Further business sectors in Calderdale are now invited to apply for funding of up to £10,000 from the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund.
The grant scheme is available for small and micro businesses facing major impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, which aren’t eligible for the Government’s Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Fund.
Since its initial launch on the 5 June, nearly 300 Calderdale businesses have applied for this funding. Calderdale Council is now in a position to widen the eligibility criteria to include additional business sectors.
Applications are now invited from childcare providers who are not eligible for other grants; suppliers of products for the hospitality, retail and leisure sector; and manufacturing or engineering businesses which have a rateable property between £15,000 and £51,000.
Eligible businesses in these sectors are able to apply for £5,000 for companies with up to 10 staff and £10,000 for those with 11-50 staff.
The deadline has also been extended for businesses in existing eligible sectors. This includes:
- Small businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces, such as units in industrial parks and science parks which do not have their own Business Rates assessment.
- Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own Business Rates assessment.
- Bed & Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of Business Rates.
- Charity properties in receipt of Charitable Business Rates Relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief.
The online application form can be accessed at www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-business-support
The grant will close on Friday 24 July at 5pm.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Resources, Cllr Jane Scullion, said:
“We know that the impacts of coronavirus will be felt for a long time to come and we want to offer as much support as possible to our local businesses.
“I’m pleased that we’re now able to widen the eligibility criteria for the Local Authority Discretionary Grant Fund to include childcare providers, suppliers and manufacturing companies. We know many of these businesses have suffered a knock-on effect from other closures.
“We’ve also extended the application deadline for those previously eligible for the grant, to ensure that no one misses out.
“We know how important this funding is and we’ll work through the required checks as quickly as possible to ensure businesses promptly receive their money.”
Please note that all businesses must meet the following criteria:
- All applicants must meet the definition of either a small business or a micro business, and employ less than 50 staff.
- Applicants must not be eligible for or benefiting from any other of the Government’s COVID-19 grant support schemes.
- Applicants must have high fixed property-related costs and be able to demonstrate a major drop in income as a result of the pandemic.
ENDS