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ºù«ÍÞapp Borough Council is supporting local businesses by distributing more than £12 million in grants – the first council in West Sussex to do this.

Last week, the Government announced two new schemes designed to support all local businesses significantly affected by the coronavirus shutdown.

The Small Business Grant Fund and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant is being administered by the council on behalf of the Government. 

Businesses will be eligible for a Small Business Grant of £10,000 if they are in receipt of either Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rates Relief in the business rates system.

Under the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant, businesses that would have been in receipt of the Expanded Retail Discount (which covers retail, hospitality and leisure) on 11 March with a rateable value of less than £51,000 will be eligible for the following grants per property:

• Businesses with a property that has a rateable value of up to and including £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000
• Businesses with a property that has a rateable value of more than £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000.

Businesses which are not ratepayers in the business rates system and those eligible for a Small Business Grant will not be eligible for the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme.

The council is currently processing a significant number of applications for both grant schemes and a team of officers is working hard to respond to each application as quickly as possible. We understand this is a particularly difficult time for many businesses and individuals and ask for people’s understanding and patience.

For more information about financial support during the coronavirus pandemic, visit crawley.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-overview