Charities and small or micro-businesses across Bath & North East Somerset affected by COVID-19 – but who were outside the scope of the first round of Government funding – can now apply for a discretionary grant.
A second round of registration opens on Monday (June 29) for applications from businesses that meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Businesses not entitled to a grant under the original business support grant schemes, or any other grant awarded in support of dealing with COVID-19.
- Businesses with ongoing fixed building-related costs e.g. rent, service charges and council tax.
- Businesses which can demonstrate that they have suffered a significant fall in income (including online activity) due to the Covid-19 crisis.
- Businesses with 49 or less employees (a person who has received remuneration via your payroll system in the last 6 months (up to March 11) and who has a contract of employment). Businesses that were trading (active in buying/selling goods or services; excludes activities undertaken for the purposes of acquiring or setting up a proposed new trade) on 11 March
Government has also requested that the following businesses are prioritised:
- Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces; examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment;
- Charities that would have otherwise qualified for the Small Business Grant Fund had they been operating as a business
- Regular market or street traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment; and
- Bed & Breakfasts and guest houses which pay council tax instead of business rates.
Applications can be made from June 29 via Bath & North East Somerset Council at https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/register-discretionary-fund and must be received by July 13. One application is permitted per business within the West of England region and the maximum grant award is £5000.
Councillor Richard Samuel, deputy leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “This second round of discretionary grant funding is good news for charities and small businesses not eligible for the first Government funding allocation. We want to support our local businesses as much as we possibly can and will consider all applications carefully. However, we have only been given two weeks to process them so I’d encourage any businesses who think they may be eligible to apply now. We must receive all applications by Monday July 13.”
The full range of financial support for businesses announced by Government can be found here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-youre-eligible-for-the-coronavirus-small-business-grant-fund
The council’s business grants team can be contacted at BusinessGrants_Appeal@BATHNES.GOV.UK
For the latest updates on business support in light of COVID-19 follow Invest in Bath on Twitter at https://twitter.com/InvestinBath
For updates on all council services go to www.bathnes.gov.uk/coronavirus
