Your council
Agenda item
Re-Start Grants for businesses - announced by the Chancellor as part of the Spring Budget
Introduction
The primary principle of the Restart Grant scheme is to support businesses that offer in-person services, where the main service and activity takes place in a fixed rate-paying premises, in the relevant sectors.
Under the Restart Grant scheme, Local Authorities will receive funding to be allocated in one-off grants to businesses:
· Grants of up to £6,000 will be paid to non-essential retail business premises, to help them reopen safely.
· Grants of up to £18,000 will be allocated to hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym business premises, which may open later under plans set out in the roadmap and will be more impacted by restrictions when they do reopen.
Who will receive this funding?
General eligibility:
· Businesses must be trading on 1 April 2021 to be eligible to receive funding under this scheme.
· Businesses will be required to make an application for the grant and provide details and documentary evidence in accordance with the eligibility criteria
· The Restart Grant scheme supports businesses that are predominantly reliant on delivering “in-person” services for the general public in the aforementioned sectors.
· Non-essential retail - for the purposes of this scheme, a non-essential retail business can be defined as a business that is used mainly or wholly for the purposes of retail sale or hire of goods or services by the public, where the primary purpose of products or services provided are not necessary to the health and well-being of the public. Please note - the definition of a non-essential retail business should exclude: food retailers, including food markets, supermarkets, convenience stores, corners shops, off licences, breweries, pharmacies, chemists, newsagents, animal rescue centres and boarding facilities, building merchants, petrol stations, vehicle repair and MOT services, bicycle shops, taxi and vehicle hire businesses, education providers including tutoring services, banks, building societies and other financial providers, post offices, funeral directors, laundrettes and dry cleaners, medical practices, veterinary surgeries and pet shops, agricultural supply shops, garden centres, storage and distribution facilities, wholesalers, employment agencies and businesses, office buildings, automatic car washes and mobility support shops.
· Hospitality - for the purposes of this scheme, a hospitality business can be defined as a business whose main function is to provide a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink. Please note - the definition of a hospitality retail business should exclude: food kiosks and businesses whose main service is a takeaway (not applicable to those that have adapted to offer takeaways during periods of restrictions, in alignment with previous COVID-19 business grant schemes).
· Leisure - for the purposes of this scheme, a leisure business can be defined as a business that provides opportunities, experiences and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out. Please note: the definition of a leisure business should exclude: all retail businesses, coach tour operators, tour operators and telescopes.
· Accommodation - for the purposes of this scheme, an accommodation business can be defined as a business whose main lodging provision is used for holiday, travel and other purposes. Please note: the definition of an accommodation business should exclude: private dwellings, education accommodation, residential homes, care homes, residential family centres, beach huts.
· Gym & Sports - for the purposes of this scheme, a gym & sport business can be defined as a commercial or non-profit establishment where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis, using exercise equipment or open floor space with or without instruction, or where individual and group sporting, athletic and physical activities are participated in competitively or recreationally. Please note: the definition of a gym & sport business should exclude: home gyms, home exercise studios, home sports courts and home sports grounds.
· Personal Care - for the purposes of this scheme, a personal care business can be defined as a business which provides a service, treatment or activity for the purposes of personal beauty, hair, grooming, body care and aesthetics, and wellbeing. Please note: the definition of a personal care business should exclude: businesses that only provide personal care goods, rather than services; businesses used solely as training centres for staff, apprentices and others; businesses providing dental services, opticians, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractors, osteopaths and other medical or health services, including services which incorporate personal care services, treatments required by those with disabilities and services relating to mental health.
How much funding will be provided to businesses?
The Restart Grant scheme is for businesses registered in the local authority ratings list only, as at 1 April 2021, and is a one-off grant.
The Restart Grant will support non-essential retail premises with one-off grants of up to £6,000 in Strand One of the Restart Grant. The following thresholds apply for these businesses:
· Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £2,667.
· Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £4,000.
· Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £6,000.
The Restart Grant will also support hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym business premises with one-off grants of up to £18,000 in Strand Two of the Restart Grant. The following thresholds apply for these businesses:
· Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £8,000.
· Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £12,000.
· Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £18,000.
Further details, including the link to an online application form, will be available on the council website from 1 April 2021.