Grants and Support for Businesses

The application process is now live.

The Restart grants are a one-off grant. There are two strands to the grants and these are detailed below.

Please note there are general exclusions to the schemes as well as exclusions for each business / sector type.

General Exclusions

The following businesses will not be eligible for an award;

• Businesses that are not within the rating system;
• Businesses that have already received grant payments that equal the maximum permitted subsidy allowances will not be eligible to receive this funding; and
• Businesses that are in administration, insolvent or where a striking-off notice has been made, are not eligible for funding under this scheme.

Effective Date

The effective date for this scheme is 1^st April 2021 – businesses must be trading and able to prove trading on this date.

Strand One – Non-essential retail businesses

For the purposes of this scheme, a non-essential retail business is defined as a business that is used mainly or wholly for the purposes of retail sale or hire of goods or services by the public, where the primary purpose of products or services provided are not necessary to the health and well-being of the public.

The business must be providing the retail sale or hires of goods or services to members of the public from the business premise.

This grant excludes the following;

• Food retailers (including food markets, supermarkets, convenience stores and corner shops);
• Off licences;
• Breweries;
• Pharmacies and Chemists;
• Newsagents;
• Animal rescue centres and boarding facilities;
• Building Merchants;
• Petrol stations;
• Vehicle repair & MOT services;
• Bicycle shops;
• Taxi and vehicle hire businesses;
• Education providers, including tutoring services;
• Banks, building societies and other financial providers;
• Post offices;
• Funeral directors;
• Laundrettes and dry cleaners;
• Medical practices;
• Veterinary surgeries and pets shops;
• Agricultural supply shops;
• Garden centres;
• Storage and distribution facilities;
• Wholesalers;
• Employment agencies and businesses;
• Office buildings;
• Automatic car washes;
• Mobility support shops; and
• Or similar.

Eligible businesses will receive a grant based on their rateable value;

• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £2,667.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £4,000.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £6,000.

Strand Two – Hospitality, accommodation, leisure, personal care and gym businesses

For the purposes of this scheme the following business will fall to classified under strand 2;

Hospitality

A hospitality business is defined as a business who main function is to provide a venue for the consumption and sale of food and drink.

This grant excludes the following;

• Food kiosks;
• Business whose main service is a takeaway (this is not applicable to those that have adapted to offer takeaways during periods of restrictions in alignment with previous Covid-19 business grant schemes; and
• or similar.

Leisure

A leisure business is defined as a business that provides opportunities, experienced and facilities, in particular for culture, recreation, entertainment, celebratory events and days and nights out.

This grant excludes the following;

• All retail businesses;
• Coach tour operators;
• Tour operators;
• Telescopes; and
• or similar.

Accommodation

An accommodation business can be defined as a business whose main lodging provision is used for holiday, travel and other purposes.

This grant excludes the following;

• private dwellings;
• education and accommodation;
• residential homes and care homes;
• residential family centres;
• beach huts; and
• or similar.

Gym and Sports

A gym and sport business is defined as a commercial or non-profit establishment where physical exercise or training is conducted on an individual basis or group basis, using exercise equipment or open floor space with or without instruction, or where individual and group sporting, athletic and physical activities are participated in competitively or recreationally.

This grant excludes the following;

• home gyms;
• home exercise studios;
• home sports courts;
• home sports grounds; and
• or similar

Personal Care

A personal care business is defined as a business which provides a service, treatment or activity for the purposes of personal beauty, hair, grooming, body care and aesthetics, and wellbeing.

This grant excludes the following;

• businesses that only provide personal care goods, rather than services;
• business used sole as training centres for staff, apprentices and others;
• business providing dental services, opticians, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractors and osteopaths; and
• other medical or health services including services which incorporate personal care services, treatments required by those with disabilities and services relating to mental health.

Eligible businesses will receive a grant based on their rateable value;

• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £8,000.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £12,000.
• Businesses occupying hereditaments appearing on the local rating list with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or over on 1 April 2021 will receive a payment of £18,000.

Please note that this grant scheme will go live on 1^st April 2021 and will close for applications on 30^th June 2021.

Guidance and policy documents

• The guidance can be viewed here
• Read the Council’s full Restart Grant Scheme policy document

Apply now