COVID funding for Businesses
25 November 2020
Businesses which remained open during late September and October this year, but were severely impacted by the Covid rules which restricted socialising, can now apply for a support grant.
Aimed primarily at businesses in the hospitality, hotel, bed and breakfast and leisure sectors, the Local Restrictions Support Grant (Open) will provide up to £3,675 of support for eligible companies, depending on their rateable value.
Applications opened on 23 November 2020, and can be made retrospectively back to 18 September, when restrictions were introduced in North East England which included stopping households from mixing and requiring hospitality venues to close between 10pm and 5am.
Businesses will be able to claim up to 4 November, the day before the national lockdown, and all applications must be made by no later than Monday 7 December.
It does not cover businesses associated with personal care, such as hairdressers or tattooists, general retail businesses and garden centres, and businesses that operate from home, although registered bed and breakfasts will be eligible under the further scheme to be announced soon.
For businesses which have been legally required to close during the national lockdown, from 5 November, there is a further grant scheme which is open for applications - Local Restrictions Support Grant (Closed) Addendum. Businesses such as nightclubs which had to close in March, and have not yet been able to reopen, will also be able to claim a support grant from 1 November, and the council will be launching the application process for these grants soon.
To find out more about the grants, and to make an application go to www.northumberland.gov.uk/businesshub (Opens in a new window)
Please visit the business hub web pages on Northumberland County Council's website for details of all of the support available for businesses.
