The Government has announced a range of Local Restrictions Support Grants (LRSG) which will give financial aid to businesses that have that have had to close due to the current national lockdown, or have been unable able to open since the initial lockdown period.
Grant payments are available to support:
- Nightclubs, dance halls, and discos and sexual entertainment venues and hostess bars which have been required to close since 23 March 2020. (Grant payments are effective from 1 November and will not be backdated).
- Businesses required to close due to Manchester being placed in Local COVID Alert Level: Very High (Tier 3) from 23 October until 4 November 2020. This includes pubs, bars, casinos, adult gaming establishments, betting shops and soft play centres.
- Businesses required to close due to national lockdown restrictions from 5 November until 2 December 2020. This includes the business affected by the Tier 3 restrictions as well as all non-essential retail, hospitality venues, accommodation, leisure and sports facilities, entertainment venues, personal care facilities, community centres and places of worship.
Grants will be paid at the following rates:
- For properties with a rateable value of £15k or under, grants of £1,334 will be paid for every 28-day qualifying restriction period
- For properties with a rateable value of over £15k and below £51k, grants of £2,000 will be paid for every 28-day qualifying restriction period
- For properties with a rateable value of £51k or over, grants of £3,000 will be paid for every 28-day qualifying restriction period
What businesses are eligible?
To qualify, businesses must have been required by Government to close as part of the either local restrictions or national lockdown.
Business that are not forced to close under the new restrictions will not be eligible for the scheme.
View the eligibility criteria and apply for a grant
Additional discretionary funding
The Government has provided additional discretionary funding for Local Authorities to support businesses that suffered disproportionately under the local restrictions which came into effect in Manchester on 5 August 2020 (the equivalent to Local COVID Alert Level: High (Tier 2). With priority given to hospitality, hotel, bed & breakfast and leisure businesses for this additional discretionary funding.
Eligible businesses who apply for a grant via the main Local Restriction Support Grant will not need to apply again for a discretionary grant, the information submitted as part of the original application will be used to assess eligibility and make payments where successful.