Businesses can apply now for restart grants

Eligible businesses are invited to apply now for a one-off Business Restart Grant to help them reopen safely as Covid-19 restrictions are lifted.

Businesses in the non-essential retail sector may be entitled to a one-off cash grant of up to £6,000 and eligible businesses in the hospitality, leisure, accommodation, gym and sports, and personal care sectors may be entitled to a one-off cash grant of up to £18,000.

These grants were announced by the Chancellor in the budget on 3 March and replace the Local Restrictions Support Grant (LRSG).

Applications can be made on the Buckinghamshire Council website and payments will be made in early April. Eligibility criteria, further details and the application form can be found at https://www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-business-support-hub/coronavirus-business-grants/business-restart-grants/

On 25 March the government announced an additional Business Rates Relief Fund of £1.5 billion for businesses affected by COVID-19 outside the retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors – see https://www.gov.uk/government/news/business-rates-relief-boosted-with-new-15-billion-pot. We are awaiting information from the government about this relief and will update businesses once we have the details.