Business grants update - January 5, 2021

On Tuesday January 5, 2021, the Chancellor announced a new round of grants for businesses.

  • Business Grants
    • one-off top up grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses worth up to £9,000 per property to help businesses through to the Spring
    • £594 million discretionary fund also made available to support other impacted businesses

The one-off top-ups will be granted to closed businesses as follows:

    • £4,000 for businesses with a rateable value of £15,000 or under
    • £6,000 for businesses with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000
    • £9,000 for businesses with a rateable value of over £51,000

Full details of the Chancellor's announcement can be found on the Government's website.

Charnwood Borough Council are looking at putting processes in place and will update the website as soon as possible.

Business rates

The Council pro-actively suspended the collection of business rates by direct debit where the business qualified for the business rates ‘holiday’ announced by government. Most businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors will not be required to pay business rates in the 2020/21 financial year. This will be done automatically so there is no need for companies to do anything and the Council will write to you.

Businesses in other sectors which remain liable to pay business rates but which are experiencing genuine financial difficulties caused by coronavirus can to discuss the potential for a payment plan of deferred business rates.

Find out more about how the loans will work and eligibility.

Coronavirus business support finder tool

The Government's ‘support finder’ tool will help businesses and self-employed people across the UK to quickly and easily determine what financial support is available to them during the coronavirus pandemic.

Use the Coronavirus business support finder tool

Other support

The Government has also introduced other business support measures, such as loans. It is likely that guidance and support measures will continue to change in the coming days and weeks in what is a fast-moving, difficult and complex situation.

There's more information on:

If you are unsure whether or not your business must be closed and have other questions about business closures you can access the Government information at www.gov.uk/government/publications/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close/further-businesses-and-premises-to-close-guidance.

Supporting Charnwood businesses and their employees in getting to work

Are your employees having to travel differently to get to work? Check out the Choose How You Move website and contact the Choose How You Move team who will be able to support your business and employees in adopting active modes of travel to get to and from work including their free E-bike loan scheme.

Security tips for businesses with empty premises

Secured by Design, the Police Digital Security Centre and the National Counter Terrorism Security Office have put together the Top 10 Security Tips for Closed Business Premises, the Top 10 Cyber Security Tips for Working at Home and the latest Counter Terrorism advice following the launch of a new app. This leaflet will help you carry out a simple security risk assessment of your business premises and cyber security and identify any obvious vulnerabilities. The leaflet can be found below:

Last updated: Wed 13th January, 2021 @ 09:08