ºù«ÍÞapp

Businesses that have had to close due to tier 4 restrictions can now apply for government grants.

This latest grant, called Local Restriction Support Grants (closed businesses), are for the period 26 December 2020 until 8 January 2021.

The grants are based on rateable value and the rate of payment for eligible businesses is:

• For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, grants are £667
• For properties with a rateable value of between £15,001 and £50,999, grants are £1,000
• For properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over, grants are £1,500.

Three other grants are currently available but the number of applications remains low. The grants are:

• Additional Restrictions Grant
• Local Restrictions Support Grant (closed businesses during the second national lockdown)
• Christmas grants for ‘wet-led’ pubs.

ºù«ÍÞapp Borough Council is administering and distributing all four grants on behalf of the government.

Additional Restrictions Grants are for businesses that were affected by the lockdown but are not legally required to close. This funding lasts until March 2022.

The previous round ended with the council receiving just 367 applications, including 342 from taxi drivers.

Applications have reopened and must be submitted before 10 January 2021.

Eligible businesses are those who:

• Are not entitled to Local Restriction Support Grants (were not mandated to close), and
• Were open and trading the day before national restrictions were imposed (Wednesday 4 November), and
• Can prove that they were severely impacted by the restrictions.

Businesses can check if they’re eligible for the Additional Restrictions Grant by visiting the  website.

Local Restrictions Support Grants (closed) are for businesses that pay business rates and had to close during the second lockdown from 5 November to 2 December. Only 181 businesses have received this grant to date.

The rate of payment for eligible businesses is:

• For properties with a rateable value of £15,000 or under, grants are £1,334
• For properties with a rateable value of more than £15,000 and below £51,000, grants are £2,000
• For properties with a rateable value of £51,000 or over, grants are £3,000.

Christmas grants of £1,000 for ‘wet-led’ pubs are for pubs that had to close due to regional restrictions. Six pubs have benefited from this so far.

To apply, your pub must be based in ºù«ÍÞapp, earn less than 50 per cent of income from food and had to close due to regional restrictions introduced on 2 December. Only the business rates payer can apply.

Applications for all four grants can be made on the website.

There is further guidance and a copy of the West Sussex countywide policy on our .

For more details on help available for businesses visit our coronavirus support page.