĀ cashĀ grantĀ ofĀ Ā£10,000Ā orĀ Ā£25,000Ā perĀ house.

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  1. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including Ā£15,000 will receive a grant of Ā£10,000.
  2. Eligible businesses in these sectors with a property that has a rateable value of over Ā£15,000 and less than Ā£51,000 will receive a grant of Ā£25,000.
  3. Businesses on or above a gross valuation of Ā£51,000 are not liable for this program. Businesses who are not tax payers in the Business Rate scheme are not counted in this system.

Who is eligible for these schemes?

Ā Small Business Grant Fund Eligibility

  1. Businesses with a property that on the 11 March 2020 were eligible for Small Business Rate Relief (SBRR) Scheme (including those with a Rateable Value between Ā£12,000 and Ā£15,000 which receive tapered relief).
  2. Businesses which on 11 March 2020 were eligible for relief under the Rural Rate Relief Scheme are also eligible for this scheme.
  3. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property. Exclusions to Small Business Grant Fund
  4. You cannot get SBGF for: ā€¢ Properties occupied for personal uses, such as private stables and loose boxes, beach huts and moorings. ā€¢ Car parks and parking spaces.
  5. Businesses which as of the 11 March were in liquidation or were dissolved will not be eligible. Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant Eligibility
  6. Properties which on the 11 March 2020 had a rateable value of less than Ā£51,000 and would have been eligible for a discount under the business rates Expanded Retail Discount Scheme had that scheme been in force are eligible for the grant. Charities which would otherwise meet this criteria but whose bill for 11 March had been reduced to nil by a local discretionary award should still be considered to be eligible for the RHL grant.
  7. Recipients will receive one grant per eligible property. Exclusions to RHLG
  8. You cannot get RHLG for: ā€¢ Properties occupied for personal uses, such as private stables and loose boxes, beach huts and moorings. ā€¢ Car parks and parking spaces. ā€¢ Properties with a rateable value of Ā£51,000 or over.
  9. Businesses which as of the 11 March were in liquidation or were dissolved will not be eligible.
  10. Eligible recipients will receive one grant per property. Recipients cannot receive both SBGF and RHLG on the same property.

Who will receive this funding?

  1. The person who according to the billing authorityā€™s records was the ratepayer for the property on the 11 March 2020.
  2. Where the Local Authority has reason to believe that the information that they hold about the ratepayer on the 11 March 2020 is inaccurate they may withhold or recover the grant and take reasonable steps to identify the correct ratepayer. The grant is for the ratepayer and any money paid may be liable for recovery if the recipient was not the ratepayer on the eligible day.
  3. Landlord and management agents are urged to support local government in quickly identifying the correct ratepayer.

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