Coronavirus Business Grants Scheme extended

27th July 2020

Sheffield City Council has opened applications for its Coronavirus Business Grants Scheme for a second time

Sheffield City Council has opened applications for its Coronavirus Business Grants Scheme for a second time, giving more businesses who have not received any other support the opportunity to apply for grants between £1000 and £10,000, depending on the size of the business. The eligibility criteria of this scheme will also now be expanded to include businesses with a rental value of up to £25,000 (previously £15,000). Applications will be open for two weeks and will close at midnight on Friday 31st July.

The Coronavirus Business Grants Scheme has been put in place to provide financial aid to businesses that have relatively high fixed property costs and are not eligible for other Government grants. As with the first round of applications, the scheme will predominately aim to support businesses that would have been eligible for a business rate grant if they had been the named ratepayer on their premises. As well as opening the scheme to businesses with a rental value of up to £25,000, the second round of the scheme will also accept applications from self-employed individuals who have received very little from the Self Employment Scheme (SEIS) as well as meeting all the other criteria. Grants of up to £1,000 will be available.

£3m of Government funding will be used to deliver the scheme, following the distribution of £2.5m to businesses in the first round of applications in June.

The types of businesses eligible for the scheme are as follows:

  • With rental values up to £25,000 per year
  • Small Businesses who have been severely hit by Covid and have relatively high property costs, including those businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure supply chain
  • Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses who are not the rate payer and who’s commercial rent is up to £51,000 per year
  • Local charities that have not been able to apply for the business rate grant up to a rental value of £25,000 per year
  • Nurseries with a yearly commercial rent value up to £51,000
  • Regular market traders who were not able to apply for a business rate grant.
  • Bed and Breakfasts with a food hygiene certificate

Businesses and organisations applying for the grant must be able to evidence that they are trading from the premises they are making an application for.

Councillor Mazher Iqbal, Cabinet Member for Business and Investment at Sheffield City Council, said:

“As our retail and hospitality sector begins to reopen its doors, we know that there are still many businesses in Sheffield who still face uncertainty and have really struggled in the recent months of lockdown. We have listened to this and have therefore expanded the eligibility of this scheme to support businesses with a much higher rental value, which will open up the grants to many more people.

“Unfortunately we are still constrained by limited funding from Government which is reflected in the values of the grants we have set, but I hope that this will go some way to help many more of our businesses who have faced huge challenges during this pandemic.

“Applications for this scheme are only open for two weeks, so I’m encouraging all businesses eligible for the grant to apply as soon as possible via the Sheffield City Council website.”

More information on the full eligibility criteria for the Coronavirus Business Grants Scheme and the online application form can be found at www.sheffield.gov.uk/discretionarygrants.

Businesses who were not eligible in round one of applications that are now eligible in round 2 because of the broadened criteria will need to reapply. The Council is contacting these businesses directly to advise them of this.

Businesses can also contact Business Sheffield on 0114 224 5000 or email businesssheffield@sheffield.gov.uk for further guidance and to speak to a Business Advisor.

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